The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1918-01-10
tracted for 17O,ooO,oOo yards of
various cotton cloths.
Buy q stampl

hacted for 17O,ooo, 1000 yards of
various cotton cloths.
The ayiatiou- section OF the signal
corps on the first day Of April 1917,
consisted OF sixty-fivc officers and
l.l0 men On the first day of Jan
uary 1918, it consisted OF 5000 officers
and g., 10 men
Billion for Air Fleets.
This division Of the war department
was charged by congress with tho cx-
penditure Of an appropriation aggre-
eating for 1918 S440O000O, or five
times the lTS appropriations for The
entire war department.
The engineer department for which
in 1917, SSj000000 was appropriated,
was charged by the 1918 appropra-
ton with the expenditure Of S90OO0,-
600, or about seven hundred percent
increase.
10000 Sideworkers.
There have en- organized trained
and equipped technical troops Of
ioreSters, stcycdores, railroad con.
structon and operating men, aggregat-
ing about 10000, many of whom have
been operating in France for some
months"
In summing up the war departments
work, the secretary gave the following
as IT'S chief accomplishments
l. a large army is in the field
and IN training; so large that fur
ther increments to il can be ade-
Quately equipped and trained as
rapidly as those already in train
ing can be transported
:, The army has been enlisted
and selected without serious dis
location OF the Industries of the
country.
j. The training Of the army is
proceeding rapidly and its Spirits
high. The subsistence of the army
has been above criticism, its ini-
tial clothing supply temporarily
inadequate is now substantially
complete and reserves will rapidly
accumulate, Arms OF the most
modern and effective &lnd-includ-
ing artillery, machine guns, auto.
matte rifles and small Arms-Lhaye
been provided by manufacture or
purchase for every soldier in France
and are available for every soldier
who can he gotten to France In the
year 1913.
4 A substantial aLa<s is already
in France, wheysnloB men and
officers have additionally
and specifically trained and are
ready for active service.
S. independent lines Of com.
munlcation and supply and vast
storage and other facilities are IN
process oi copSttuction in France
o Great problems for the manu-
iacture OF additional equipment and
for the production Of new inuru.
ments OF war have been iormu-
lated.
y make this statement" continued
the secretary, fully aware that ther,
have been produced before the member,
ot bls committee some expression oI
doubt difference OF opinion Nad dis.
approval The war department ha,
spent eight months hearing similar
expressions, analyring them. sxamn
ing the conditions under which the,
grew, periecting itS organization tc
prevent their recurrence and all IN,
while driving on 10 the Accomplishment
Of the main task
MY military associates and ! an,
preeiate the work which this committs,
has done and will value suggestion,
from the committee as whole. from
irs individual members and from ever,
other patriotic citizens which will en-
able us 10 carry on this work NOR,
effectively ard more rapidly
Secretary Baken Then outlined m,
general army reorganization plan which
was announced on December lS Great,
ing . war council
Secretary Baker was not jnlerrupte,
in reading his prepared statement snC