The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-10

terial in battle, and accordingly modi-
tying designs and plans here by rea-
son of observation and experience
Many of the classes of ordnance.
material requiring to be designed,
specifications drawn and contracts
let, were wholly unfamiliar to opG
normal military practices. The trench
warfare material alone involves COM
mitments of $2S2, 100000.
MANY of the ordnance depart
ments contracts involve increase of
plant facilities, or the construction of
new plants, and constant inspection by
inspectors who have had to be trained
in specially esta blished schools.
Billion for Quartermaster.
For the quartermaster generals
department in 1918, s3,01S,O00,
four times as great as the 1915 ap-
preparation for all governmental pur-
poses.
"On the first day of April there
We're 347 officers in the quartermaster
corps. On the first day of January,
1918, there was a total of 6,431 off
GERS.
''On the first day of January, 1918,
nearly two billion dollars of the ap-
preparation had been obligated by con-
tracts or disbursements.
This business involved accounting,
determinations of standards, prices,
quantities and the creation of new
manufacturing facilities.
In the wooden goods section alone
the cooperation of over three hum
dred mills was involved, and the fol-
lowing items give some idea of the ex
tensive character of the operation:
There have been purchased over
100000 blankets, 100000 yards
of overcoating and over 100000
yards each of shifting flannel and
Cll1f no inv n a N oyn
over $345,000,O0O. In cotton goods the
department HAD contracted for 270,-
100000 yards of various cotton cloths.
$4,000 Men in Aviation Dept.
The aviation section of the signal
corps on the first day of April, 1917,
consisted of siXty-five officers and
1,120 men. On the first day of jan
uary, 1918, it consisted of $500 Off
GERS and 80, 100 men.
This division of the war; depart
ment was charged by congress with
the expenditure of an appropriation
aggregating for 1918, $744,Oo0,000 or
five time the 1915 appropriation for
the entire war department..
The engineer department., for
which in 1917, $53,O00,000 was appro-
priated was charged by the 1918 ap-
preparation with the expenditure of
S390,000.000 or about seven hundred
per cent increase.
There have been organized trained,
and equipped technical troops of for
esters, stevedores, and railroad con-
struction and operation men, assre-
eating about 10000. many Of whom
have been operating in france Tor
some months
What Dept Has Done.
In summing up the war depart
nent's work the secretary gave the
following as it's chief accomplish
mentS:
IA large army is in the field
and in training; so large that further
increments to it can be adequately
equipped and trained as rapidly as
those already in training can be trans
ported.
"2-The army has been enlisted and
selected without serious dislocation of
the Industries of the country.
'3-The training of the army is
proceeding rapidly and its spirit is
high. The subsistence of the army has
been above criticism; its initial cloth
ing supply, temporarily inadequate,
now is substantially complete, and re-
serves will rapidly accumulate. Arms
of the most modern and effective kind
including artillery, machine guns,
automatic rifles, and small arms-have
been provided by manufacture or Eur-
chase for every soldier in France, and
are available for every soldier who
can be gotten to France in the year
1918.
"A substantial army is already in
France, where both men and officers
have been additionally and specially
trained and are really for active serv-
ice.
"5-Independent lines of commune
cation and supply and vast storage and
other facilities are in process of con-
struction in France.
"6-Great programs for the manu-
facture of additional equipment and
frN,-
of war have been formulated.
Invites Patriotic Criticism.
II make this statement, "~continued
| the secretary. fully aware that there
have been produced before the mem
bers of this committee some express
sionS of doubt, difference of opinion
and disapproval. Tho war department
has spent eight months hearing SINH
lar expressions, analyzing them, cor
recting the conditions out of which
they grew, perfecting its organization
to prevent recurrence; and all the
while driving on to the accomplish
menC of the main task.
my military associates and I ap-
preciate the work which this commit
tee has done, and will value sugges-
tons from the committee as a whole,
from it's individual members, and
from every other patriotic citizen
which will enable US to carry on this
work more effectively and more
rapidly.
are two exceedingly significant fig
ures: namely, that on the first day of
| April the ordnance department con-
sisted of 81 officers and the quarter
master generals department of 347
! officers. while they now respectively
comprise 1904 and Sab officers.
| There was no ready trained body of
men in the country who could have
been selected suddenly to assume the
| highly technical and specialized work
| of these two divisions. Men of some
chosen. AS the work proceeded sub
| what similar training had to be
division and resub- division became