The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-02-13
u. s. ARMY WILL
HAVE DIRECTOR
Maj. Gen. Wood Mentioned for
Post Under Reoganiza-
tion of Staff.
WILL HAVE WIDE POWERS
General GoethaIs Will Have Charge of
Traffic and Storage in Addition
to His Present Duties, Says
Official Statement

Washington Feb. 13.-A supreme di-
rector of operations is to be created
for the American army.
This announcement was made by the
war department in explanation of the
recent reorganization of the general
staff into five divisions. The state
ment reads:
Under the reorganization plan
permanent director of operations is to
be named. This officer will direct the
operations of all branches of the army,
including tank and gas service, re-
cruiting, mobilization, movements and
distribution of troops, construction
plans and projects, assignment of
equipment, overseas priority, de-
ctsion as to camp sites, environments
and posts and personnel. At present
Brig Gen. III. Jervey is acting for the
general staff in this capacity.
Two appointments were announced,
that Of Maj. Gen. Palmer Pierce, as
director of purchases, and Maj. Gen.
George w. GOethals as director of stOr-
age and traffic. The temporary ap-
pOintmentS as heads of the other
three divisions announced are:
Brig. Gen. II. Jervey, director of Op-
erations.
Brig. Gen. W. S. Graves, administra-
tive division.
Col. D. w. Ketchan, war plans di-
vision, acting in the absence of Brig.
Gen. P. ID. Lochridge.
No Indication was Forthcoming as
to the identity of the officers to be
named. Because Of his wide expert
ence in organization work Maj. Gen.
Leonard Wood is mentioned as a pos
sibility.
To Have Wide Powers.
Discussing the recent reorganiza-
ton the statement says in part:
'The general staff is to operate
through five main administrative di-
visions, each division being directed
by a military officer with powers to
act for the secretary of war and the
chief of staff in matters within the
jurisdiction of that division.
"If the ordance department, for in
stance, should require 100000 shells
the procedure would be consultation
with the surveyor of purchases and
supplies to ascertain with whom and
when deliveries might be expected.
'The ordnance department then
would proceed to purchase the shells
as it has heretofore and would draft
and execute a contract for the mate
rial. Before final ratification this
contract would pass through the hands
of Brigadier General Pierce, director
of purchases and supplies.
'The actual details of the purchase,
however, would be handled by the ord
nance department and in the majority
Of instances the signed contract would
be placed before the director of sup
plies and purchases for final wise.
Seek to Gain Co-Ordonation.
'"The same system will prevail in
the letting Of contracts for other ma
teriais needed in the army-clothes,
shoes, drugs, uniforms, food. etc.
''In addition to this duty as quarter
master general, Maj. Gen. George w.
GOethals will act as director of stor-
age and traffic. In this latter capac-
ity General Goethals will direct pri-
critics of storage and war traffic in the
United States, the embarkation of
supplies and troops in land war trans
portation and storage at inland points,
embarkation points and overseas
points.
''In exercising these duties, General
Goethals must work in conjunction
with the shipping board, the director
general of railroads and the several
supply bureaus. He will, of course,
maintain cooperative relations with
the overhead division of purchases and
supplies, headed by General Pierce,
which furnishes the supplies for stor-
age or traffic"