The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-11-05
YANK WAREHOUSES
HIVES OF INDUSTRY

American Regulating Base, Ad-
vance Zone, France, Sept. l4.-Cor-
respondence OF The Associated
Press)-Warehouses stretching over
several square miles, baled hay by
the acre, piled thirty feet in height,
and other vast quantities OF supplies
needed TO maintain the American
army mark this distributing center
as one OF the points where one OBJ
tains an adequate idea of the tre-
mendous push America is putting
into the war.
This vast accumulation OF sup
plies is necessary to keep train loads
OF food, clothing, ammunition
trucks, wagons wheelbarrows, med
ical stores and the whole range OF
the army wants, moving forward in
huge daily traffic with unvarying
precision so that no division, no
matter what its losses in material,
need suffer.
Each warehouse is a hive OF in
dustry, with the supplies moving out
from one side to the front and NOV
ing in from the other side as the
steady streams OF supplies flow in
from the American base ports so
that the full quota always be main
tained here.
At one point machine guns were
being tested before going forward
to the front. This was in the ma
chine gun section OF the ordnance
park. with vast array OF these
deadly mechanical devices. Squads
OF soldiers were making the final
tests, and the rattle OF guns sounded
like an early morning skirmish on
the firing line.
Almost as noisy as the machine
guns were the machines for baling
hay which stretched in long bat
teries like threshing machines, de-
vouring the stacks of loose hay and
turning it out in compact bundles
for the artillery and cavalry horses.
Farther on the balloon sheds were
turning out the big gasbags for use
on observation along the front. They
are assembled and packed and some
of the parts are made here. Like
everything else, the supply OF bal
looms must be finally regulated here,
depending on the number lost or
destroyed along the front, and the
varying activities OF the different
sectors.
German Prisoners at Work.
Near bv 1900 German prisoners
were at work piling fuel wood. 1t
was a hot autumn day and the air
was heavy and gray with the dust OF
the immense traffic going on But
the prisoners did not seem to mind
the creature discomforts, but bent
TO their work with 4 will, while Am
erican guards with rifles ready stood
at the summit OF the huge piles OF
wood to see there was no Stacking.
Another 200 German prisoners had |
arrived the night before, so soon
there will be $500 OF these workers
handling picks and shovels instead
OF rifles.
This is the headquarters also tor
the salvage carried on at the 1ront.
and for the extensive system or
sterilizing and de-lousing. AS the
vast debris of the battleheldS IS
gathered up-broken cannon ana
Guns, ammunition, harness, tentage'
etc-it comes back here in huge
masses to be assembled and Tor
warded to the big salvage station at
Tours. !.
The sterilizing system also rad',,
ates from here, and while the actua!
work is done at the front, yet the
is all carried on here with
stacks of clothing, underclothlnS'
shoes. etc, moving forward con-
TO meet the requirements OF
this systematic cleansing.
Gas attacks have developed the
greatest need for thorough cleansing
FOR often after one OF these attacks
every stitch of clothing OF the ga,
oatients has to be destroyed, ana
ali the blankets and equipment when
have the faintest trace of the deadly
-umes and this in turn calls Tor
,omnlete re-outfit of clothing and
souipment OF all those exposed 10
the gas.