Evening journal., 1918-03-18
half million MEN
N France soon
Our Troops Moving atRate
That FuIIilIs Promise
Made by Baker
TRANSPORTS ARE
SPELDED ON WAY

WASHINGTON. March is.-.According
10 authoritative Information from the
War Department last night American
troops are being sent 10 France faster
than at any previous time since the
war began. The speeding up process IA
The matter Of troop shipments, about
which 10 many forecasts were made is
said TO be a reality.
Concerning numbers. the only per-
missible statement is that Secretary OF
War Bakers promise OF half a million
men In Europe early this year is being
fulfilled and that there viii be ample
means OF getting $4,000 troops in
France before next January After that
The number will be depend on how
many more men are needed. measured
I IN millions or In thousands to carry out
/ the mandate OF the American people 10
win the war;
With regard 90 the new records being
/ established in speeding up shipments
OF troops. The War Department regards
these causes as contributing largely %
the marked improvement inscondiiion
Improvement in the handling of
ships for troop transportation.
whereby one ship is made 20 do the
work Of two or even three ships
under previous conditions
Improvement Ia loading and un-
loading facilities here and abroad
Success Of an arrangement with
the British Government whereby
British ships available FOR troop
shipments are exchanged for Ameri-
can and other cargo carriers.
Improved weather conditions
Disappearance Of the bunker coal
crisis
The records beine made do not taxi
into consideration the acquisition o
approximately half a million tons O
Dutch shipping which Is 90 be takci
over by the United states tomorrow.
THE exchange Of troop ships anl
cargo carriers being made by the Unitel
states and Great Britain is highly i'm
pOrtant, according to army officers here
There long has been a mistaken I'm
preston that ever, time the Allies arr
pinched for food troop shipments mus
slacken materially, This Is not the case
The ships which carry food 90 On
Allies never carry troops. and con
yer,ok The troop ships do not carr
lhe food and supplies which the Allie
need The two plans are worked on
separately.
incidentally. n is said here that ih
, Great Britain and France admiliedl
situation with respect 90 food shin
r menis 20 the Allies rs improving greatl
were worried about cereals FOR n
month Of March, but their fears ha'
/. proven unfounded The need for ccrea
o. may be great durinr \pril but On
10 diflcnlty il not causing concern
e Much emphasis Is laid ai the War 81
u partment on the improved methods
D. handling irOopships. which have co
irbuted 20 such a surprising degree
j. The speeding up. ajor-General Goei
als. Quartermaster-Ge General Of the arm
d and In charge ~ transport faciliii'
e gets much of the credit for the rece
evidences 0f Improvement
According io army officers n a pure
arbitrary example is taken 70 Is eyide
That f 10 took "a ship six days to Joe
twenty DAYS io reach port and six da
10 unload ihe efficiency OF this means
transportation can be doubled by loa
lng the same ship In three days sendil
it TO Europe in ten days and unl0adiI
n ~ in three days. The ship, under ne
"a conditions, is equal 10 two ships und
the old. 70 has been along this line th
- improvements very important In cha
/, 4cief have been carried out.
70 Is because Of the importance
n his that Secretary Baker is now payii
particular attention to docking faciliti
on the other side