Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1918-04-12

The United States has been at war
Tor n year. What has 1t accom-
plished In that timei The govern
ment's committee on public informa-
don answers that question in a re-
view Of the first year Of the war which
II has issued on the first anniversary
Of the beginning Of the war. The war
and navy departments, the shipping
board and the treasury department
nave authorized the statements con-
tanned In this review. II Is declared.
The outstanding feature of the irst
year Of war, 1t Is pointed out
IN the review, has been the transfer
nation Of the standing army and Ma
dcnal Guard. composed Of 1924 on
GERS and 2O2,510 men into a fighting
force that now aggregates 123,SO1 of.
1icers and 1.52S.924 enlisted men.
A statement Of the adjutant general
shows that the regular army which In
April. 1917, comprised SOL officers
and 121 1877 men. now is made up of
1O,69S officers and 5Os.142 men. The
National Guard in April, 1917. includ-
ed 1888 officers and 76,71S men, while
now 1t comprises 1898 officers and
4S1,5S3 men. The reserve corps In
service n year ago included 1000
men. Now 1t includes 9e,21O officers
and 1890 men. The National army,
which did not exist one year ago, now
includes 516,839 men.
A substantial vanguard military
expediency prohibiting publication of
actual numbers) Of this army is meet
ing the enemy In France today or Is en-
camped there awaiting the call to the
trenches; In 16 cantonments and 10
camps and On numerous aviation fields
and in a variety Of other schools In
all parts of the United States the men
Of the remaining army are hardening
and training for their part in the great
contest overseas.
Behind the activities Of this vast
force lies a great industry organized
to produce an adequate supply Of mu-
n%itions, equipment, and provisions,
and to provide transportation to the
firing line, almost every branch 81
essential industry Of the country hav-
Ing been drawn upon to produce these
material requirements.
ExpeditIonary Forces.
Military necessity particularly for
bids q detailed review Of the activities
of the American expeditlonary forces.
General Pershing and his staff ar
rived la Paris on June IA, 1917, SO
days after the declaration Of war. The
first American troops arrived In
France on June 26. On July 4. In eel.
ebration of our natal day and a new
light for liberty, American troops pa.
raded the streets Of Paris and were
greeted as the forerunners Of great
American armies and vast quantities
of supplies and ammunidons.
On October 10, 1917, 1877 days after
the war was declared, American SOL
diers went on the firing hne. In jan
uary American soldiers took over per-
manently a part Of the line as IN
American sector, and this line is grad
ually lengthening.
Behind the fighting line In France
the American forces have scientifically
prepared a groundwork Of camps, COM
~munications, supply bases, and works
In anticipation Of operations by the
full force Of the army. They are
building and have built railroads, hos
pitfalls, ordnance bases, and docks in
France. They have constructed i'm
mense barracks, erected sawmills, re-
claimed agricultural lands, and car
ried forward many incidental enter
prises.
The construction Of an ordnance
base in France, costing 25,00O,000, Is
now we'll under way. Great quantities
Of material used in the foreign con.
struction work have been shipped from
the United States-from fabricated
ironwork for an ordnance shop to nails
and crossties for railroads, and even
VIC BiiCo W OaAAu ASNA"
g.. NAH the while there has been a fairly
even flow Of men and materials from
the United States to France. The men
in the trenches, back Of the lines, on
the construction projects, and In the
hospitals have been steadily supplied.
Our losses at sea, In men and mate
rails, have been gratifyingly small.
The greatest single loss occurred on
February 5, when the British ship
Tuscania was torpedoed and sunk.
The bodies of IA soldiers, en- route to
France, have been found and 55 others
were still missing OF March 10.
To secure an adequate number OF
competent officers to lead the new
armies various plans were devised.
Two classes at West Point were grad
uated in advance Of the usual gradu-
ating dates and special examinations
were held in various parts Of the coun-
try for appointments from civil life.
Three series Of officers training camps
have been held. OF 83,203 candidates
in the first two series Of camps 44,57S
qualified and were awarded commits
Giants Of the Sky.
UTha largest war nlanps are the