The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-03-01


This war, expert observers agree
is as much an industrial and engin
eering wark as a purely military TN
dertaking. To gauge just what we
have done, then, let us measure our
war work in terms of the biggest
single engineering job previously un
dertaken, one with which the Ameri
can people are familiar-the build
ing OF the Panama canal.
The United States took possession
Of the Panama canal zone on May A.
1904 The work of sanitation and
actual construction was pressed from
the start. Uncle Sam was out to set
a new record in engineering feats.
merce Aug. Is, l914-lO years and
three months later Its total cost
ives $344,SF7 ,S13.01, which included
$4,000, 900 paid the New French Canal
Co. for its works and equipment, $40,
100000 paid the Republic Of Panama,
$20,O53,000 for sanitation, and $780,.
600 for cival administration of the
canal zone. Leaving in the cost OF
l.
Of the construction expense, the ex.
penditures on the Panama job netted
$294,S77,S13.O1.
As measured in volume Of ex-
penditures, in variety Of resour-
ces called upon and in engineer
ing and technical skill required,
Uncle Sam has had an infinitely
bigger job in preparing this coun-
tryifor war with Germany than he
has had Ia building the Panama
canal. And the problem has not
been one of years, but months.
The United States in war be.
tween April l, 1917 and Feb. i, 1918,
spent $2,3O5,55O573.S5 - or approx
mately EIGHT TIMES THE TOTAL
COST OF THE CANAL-in providing
rifles, machine guns, artillery, artil-
lery tractors, anti-aircraft guns and
mounts, special artillery railway rail
way cars and scores of highly techni-
cal instruments of warfare. OF this
sum $534,322,651.33 has been paid out
to cover work already done; the re-
naming $1,771,274,922.52 represents
obligations on contracts still running.
The quartermaster generals bu.
reau, which is charged with clothing
and feeding our fighters, and which
handled the construction of canton
ments which house population great
er than the states of Delaware, Ne
vada, Wyoming and Arizona, com,
bined, with Alaska thrown in for good
measure, has since April / last dir
ected work involving the expenditure
up to Feb. I, of 4S3,446,417.46-
ALSO EIGHT TINES GREATER
THAN THE CONSTRUCTION COST
OF THE PANAMA CANAL. OF this
sum 1895, 2O9,15SS4 has been paid
out for work completed, outstanding
contracts covering the remaining $55S,
237,25S.62.
Next consider aviation. The avia-
ton section Of the signal corps has
had even more. If possible, than other
branches of the army, to build form
the ground up. Overnight 1t was
called upon to undertake the most am
bitiDus airplane program ever project
ed. 1t has literally been on the job
"a hours a day since, has designed
and produced the best airplane en-.
CINE known, turned scores of factories
from normal production to specialized
aircraft work, and ha sdelivered and
under contract AVIATION supplies and
equipment aggregating $478,796, 079.4S
with purchase requests approved and
pending involving an additional $685..
294,154.OS. Other signal corps deyel
Opnent including work of the radio
section and balloon division, brings
the total work undertaken in this
branch up to $685., 908 ,38021-or more
THAN THREE TINES THE MONEY
COST OF THE CANAL.
Army engineers in providing rail
way tracks, docks, wharves, cranes
and trucks for handling Supplies both
in this country and in France, and
in developing lines of communication
for the American Expeditionary Force
abroad, have handled job involving
Ito date expenditures of 1925, 4S5, 2O6.27.
OF this sum $12O,3O0,0OO has been
spent by the director general of mil
itary railways in providing terminals
and lines of communication abroad,
and on equipment for them.
The surgeon generals office, to pro-
vide for the sick and wounded, has
spent $1O3, 906,85O on hospital equip.
compared with expenditures in other
departments, you may think. But re-
member the greatest amount spent
In ANY ONE, YEAR in h1,i1dinD of tho
Panama Canal, including administra-
ton and sanitation expenses, was only
$46,00O,000
In terms Of money expenditure
4 then, these five war departments
bureaus have undertaken a work u
involving an expenditure Of IS, eo2,
4 413ss4.31, or 20 TIMES THE 7.
TOTAL COST or THE CANAL.
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