The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-08-22

months ngo, the work Is fairly
icnping forward the very landscape changes
overnight.
After two solid weeks of travel inspecting
every main phase and much of the detail of this
vast project, return convinced that what the
Americans have accomplished since their first de-
tnchtnent of troops landed in France IL months
ego will stand out in history one of the great
est achievements of the war. The bearing of this
vast work upon the whole program Is
prcmely important. There is doubt in my
mind that the extent of 1t. the meaning of IL and
the future possibilities of 1t should he made clear
to the public. both here and In the United States
II is well Mt the outset to state basic
facts. The French had all their sources of supply
near at hand. and the establishment OF ti.gir lines
Of communication was comparatively simple
affair The British. with all their sources much
further away from the fighting and with
water transport entering nm important factor
into their scheme had much more difficult task
In planning and perfecting their supply service.
But great As the British problem that
which confronted the Americans when they en-
tered the war was mmeasurably greater. Their
armies AMI all their war materials had to be
brought thousands of miles from their sources
OF supply; the submarine campaign at Its
highest point of efficiency: the adoption of the
convoy system considerably reduced the capacity
Of shipping facilities. which. even in the most
favorable circumstances. would have been totally
inadequate to the demands made upon them;
there were large modern ports on the coast
OF France: there anything like sufficient
rnwny facilities to accommodate the vast stream
OF men and materials which must flow steadily
In. with constantly increasing woiume. from the
date when the first detachment of United States
soldiers landed on French soil.
At the same time must realize that. from
the moment wnr was declared. America itself
rapidly resolving into huge engine Of war
with raw materials. industries. coal and railways
NIL put quickly under government control and
each day becoming more centralized for the sole
purpose of multiplying the output Of war require
ments. the pressure toward France increased with
startling rnpility; indeed. 1t measured only
by. the utmost limit of available shipping space.
That situation has continued right up to the pres
ent, and will continue no matter how great the
output Of new ships may be. for considerable
time to come.
To take care of this steadily growing volume
of men, horses. guns. foods and supplies, to re-
solve the modest existing facilities into per-
mnncnt line of communications hundred of miles
in length adequate TO care for an army of the
future numbering millions at the same time meet
ing all the transport requirements of the civic
population scattered over the great stretch OF
France through which these lines eNtended-that
was the task which confronted the first detach-
ment of American engineers who landed here IL
months ago.
But with all their difficulties the Americans had
one substantial advantage over the British or
even the French. They We're able to profit by
the three years war experience of these two ma
tions and shape the details of considerable part
of their main program in accordance with the fuli
development of the British and French war ma
chinery They not slow to avail themselves
of this advantage, and the marvellous progress
they have made is due In small measure TO the
ouickness with which they adapted and incor-
porated into their scheme certain features OF
organization which the British and French had
evolved through II long period Of actual warfare
The cordial way in which the British and French
transport md other officials received the Amer-
cans and gave them every possible kind of aid
and advice Is one of the many bright chapters
In this story of achievement.
This was the only substantial advantage tne
Americans had. Their handicaps were multifolu'
their task colossal. How spendidy they attacked
their problems and conquered one after another
of the obstacles which confronted them stands
out In clear perspective one passes along their
great lines of communication today. Sixty days
more will see the greater part of the whole vast
scheme In full operation Even now the COM
.,ctcd par, Of the system is equal to all demands
made upon It, and with labor and materials avail
able In fairly eIuable proportions. as they are
now, the actual construction work Is going ahead
more rapidly than ever
What the American forces in France have ac-
compisied thus far is almost incredible. For In
stance out Of the waste lands adjacent to an old
French mort they have constructed splendid line