Evening star., 1918-05-26
ARMY GETS MANY
SUPPLY PROBLEMS
Chinese Laborers' Demands
for Gloves PuzzIing
to Officers.
BY JUNIUs b. WOOD.
Special Correspondence OF The Evening
Star and Chicago Daily News.

BY JUNIUS b. WOOD.
Special Correspondence OF The Evening
Star and Chicago Daily News.
ALONG THE AMERICAN LINES OF
COMMUNICATION, April 1s.-"The
have gloves when they work." the
lieutenant in charge of the working
battalions was explaining to the colo
mel in command Of one Of the supply
bases.
ITO sell them gloves an act of Con-
gress will be necessary, but IL 1t is a
military necessity we can get around
| it by the scratch of a pen," replied the
colonel.
Hundreds Of such apparently trivial
details bob up every day in the great
task of supplies which the expedition
has on hand. Each one must be set
tied quickly. Each requires a sep
arate decision. The work, even
though it has been going on for
every time a question comes. up the
precedent it establishes for tho future
must be taken into account. What Is
more important. even after it once has
been settled. it must go to higher au-
thorities for approval or disapproyal
Handling the heavy packing cases.
they scratch their hands, and they are
very careful of their hands," ex-
planned the lieutenant.
Yes, when once they get scratch
they hold up the hand and say Je suis
malade. think they can't work.
after the doctor has looked them
over" assented the colonel. 1T means
we lose their time and the time of
our medical officers is taken up. But
II we sell them gloves does that mean
we must also sell them overalls. shirts.
shoes and other supplies? Just how
much Is included in their labor con-
tract"
Too many complications were in
sight and there the subject rested for
that day. Several diplomatic angles
must be settled before the Chinese get
palms.
With laborers from Indo-China.
Spain, Portugal. Tunis and other
countries. each working under differ
each one is entitled to and what can
be sold him from government stores
and what must be issued to him as
part of his compensation Is a COM
plicated one.
Detailed Temporarily.
In addition to these mon we have
our own working detachments
brought from the United States. Some
Of these detachments are parts of regi-
| ments. which afterward will be in the
fighting, now temporarily detailed to
time comes for them to reach the
| training areas nearer the front.
A majority Of them are colored
workers from the south. part of the
J National Army. When several hum
dred Of these. all wearing khaki Army
ahirf0 and h111n- nvQralla either hare.
headed or wearing the broad cam
paignhats, are seen unloading a ship
in q base port. or stacking crates in
| the warehouses farther inland. one
Orleans or Jacksonville. instead OF
5000 miles away in France.
Two big ships, one loaded with tons
of corrugated tin, the other with mil
tions of feet of railroad ties. as part
| of their cargoes, were being unloaded
day when I was at this port. The
working parties were droning out the
same southern melody as they bent
to their tasks. American workers. un-
loading American ties from an Amer
lean ship on to American fiat cars, was
like a piece Of home transported
across the ocean.
The colored laborers are contented.
Officers who are in charge of them say
that is one reason why they are the
best workers the expod1t1on mas. They
are we'll cared for. The government
rations them. just as 1t does the SOL
diers. They have a camp of their
own, which huns with music and
song and the rattle Of bones" when
the days work Is over. In one city
where the camp Is some distance from
| the wharves they ride to and from
work in government automobiles.
These are not touring cars, but auto
mobiles nevertheless. even II they are
trucks which carry at least thirty men
each. To have an army on the front
lines ghting, much larger army is
needed back of the lines supplying
the fighters. The second army is abb
solutely essential. for the first cannot
light unless it has the weapons and
supplies. That is why the supplies
must keep coming forward and why
an army OF workers is necessary to
handle them.