Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-10-10
Yanks Real Fighters
and Amaze Their
Allie, in Arm.
.


sition of corporate engineer OF the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company from
colonelship under Brigadier General
w. W. Atterbury. which had been con-
tinuous> from the time the American
railroad administration was established
in France Horace c.. Booz. former
assistant chief engineer OF the Penn
sylvania Railroad, brings experiences
and observations as satisfying us their
Illustration of indomitable American
energy. ingenuity and courage as they
are optimistic of conclusion or the
war within the next twelve months.
Colonel Booz told also of the design
and construction of facilities needed
for the transportation~ef the immense
supplies needed for the maintenance
Of the American army in France with
the long hnes Of communication behind
it. When the American railroad ad-
ministration arrived at its destination,
Colonel Booz said. .'it found that the
British were utilizing some. OF the best
French ports, necessitating the Am
orleans to enlarge and make use OF
those remaining. The general section
selected faced the tremendous obstacle
Of a tide between seventeen and TWEEN
ty-'five feet, and this, with the ire
mendous scale on which American
shipments of men and munitions had
been planned, made necessary the con-
struction OF new piers and Wharves,
one almost mile in length, and cap
able Of handling the vessels that the
United States was likely to comman-
deer for transport purposes.
Confronted with>a scarcity OF LABOR
and an even greater shortage Of ma
terials.> the staff in charge Of the work
determined that six years was the alb
solute maximum to which the war
might delay complete allied victory,
and built accordingly
European countries" he said, real
ly first awaited themselves on large
scale Of the usefulness of the steam
or electric crane in unloading and in
pier and warehouse work; and we had
to balance between an effective use
of cranes and a limited construction OF
piers and whapves due TO time re-
quired for construction and scarcity OF
men and materials in order to increas':
the capacity Of the ports and provide
for tie large tonnage to be unloaded.
I'VE learned to build-at least SUI
ficiently to answer the purposes-With
much less material than we mad been
using here. In the United States ma
terial is cheap and labor is high. In
France labor is cheap and material is
high. Therein we found oYr great in
sentive.
"The consistent movement Of Amer
lean troops to the front, with prOpe.
maintenance and reserve support en-
route, required the building Of ord
nance factories and warehouses, manu-
factories for gas masks. assembling
plants for tank service, salvage depots,
hospitals and aviation camps and am
munitjon depots and all the other
quarters that go to house and MAIN
tain the accouterment Of q modern
army. To do this we had to consider
ably increase the existing capacity Of
the French railroads..
y. S. Men Allies Marvel. b.
NO tribute is too high to be paid to
the French and the valor Of the Brit
ish seamen who have contributes 80
much to the safety of the transporta-
ton Of the American army, its guns
and ammunition and food"
1.-THE American soldier" he said, lis
the marvel Of all the allied lighters.
He is there according to Colonel Booz,
not for glory or laudation, but with q
krdistinct mission to perform. And The
wants TO do 1t in the shortest possible
tine and get back home"
In Colonel Booz' belief this war will
bring forth economies born OF expert
ences imposed by necessity which Will
|of themselves speedily liquidate the
national war debt and, fAat the ccua....ss'
back again on normal financial footing.
And If the full depth Of his observ-
ances can be Sounded, he expects, too,
that out Of this war will come an Am
esican army consecrated to the main
tenance of peace-an army which will
follow only the policies OF effectiveness
and efficiency, and in no way be
warped within the confines Of narrow
prejudice or antiquated precedent.
"They can, the French VOLATILE Col.
Booz exclaimed. The American Is
more 50. And fight? Well, the AM
erican soldier, will, we think, teach the
Hun some new tricks As the &us-
tralians express itand they are no
mean scrappers--"the Americans sure
can fight, but they are little rough"
And the Germans confess the same
thing. except that they have an adj