The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1918-08-24

of modern docks, where every day now ships are
pouring forth their cargoes Of men and war
materials, cars and machinery. This dock system
is finished. 1t supplements the old French dock
system in the town, where still more ships are
constantly discharging American cargoes. A huge
new warehouse system at this point Is also near
ing completion; even now 1t is able to take care
of the great flood of supplies which Is constantly
pouring in.
In the old part of this same coast town the
Americans have installed motor operation and
cold storage plants, a motor reception park, and
quarters for storing supplies for ordnance and
aviation forces. These are more or less tenn
porary quarters, and will be merged in the near
future in the general scheme which is now being
completed in the outskirts of the town.
In addition to the new docks, warehouses and
extensive railway yards (these latter have a
~trackage of nearly 200 miles,, work is well ad-
vanced on the new car assembly shop, where al
ready, when 1 saw 1t in its incompleted state,
20 odd freight cars a day, of three different de-
signs, were being turned out and put into imme-
date service. Another assembly plant has been
constructed-at a different point-to handle all
steel cars, which are transported here from
America "knocked-down"-that is, in sections, in
order to economic shipping space. At this plant
these steel cars are now being assembled at the
rate of a c*nplete train a day, and plans are
rapidly eliminating for a large extension of the
work. Here, too, a huge camp has been built for
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two big rest camps, each providing for many
thousands of American soldiers, who march
thence from the boats to be sifted and rearranged
for dispatch to the various training camps farther
inland. Not far from here work on a new 10000
bed hospital is forging ahead, and 80 days from
now it will be virtually completed. This is the
largest hospital center yet constructed. It is COM
posed entirely of small, %one-story, light, airy and
attractive structures. divided into small squares,
laid out on a great, open stretch of sand, sur
rounded by pine trees, and altogether promises
to be an ideal institution Of its kind.
In this same section is an immense new artil-
lery camp all ready for the several brigades of
artillery which were expected when I was there,
and, like the hospital enterprise, 1t Is in strong
hands and promises well. In includes a large re-
mount camp, in which were several thousand
horses at the time of my visit. The work in this
section, which is typical of that at all the other
base ports 1 visited, is being vigorously and in
diligently directed. Strong executives are in
charge, and the spirit of the workers is excellent
throughout. Everywhere the Americans are real
izing that they have Caught up with them
Selves" and now that they can visualize the com
pletion of what a few months ago looked so much
like an impossible undertaking they are buoyed
up, happy and inspired by their success; they
have conquered obstacles and overcome conditions
which only great ability and indomitable spirit
could possibly surmount.
One realizes, after inspecting the character
and extent of the work at the several base ports
which the Americans have taken over, that here
lies the strength of their future scheme of oper-
atoms. These port schemes are great affairs
today; but they are so worked out rs to be
capable of almost unlimited expansion. This is
highly important, for the war developments of
the past two months have clearly pointed the
way toward greater unity of effort by the allies
and greater mobility of action by the French,
British and American fighting forces The ten
dency is toward a pooling both of effort and
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under a single command. This may easily re-
solve the American base ports In France into
main reserve centers, from which their channels
of distribution Will radiate directly to railroads
on all parts of the front, instead Of mainly
through the intermediate and advance area CEN
tiers, which are now being constructed. These
latter, in that event, would be utilized in con-
nection with the great and ever-growing training
centers through which. for a long time to come,
the American army Of 100000 or more, in the
making, must pass.
AS at the base ports, so / found conditions all
along the hundreds of miles of the American