Catoctin clarion., 1918-10-31

means of sustaining themselves.
Not the least serious Of the problems
confronting the war department was
the question Of distribution OF sup
plies in France. A million men might
be landed in French ports, together
with the necessary equipment, but how
under the heavens was this vast store
house to be transported to the interior
and on up to the lines, with the mani
fold exactlons that would have to be
met In doing it speedily and orderly
and with the French transportation
facilities already groaning under the
home load? The German staff agreed
1t could not he done.
Right here seems a good place to
Introduce Brig. Gen. Johnson Hagood.
He Is chief of staff Of the 8. o. s.
He has served in the war department
with every chief of staff Of the army
since the general staff was created by
congress. He Is a native of South
Carolina, a nephew Of the late Brig.
Gen. Johnson Hagood Of the Confed-
crate army and one time governor OF
South Carolina.
The present chief Of staff attended
the university Of his home state from
1888 to 1891 and graduated from West
Point in 1896. He has served as per-
sonal aide to Generals Bell and Wood.
General HagoOd is one of the young
er generals of the army. He is small
of stature. quick of action, and hu-
man dynamo. His mind works like
chain lightning.
"How did you do itP" asked him.
A flicker Of smile fitted across the
face of the West Pointer.
swell, we had to do it--and we did
it. That's all.
It was a mere statement Of fact.
There was no philosophy to 1t. Just
had to be done, and-was done!
ut would be impossible for me to
tell you how this plan has been worked
out" he added. Moreover, l am not
permitted to give out interviews to
newspaper men. But in this case !
understand you have been authorized
by General Pershing's headquarters TO
get an interview from me, so l Will
try to tell you something about 1t.
UndeceIvIng Themselves.
an the first place, 1t is the biggest
military undertaking in the history
of the world. No military authority
ever laid so bold plan on this earth;
nothing that Alexander the Great
julius Caesar or Napoleon ever
planned compares with 1t in scope or
daring. The Germans laughed at us
when we proposed 1t, and even those
| of us of the old army who sat around
the war college wondering what we
would do in great war, never
dreamed the United States. the most
unmilitary nation on earth, could put
1000 600 men In France. To supply
such body Of men from base 1000
miles away, to organize them, to hight
'em, and to fight 'em as well as the
best soldiers In Europe tOday-is the
greatest military accomplishment OF
all times.
$50 far as my end Of 1t is concerned
It Is all matter of team work. The
work is that Of the bureau chiefs.
You might compare me to the quarter
back of the team. 1 give the signals
and pass the ball, but they really do
the work, and they have done it ex-
ceedingly well. We are way ahead on
our program. We supply twice as
many men in France as the most
optimistic Of us had expected. And
at the present rate 1t will not be long
before we will be supplying In France
an army four times as large as that
we had originally contemplated.
"As to the character of the work.
we have had to build and repair rail-
roads. We have built permanent docks
and wharves at the ports, and some
Of these ports are more prosperous
now than they ever have been In
their history. We have constructed
aviation fields, repair shops, salvage
plants, supply depots. hospitals. cold
storage plants, water supply, etc.
Rushing a New City.
ut Is rather difficult for one to
visualize the proposition Of going into
an open field and constructing 10000
bed hospital. 1t means in reality
city of $4,000 inhabitants, with all the
necessary appliances in the way Of
water, sewerage, stores, fire protec-
tion, lighting system, etc. Imagine all
the retail stores in Chicago consoli-
dated into one, and you get an idea
of what it means when we say depot
containing ninety days supply for
100000. Think of cold storage
plant where 10000 head Of cattle, or
$4,000 quarters of beef, can be pro-
vided for under one roof.
"Of course, we only handle this end
of it. Our job over here is to get
the stuff. off the ships, get 1t on the
trains, and pass it on up to the front.
1t comes in a never-ending stream.
The problem of the staff depart
ments Is divided into four grand groups
Transportation, construction, supply,
and disqualification.
"Under transportation" continued
General HagOod, tive group ocean
transport and inland waterways, all
railways, including standard gauge
and narrow gauge; all horse and mule
transportation, including wagons and
pack animals, and all forms of motor
transportation. No possible form of
transportation has been overlooked.
"Under construction we have to con-
slider the building of railroads, the erec-
ton and assembling of cars and loco
motives, the building of wharves,
docks and storehouses; the construc-
ton and repair Of barges and other
vessels for use on the canals and navi-