Republican farmer., 1919-12-12
OF J. 5. IN WAR GAINED
 WORLD PRAISE
Transportation System One of Many American
 Wonders.

Washington, D. C., Dec. 5.-An ap- Drecis-ion- of Americas greatness in war is beginning to make itself feI. here as details of the American pro gram and its mpIishment come to light through reports being fur nlshed to Congress, with the perspec- tive that is now possible looking back on the days of little more than a year ago men are b, ginning to understand the vast task that was set out for this government to accomplish and the practical efficiency with which the country met every essential demand industrial or military, that affected the success of the war.
 What is looked upon here as prob ably the most dramatic touch of our two year war experience is the gov ernment's right to get the men to the lines and the building of our military transport system from seven ocean going troop ships to more than 601 transports carrying our soldiers over 5000 miles of water at the rate O. more than 3OO.00O q month Some of the details of this battle for carrying space have just come to light in the annual report of the Chief of Staff of the Army. to whose office lay the responsibility for getting men to Flu rope in sufficient numbers and with sufficient cargo and supplies.
 In May, June, July and August of 1918 the United States sent 112I0O0 men overseas. making a record that astounded our allies and which Gen cral Ludendorn admits in his me moirs was the one single incident of the war which above all others forced Germany to call for an arulis- tice.a
 Traffic overseas during this period was so intensive that on July 9th, one of the outstanding days ill transporta ton 15 transports were Europe bound bearing 171,670 American soldiers to the battle front. The embarkat ton for July exceeded all expectations. 306,000 men sailing from Atlantic ports in that month
 To meet this program the War De- partment had to obtain from the Shipping Board and from our allies millions of tons of vessels. This rep resented a battle in itself. a daily tussle III which all interests in the War Department won out only be- cause of the vital necessity of getting , men over. Then came the German submarine menace on our coasts and our allies besought us to change our ports Of departure. To have embark ed our troops from more southern or Cana dian ports would have meant serious delay III transportation at this critical time. Realizing the Ger-raa" military authorities would ouIy hope for such a result from their subn1a- rine campaign We refused to alter oCr operations and trusting to the Navy continued to send our men from the middle and south Atlantic ports It is interesting now to recall that not a single transport was sunk during rhis period on it's outgoing trip.
 Then came the influenza and the scare that frightened the civi, population also made itself felt among the military. It was recommended that troop capacities of transports be reduced 4G per cent to aid in com batting the epidemic. This was con sidered for 6 while and when authe;,- tic Information on living condit:e.> aboard ship was obtained it was found that a reduction of 45 Der cent. would give all the sanitary precau- ton necessary and so it was ordered When tho endemic had spent itself it was found that the death rate aboard ship was below that of thr camps and the troop movement had not been materially impeded.
 Of the millions of tons of shippp:ue that carried our men overseas going to the war fl per cent were Amcr.- can; 51 per cent. were British; per cent Italian and per cent French. The American ships included the seized German liners and 300,O00 tons of Dutch shipping was also used
 On the return however, practically the entire transport system was American, more than 90 per cent of the ships used in demobiuzat1on being furnished by the Shipping Board