Evening star., 1919-05-04
Few people realize how enormous an
economical resource the salvage serv-
ice of the
Reclamation Service Army came
in France a Wonder. " u

In France there was great opportu-
nifty. and comparative statistics which
have been compiled showing what
was done are, on their face, almost
unbelievable.
Starting at zero in April, 1918,
these figures show. by the end of Jan
uary. 1919, this service in France had
made saving Of $s5.353.084. and that
during the month Of January It made
saving for the government Of s747,-
345 day. The salvage service was a
part Of the activities OF the @. NJ c. in
France under Maj. Gen Harry L. Roe-
crs. During his last month in France
this one service saved enough to pay
clothe and feed the total Quartermas-
ter personnel in France for three
months. 1t made an average saving
that month to return an army of 49,
600 men to the United States. During
the eleven months 1T saved to the gov
ernment enough to pay the discharge
bonus for an army OF 100000 men,
These results are the more remarkab BILE
that this was a new service and that
Gen. Rogers had but short time to-
organize the service and put 1t in ac-
tive operation.
This SERVICE" said an officer who
had served under Gen. Rogers in an
other branch OF the @. NJ. c. may be
| ifkened to an octopus reaching its
tentacles into every nook and corner
Nothing escaped its appetite. 1t
reached everything from q horseshoe
nail to a 156-centimeter boche gun.
Like Midas. everything it touched
turned to gold. It took the wreck of
the battlefield. the refuse pile. scrap
heaps, discarded clothing, equipment
and arms. 1t emptied the kitchen
garbage can and turned all this dis
carded stuff into millions for the gov
ernment While the Q. M. C. spent by
the millions when the troops needed
It. 1t saved every possible penny.
Dealing out everything with a liberal
hand to clothe. equip and feed the SOL
dfers through the front door. 1t was
on watch that nothing should escane
through the swill pail,
Some claims have been mada tbat
tho marines were not-in the fighting
at c hat t 9 u
Tho Marines and Thierry: and to
Chateau Thierry. ,na, ,aa,. END END. these hose
aecertained,
Tho marines did not, at any time
OF tho fighting. occupy tho town call
ed Chateau Thlerry. nor were they
nearer to 1t than two miles, nor were
they in the fight at that place whom the
Sd Division Of the American Army de-
Tended the Marne crossing However,
the marines were very much In the
flghting in the Chateau Thierry Soc
tor from June s to the end Of that
month. If there ia any doubt about
their presence, the Germans whom
they drove out of Belleau woods
y-le-Bocage and Bouresches, IL
any arc alive, may give the enswer,
Those places are all in tho Chateau
Thierry sector. During these fights
the casualties of tho marines Of the
I'd Division of the United States
Army were 12e officers and 5.O75 men
out of total Of 5000. They sus-
tained these losses in defeating the
Germans at the nearest point on the
Metz-Paris road that the Huns at
tanned; coming in under command of
Brig. Gen. Harboard at a time when
tho allied defense was at it's lowest
level.
Gen. Pershing. in awarding the
distinguished service crosses to the
men participating Nin these battles.
mentioned the affair as ''At Chateau