The Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 191?-19??, 1919-09-13

after the armistice and despite thu
handicaps imposed by the enactioi
: of the present Republican congress
the War Department is making
drive to dispose of its surplus equip
. nent as rapidly as possible. 1t il
hoped that the supply on hand car
be reduced in the near future to q
point where it viii be possible tc
house the remained in the, storage
space now available.
At the time the armistice was sign
ed there were billions of dollars worth
Of material for the army under con-
tract. 1t was possible to stop produc-
ton on the major portions of these
supplies, and it was necessary, for
economic reasons, 10 allow great
quantities to come onto the market
| through the medium Of the War De-
partment. There were already re.
serve supplies for six months in the
arny's hands. More than half ct
these were overseas. To this great
quantity, filling most of the available
storage space, was aided the great
volume of future contract material
that came into production before the
breaks could be clamped down on the
system of supply.
Immediately on the signing of the
armistice, which came almost as an
overnight surprise to most Of the
world, the gates of outlet at the va
rious embarkation and shipping
points were closed fast. Large mum
bers of men and great quantities OF
supplies began to return. General
Goethals, who was at the head OF
the quartermaster or purchase and
storage department of the army
realizing that the army camps and
storage facilities would soon be
crowded to capacity, went to Con-
gress and asked for an appropriation
for new storage and warehouse ia
cilities.
In its filibuster to force the pres
ident to call special session of con-
gress the Republican wing of the last
congress made it impossible for the
War Department to obtain funds suf-
ficient to protect the vast supplies
held by the army. When the new
congress was called, the Republicans
in an effort to make political capital
of their short-sighted economy meas
ures, forced the purchase and storage
branch of the army to contend itself
with just half the appropriation
needed for the protection of supplies
valued at billions of dollars.
Making the best of the situation
the War Department Immediately set
about the work of protecting as much
of the property on its hands as posi-
by by housing it in the available stor-
age space. Many millions of dollars
worth of supplies, including auto
mobiles and trucks, munitions and
materials and equipment and the like
bulky in character by as valuable rs
they were bulky, had to be parked in
in open lots, and. as far as possible
soaked in grease and other materials
to protect them from rust and gener-
eral deterioration. To add to the
embarrassment of the governments
effort to protect its own material un-
til it could be properly disposed of,
Congress in this appropriation for the
present fiscal year, stipulated that no
new sites should be purchased OF
built upon. This provision compelled
the army to park such bulky material
in the opening, because the appropri-
alton granted was not sufficient TO
! permit the building of shelters for
4 the materials.
In the cases of the motor vehicles
and their equipment this lack of
funds was particularly embarrassing
4 About $4,000 automobiles and motor
trucks were declared surplus by the
army. Under the provisions of an.
other act of Congress these had tt
be held until arrangements could BE-
made for their disposal. Thousands
|, of these cars have been received from
|, factories in recent months under con
! tract which could not be cancelled
at once, have been left in their orig
! inal cratings, which are no protec
E ton for them. They have to be lief
with the acres and acres of othe
trucks on hand in the open wher
f they are subject to the rust, an
: damage resulting from their exposur
s to the weather.
t Particular complaint has been mad
: against the policy of the War Depart
:. ment in allowing these trucks an
automobiles to remain exposed, bu
: the hands of the department hav
t been practically tied. No single cor
.