The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-08-27
Acres of War Department
Automobiles Stacked Up
Out Doors
ARE RAPIDIY )
DETERIORATING
Thousands of the Machines Have Not
Been Observation-Disclosures of Property
Piled Along Railroad Tracks = Re-
ported Lumber Burned at .Devens.

WASHINGTON, Aug. e27.-The Re-
publican majorities, in congress, which
forced the war department to put its
surplus foodstuffs ON the market few
weeks ago, may pass legislation soon
compelling that executive branch of
/ the government to dispose of its ac-
eumulated service material. Military
leaders declare that the department has
been lax in its efforts to get rid of ar
tticles worth millions upon millions of
dollars. They have asked the chiefs
of other departments to what extent
they viii need the surplus material and
will recommend new legislation as soon
as the replies have been received.
. Members of congress have received
report after report that great stocks
j of service material are scattered about
the country, much of it out in the open
and deteriorating rapidly. At Camp
Holabird, within an hours ride of
Washington motor vehicles are literal
/ ly stacked on go acres of land. thous.
ands of the machines never have been
even unerated. The public demand fol-
the material and the failure of the de
partment to release it has caused some
thing like indignation on Capitol hin
1t IS probable that drastic action will
be demanded within the next fortnight
! The situation has not been helped BY
the war department 8 request for an
appropriation of $60,00o.000 for stor.
age facilities. Congressman believe
that this expenditure can be reduced
materially by disposing of a large pari
of the supplies and materials which the
| department is holding. Meanwhile the
impression made upon the civilian tax
payer who sees these vast stores is moi
| reaSsurIng.
Anyone visiting Camp Holabird see.
much to confirmathe belief that there
has been reckless prodigality in buy
ing automobile equipment. Field aftel
held may be seen. packed with ma
t'ehines' cd, cdifferont, makexy ran giag fnsir
the sis-ton trucks to the, motorcycle
fhe' visitor first passes IA field of abou
20 acres and then another field O.
aboutlf40 acres, both of .the field
crow ded with machines all standing on
In the open, some of them never hav,
been set up. Still another field j.
damned with damaged equipment, will
no evidence of salvage and no appar
ent system of making repairs. 1t i
said that when a machine was damage,
1t was dumped into the field and anoth
er issued in its place.
WITHIN the camp are rows after row
of cars TERED up five and six high will
no protection from the weather Tour
ing cars by the thousands, such al
wouid-be purchasers find it almost i'm
possible to obtain from manufacturer
these days, are stored in endless array
Many of them have been on ,hand twt
years. Their value is depreciating ra
|pidly.
The Graham select committee. whicl
IS investigating war department expen
dItures, has investigators touring tn,
country to determine how great Ma,
been the waste of public money. Re
ports received, but not given to tn,
Il press, are understood to reveal waste.
almost unbelievable. Investigators WHIT
have been going through the soutl
4 have just reported on conditions at {
4 plant outside Nashville, Tenn The,
4 say that the waste there totals million:
that along the railroad track is
i pile of useful material half milt
long and 100 or more feet wide at plac
es. Other specialists are visiting arm,
! environments. They have heard thai
| there has been some waste at CamI
Devens, and that beams, planks an6
boarding, all of it disable. were thrown
into great piles and burned The com
mittee is assembling all of the informa.
ton it can collect, and eventually viii
issue report or q series of reports.
Moths have been caught in mid