The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-07-09

The experiences of the United
States In rushing troops overseas has
made 1t evident that estimates given
by the war department In 1915 that
Germany, II not interfered with, could
land $751; 900 men In America In 10
days and 100000 men In 81 days more
were gross exaggerations. Gen. Peyton
G. March, chief Of staff, said. The
war department estimate was submit
ted by the war college to congress In
the year mentioned.
Our Own Record.
ION May I, 1917" said General
March, "the army owned a troop fleet
of ten vessels, with an estimated dead
weight tonnage of 52,725 and a troop
capacity Of 10,S30 men. All these
were boats which It would have been
possible In an extreme case to put into
transatlantic service, but Of that
group of old vessels only one, the Bu-
ford, was permanently put into this
service.
Between April 8 and September 1,
1917. the first six months, the dead
weight tonnage of the United States
army increased from nothing to $4,000
lightweight tons. The troops carried
eastward on these ships ran by
months: April, none; May. 1893, Gear
ried on commercial liners) +; June, r.
621, Carried on commercial liners) ;
July. 5,437; August, 5,45S; September,
14.S13. Total troops carried, $4,000.
Beginning with November IL, 1918,
the date of the armistice, and running
through the six months up to and In
GLIDING April, we had carried west
ward 717,486 men.
"The $4,000 total lightweight of
army ships ON November IL included
the Leviathan and other German ships
X over during the war. The rapid
increase In the troop feet since that
time Is due almost entirely to the
making over of cargo ships into troop
carrying ships. Up to April / cargo
ships Of $4,000 tons had been con-
verted into troop-carrying ships. These
ships formed SO per cent Of the troop
fleet In tonnage, although not In car
rying capacity.
Quite Impossible.
"About the var department state
ment In 1915, a pamphlet having the
title. Statement of a Proper Military
Policy for the United States This
statement contained an estimate Of
the number Of troops which could be
landed on our shores, provided there
were no interference. Germany had
the most |: the estimate as to her was
s87,0 0 lei In 16 days, and an addi-
fional 10000 In another 81 days. II
was stated that these men could carry
with them 10000 horses and all the
necessary equipment, munitions, sup
plies. and other impedimenta for
three months. In about the same
space Of time II was estimated that
France could land 100000 men. Aus
tria. 10000, and japan, $4,000. all
with large numbers Of animals and
the necessary impedimenta for three
months.
Our experience In this war shows
that these alleged facts are quite i'm
possible. We have learned that you
cannot mobilize ships, men and sup
plies with the ease and speed calcu-
lated In the statement. Ship perform
ances cannot approach the perform
ances assumed. Our fast troopships
have averaged close to 35 days for a
complete turn around to France and
back, u cargo ships 20 days. The
statement assumes that all ships, in
Guiding cargo. would average 80 days
Tor that distance.
This statement shows how lacking
we were In knowledge of the problem
Of shipping large armies overseas.
There was no experience Of our own
or of foreign countries to guide us.
The transportation overseas Of the
American army as an achievement Is
literally unprecedented"