The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-12-06
OF U, s, IN WAR GAINED
 WORLD PRAISE
Transportation System One of Many American
 Wonders.

Washington, D. C., Dec. 5.-An ap- preciation of Anerica's greatness in war is beginning to make itself felt here as details of the American pro gram and its accomplishment come to light through reports being fur nished to Congress, with the perspec- tive that is now possible looking back on the days of little more than a year ago men are beginning 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 500 transports carrying our soldiers over 5000 miles of water at the rate or more than 300,000 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 Eu- rope in sufficient numbers and with sufficient cargo and supplies.
 In May, June, July and August Of 1918 the United States sent 1,121OOO men overseas, making a record that astounded our allies and which Gen. eral Ludendorff admits in his me moirs was the one single incident of the war which above all others forced Germany to call for an armis- tice.
 Traffic overseas during this period was
 so intensive that on July 9th, one of
 the outstanding days in transportation
 75 transports were Europe bound
 bearing 171,67 American soldiers to
 the battle front. The authorization
 for July exceeded all expectations,
 306,000 men sailing from Atlantic
 ports in that month.
 To meet this program the War De-
 partnlent 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 i'll 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 cd our troops from more southern or
 Canadian ports would have meant
 serious delay n transportation at this
 critical time. Realizing the Gernan military authorities would only hope for such a result from their subma-
 rine campaign we refused to alter our 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 this period on its outgoing trip.
 sThen came the influenza and the scare that frightened the civil population also made itself felt among the military. It was recommended d that troop capacities of transports be reduced 40 per cent. to aid in com batting the epidemic. This was con- sidered for a while and when authen- tic information on living conditions aboard ship was obtained it was l found that reduction of 45 per cent. would give all the sanitary precau- 1 ton necessary and so it was ordered. i When the epidemic had spent itself | it was found that the death rate | aboard ship was below that of the camps and the troop movement had | not been materially lHpeded.
 1 Of the millions of tons of shipping l that carried our men overseas going 1 to the war A per cent were Ameri- l can; 51 per cent. were British; 3 per cent. Italian and per cent. French. 1 The American ships included the l seized German liners and 300, 900 tons 1 of Dutch shipping was also used. On the return however, practica 7ly l the entire transport system was | American, more than go per cent oi 1 the ships used in Rehabilitation being l furnished by the Shipping Board.