Evening star., 1920-01-04

A FTER-THE-WAR problems con-
~ fronting the country in con-
nection with the reorganiZa-
ton of the Army bring to
mind the ancient fable of the man
who released the genii from the bot
tie with but small effort, but found
himself unable to get the monster
back into the vessel with the same
ease.
The construction division was one
of the biggest things to spring from
the small military organization this
country maintained prior to the war
with Germany. and now Congress. the
general staff. and other interested
parties are considering whether it
is best to try to cram the DIVISION
back into the bottle, or leave 1t out
side as permanent feature of the
reorganized Army. Even as war
agency this service contributed so
much to the trade facilities OF the
country that it's proponents are urg-
ing it's continuance. with representa-
ton on the general staff
Probably the most imposing sins sis.i
monument to the construction dlVl-
sion is the big Army base warehouse use
in Brooklyn, n. Y, the largest OF SIX
terminals erected by the government
in Brooklyn, Port Newark. N. -;
Philadelphia, Norfolk. Charleston ana
New orleans, The ba buliaing niaht IS stories "a
ahove the dock. Warehouse "A is
40 feet long by 200 feet wide, ana ana
warehouse "B' $50 feet long by Soo
feet wide, in addition to which tnese
is a three story administration ouiio-
ing.
Features Of Construction.
The building is the most modern
thing of it's kind in this country, anu an
was erected at a cost OF $4o.'o".oV".
The boilers of the power ana heatins
plant are equipped with automatic
steam-driyen stokers: the three dou-
ble-deck piers are provided with SIX
large freight elevators with room 70
double the equipment; tWelve shlps u
5000 tons capacity each may De IN III
loaded there within twenty Iour
hours. electric tractors drawing TOUR
or five trailers move tons OF gooos
about at the touch of lever, ana
i,cranes and derricks lift wnole car
loa DIS of goods. apparently without ell
fort. ,+a,,
of ninety-six operatorless elevators,
controlled from single sWltcnooaiu'
which renreSent the last wOrd III nan =
ding freight with speed. ecohoihy
and safety.
I'm addition to the six terminal ware
houses already mentioned enormous
storage warehouses have been ereI.eo
at Baltimore. Chicago. Columbus. ONO, !,
| Hoboken. Jeffersonville, Ind; New
| Cumberland, Pa; Schenectady. n. y
| Philadelphia. Pittsburgh and ST. LOUIS.
All of these, though now niled WIN
surplus Army goods, are bulldlnes OF
| a Substantial nature. and will form a
most important link in the chaln
which the new American merchant
marine is extending around the earth
Even more important from military
| Standpoint is the fact that they
sprang into being as wartime neces.
| sity and in another such Crisis Wouic
be instantaneously available 1or tnelr
original purpose.
thirty-two big cantonments, each d
CITY in itself, was the largest single
task that the construction division
did in the nineteen months 1t oper-
ated. such work constituted less than
| half of it's total accomplishment 1t
erected buildings of one kind or an
| other in every state in the Union ex-
cent Nevada Five hundred and eighty
one projects were handled, most OF
| them simultaneously. and almost half
a million men were employed. Many
| of the buildings put up were specially
designed for peculiar wartime needs,
such as the Edgewood arsenal. where
gas shells were made, ana demanded
lhigh technical skill.
Chiefs Recommendation.
The capabilities this agency has