The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1921-02-22
|lcREs OF ARMY
SUPPLIES ARE
NOW R0TT|NG
HARDING PLANS TO
Make INVENTORY OF
SURPLUS MATERIALS
tNcwspapsr Enterprise Association /,

<hcwspapsr Enterprise Association,
WASHINGTON. Feb. % "A com
plete inventory OF all leftover war ma
terials in possession of the War de
partment as of March will be ordered
by in the incoming secretary OF war.
This viii be one of the first acts of
the Harding administration.
This inventory is planned not only
to show the amount OF these war ma.
terials stored from coast to coast but
also TO show their physical condition.
Former Senator John J. Weeks il
slated to become the next secretary OF
war. IIe has discussed this inven-
tory with President-elect Harding. who
not ony has APPROX it but has sug-
sested that the data be made public
when completed.
Present War department officials
admit they have no accurate informa-
ton concerning the hundreds of mil
lions Of dollars worth of supplies left
ON the department. hands at the ar
mistice
The situation is described thus:
The wires are down between the out
lying lcpots and the central depots
and Washington
The Harding administration plans
to send into the field exnsfts who viii
make actual inventories on the ground
Vast quantities of supplies are i'm.
properly stored.
Often these supplies are thrown to-
sether in great heap, helter-skelter,
like so much junk in the open with
no protection.
The consequent depreciation has
cost the government hundreds of mil.
lions of dollars and each day this con
dition continues the loss increases.
Congressman c. Frank Reayis. of
Nebraska, has frequently called the
attention Of Congress TO the loss in
automobiles auto trucks, tractors, mo-
| bile machine shops and other motor
! equipment.
! The Nebraskan, who characterizes
4 this situation as national scandal
I has introduced bill 10 compel the
/ War department to turn over to the
Bureau Of Good Roads Of the Agricul
| tursl department all motor euipment
which can be used in highway con
struction. This equipment in turn
will be distributed among the As
states.
The Reavis bill has been endorsed
BY highway commissioners throughout
the nation, who are wiring their con
gress,nen and senators, urging thai
the bill be enacted.
In defense OF the automobile vast
age army officials claim that whsE
the armistice came the department
found itself possessed OF thousands o
} trucks and autos with no place Z
: go" Some had accumulated at ports
some were on the seas. some were el
route to the seaboard.
Because tho equipment had TO b
/ removed from the ports to make roor
for returning soldiers, il vas foun
, necessary to store it in any way pos
+ sible
Army officials also claim uncertain
ty as 10 the future size OF the arm
made it unwise to dispose Of the m'
: tor equipment.
: Thousands Of the tractors wef
shipped to the Texas border ior ope
air storage. with most Of them at
!. Paso and Galveston.
Automobiles were shipped to Cam
!. Jessup. Ca. Fort Sill Okla. Cam
Holabird. Md, and to Columbus. c
: indianapolis, Ind. and other place
J, Thousands of cars were left to rot
;r the open.
Efforts will be made 10 dispose
ali marketable automobiles early
the next administration