The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-03-08
Frederick Haskin's Letter


Work OF a less sensational chm
acter in the public behalf was don
i during the blizzard which yisitaJ
Washington during the last Wast
in January. Owing to snow ana
cold, railroad traffic was at a stand
still, tracks were blocked, syitcbes
in the Washington railroad wards
were frozen and no trains had mov-
ed for three days. Washingt0n,s
food supply was running low and
the city was threatened with
shortage as railroad officials feara5
it would be many days before traf-
tic could be resumed. Calls for Ia
Dor were sent from Boston to Rich
mond, but it was impossible To sa-
cure men enough to make head
way.
In the emergency the railroad
officials applied TO the federal gov
eminent which turned out the ma
rine corps. AS a result, the engi-
neering force at Quantico, 80 miles
south of Washington, was sent To
the Washington railroad yards tn
gether with nearly a thousand ma
rines. Blow torches, portable fur
naces, and heating devices were
set up and the marines turned 10
with will thaWing switches and
clearing the right of way under
expert supervision, with the resulf
| that within "a hours the task which
had baffled the railroad authorities
was accomplished and traffic was
resumed.
Marines Halted Mail Thefts.
Another sensational incident OF
the peace-time service of the ma
rine corps is the work done by
marines guarding mails. During
the week before the marines took
over the task more than a million
dollars had been lost by the gov
eminent in two mail robberies. oc-
curing within a few days of each
other, in New York and Chicago
During d little more than a year
prior nine million dollars worth Of
cash and securities had been stolen
by mail robbers and large quaint
ties of valuable documents lost and
destroyed. The pOstoffice authori-
ties were contemplating organizing
a force of guards, but were stag
gered by the difficulties of organ
ization and the pTodigious cost. In
the emergency the late assistant
postmaster general, Colonel Snaugh-
messy, suggested that the marines
be called on, which plan appealed
to all as the solution of the diff
Guilty.
So quickly and efficiently did the
president to supply postal guards
that in less than u hours after Or
ders were received, mail trains
leaving New York, New Orleans.
San Francisco and other cities, car
ried marine guards armed with
sawed-off shotguns and pistols. It
lis an astonishing fact that when
marines took over this task at
tempts at robberies stopped as if
by magic Over the whole time
since the marines have been guard
ing mails not one cent has been
lost by the postoffice department
through a hOldup.
Not the least interesting feature
of the new policy of the peace-time
service is the manner in which II
has worked out inside the corps.
Marines now build houses for
themselves, survey and direct their
own camps. build athletic stadiums
for their own amusements. and do
all manner of work in their own
behalf Engineers, architects, me-
chanics and specialists Of all kinds
have been developed among both
officers and men so that almost
any task, no matter Of how tech
meal a nature, can be accomplish
ed without calling for outside aid.
Cost Per Marine is Cut.
Not the least interesting of the
achievements of the marines in the
line of efficiency has been the work
done by accounting experts and
economists. These have made an
economic survey Of the corps with
a view to establishing the most eco
nOmical and efficient systems with
the result that costs have come
down in a surprising manner and
efficiency has been raised TO eFen
higher standards.
The effect of these economies IS
best shown in the returns Of the
marine corps quar,ermasteT's de
partment, which show that, exclu-
sive of pay, the cost Of maintaining
a marine in 1916 was $l,l2I for
the year, and in 1920, $95S In 1921
it had fallen to $694, while for the
current year the marine corps est
mates that S459 per man viii be
sufficient 1t points with pride 10
the fact that the actual expense for
the maintenance of $1,000 men Tor
this year will be only about nine
and one-half millions, whereas III
1920. for maintaining $4,000 mel'
the cost was more than II millions.