Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-03-11

In the emergency the railroad officials an
piled to the federal government, which turn
ed to the Marine corps. AS result, the engi-
neering force at Quantico, 80 miles south of
Washington, was sent to the Washington
railroad yards together with nearly thou
sand marines. Blow torches, portable fur
naces, and heating devices were set up and
the marines turned to with a will, thawing
switches and clearing the right-of-way under
expert supervision, with the result that with
in "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 marine corps is the
work done by marines guarding mails. Dur
ing the week before the marines took over
the task more than million dollars had
been lost by the government in two mail rob-
berries, occurring within a few days of each
other, in New York and Chicago. During a
little more than a year prior nine million
dollars worth Of cash and securities had been
stolen by mail robbers and large quantities of
valuable documents lost and destroyed. The
postoftice authorities were contemplating or
ganiZing force of guards, but were stag
gered by the difficulties of organization and
the prodigious cost. In the emergency the
late assistant postmaster general, Colonel
Shaughnessy, suggested that the marines be-
called on, which plan appealed to all as the
solution of the difficulty.
So quickly and efficiently did the corps
respond to orders from the president to sup
ply postal guards that in less than IL hours
after orders were received, mail trains leav-
ing New York, New Orleans, San Francisco
and other cities, carried marine guards arm
ed with sawed-off shotguns and pistols. 1t is
an astonishing fact that when marines took
over this task attempts at robberies stopped
as if by magic Over the whole time since
the marines have been guarding mails not
one cent has been lost by the postoffice de-
partment through a hold-up.
Not the least interesting feature of the
new policy Of the peace-time service is the
manner in which it 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
nical nature, can be accomplished without
calling for outside aid.
Cost Per Marine Is Cut
Not the least interesting of the achieve
ments of the marines in the line of efficiency
has been the work done by accounting ex-
perts and economists. These have made an
economic survey of the corps with a view to
establishing the most economical and eff
cient systems with the result that costs have
come down in surprising manner and eff
cheney has been raised to even higher stand
ards.
The effect of these economies is best
shown in the returns of the marine corps
quartermaster's department, which show that,
exclusive Of pay, the cost Of maintaining a
marine in 1919 was $1,127 for the year, and
in 1920, $958. In 1921 it had fallen to 1904,
while for the current year the marine corps
estimates that $459 per man will be suff-
cent. 1t points with pride to the fact that the
actual expense for the maintenance of 21,-
900 men for this year will be only about
nine and one-half millions, whereas in 1920,
for maintaining $4,000 men, the cost was
more than seventeen millions.