Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-03-09
R v CREDITS FOR u. S.
PEACE O
Daily Letter by Frederic j. Haskin

Work of less sensational character
in the public behalf was done during
the blizzard which visited Washing
ton during the last week in jan,
uary. Owing to snow and cold, rail-
road traffic was at a standstill,
tracks were blocked, switches in the
Washington railroad yards were
| frozen and no trains had moved
for three days. Washington's food
supply was running low and the city
was threatened with a shortage as
railroad officials feared it would be
many days before traffic could be re-
sumed. Calls for labor were sent
from Boston to Richmond, but 1t
was impossible to secur enough
men to make Roadway. /
In the emergency the railroad Off
/ Gals applied to the Federal Govern
ment which turned to the Marine
Corps. AS a result. the engineering
force at Quantico, thirty miles
south of Washington. was sent to
the Washington railroad yards to-
gether with nearly a thousand ma
| rines. Blow torches, portable fur
| naces and heating devices were set
| up an the marines turned to with
a will thawing switches and clearing
the right-of-way under expert SUI
pervision with the result that with
in twenty-four hours the task which
had baffled the railroad authorities
was accomplished and traffic was
resumed.
Another sensational incident of the
peace time service of Tx Marine
Corps is the work done by marines
guarding mails. During the week
before the marines took over b
task more than a million dollars
had been lost by the government in
two mail robberies, occurring within
a few days of each other. in New
York and Chicago. During a little
more than a year prior nine mil
lion dollars worth of cash and Sc
curities had been stolen by mai
, robbers and large quantities of val
liable documents ost and destroyed.
The ~postoffice authorities were con-
templating organizing a force of
guards, but were staggered by the
difficulties of organization and the
p%rodigious cost. In the emergency
the late Assistant Postmaster Cen
eral Col. Sh%aughnessy, suggested
that the marines be called on, which
plan appealed to all as the solution
: of the difficulty.
"a, So quickly and efficiently did the
l Corps respond to orders from the
L oltlSi " boPP'y Pooto
that in less than twelve hours after
:, orders were received, mail trains
Il leaving New York, New Orleans. San
u Francisco and other cities, car
) ried marine guards armed will
. sawed-off shotguns and pistols. 1t a
I an astonishing act that when ma
rines took over this task attempt!
: at robberies stopped as If by magic
l Over the whole time since the ma
Z rsnes have been guarding mails no
Z one cent has been lost by the post
n office department through holdup
Not the least interesting feature
4 of the new policy of the peace tim
: service is the manner in which i
. has worked out inside the Corps
Marines now build houses for them
selves, survey and direct their owl
camps. build athletic stadiums 10
y their own amusements II do al
y manner of work in their own behal
y Engineers, architects. mechanics am
specialists of all kinds have been de
yeloped among both officers an
l. men so tina almost any task n
|, matter of how technical a natur
/ can be accomplished without callini
for outside aid.
Cost Per Marine is Cut
IS Not the least interesting of tn
d achievements of the marines in tn
n line of efficiency has been the wofl
le done by accounting experts an
le economists. These have made a
n economic survey of the corps wit
h a view to establishing the mos
economical and efficient system
IS with the result that costs have com
T. down in a surprising manne and'ef
IS ficiency has been raised to eve
e biyhae StandardS
: The effect of these economies !
best shown in the returns of the Ma
rine Corps Quartermaster's Depart
II ment, which show that, exclusiv
d Vt pay, the cost of maintaining
le marine in 1919 was $1.127 for tn
" year, and in 1920, s95S. In 1921
j. had fallen to 1894 while for the eur
g rent year the Marine Corps esti
mates that $459 per man VIII D
sufficient. 1t points with pride t
= the TACT that the actual expens
It for the maintenance of 2t.00o me-
n for this year will be only about min
and onehalf millions, whereas i
d 1920, for maintaining $4,000 mer
l. the cost was more tnan seventeel
millions