Evening star., 1927-10-09

mercialy for the same use-such trivial things as
canteen caps. Under the new, practical regime
as much as possible of the commercial product
will be used. The Army will not wait for spe-
cia style of "dungarees," but will buy out man.
ufacturers entire stock of overalls. When uni
forms needed they will not make the soldier
go about ragged and cold while they wait for
pretty uniforms to be manufactured accord
ing to pattern, but will take every suit Of clothes
in dealers stock throw them into vat and
make them all one color, put red tag on the
officers shoulder and say, March them
OF course, this cannot be done with such re-
quirements ordnance, which is vitality impor
tant In time of peace practically makes
it, and so ordnance supplies is one of the biggest
problems for the War Department, because it
isn't much calling out the soldiers until you
can arm them; everything else will give way
before ordnance prorities. But the Quartermas
ter Corps can take practically anything it needs
out of commercial stocks.
Similarly, going to have no more big
cantonment building, with the costplus and sal
wage gratis to mushroom operators. If recruits
are called into the service, the War Department
will take over big hotel, perhaps, and keep them
there until some troops have been sent out from
Army station a National Guard camp, and
then the recruits will be drilled at those places.
Not only have the War Department Business
Council and the relic of the War Industries Board
and the leading industrial organizations worked
up this program of industrial mobilization, but
the War Department has undertaken another pre-
paredness program to perpetuate the executive
industrial force in each Of the ii procurement dis
tricts and keep it to the nth degree of trained
efficiency. This industrial college is doing for the
now distinct business phase of the Army's work
what the War College does for the military.
In the Munitions Building in Washington an
industrial college has been started. where the Army
officers who are to be executives and Office
ayers in each of the IA procurement areas are
being trained for their future work by drilling
industrial methods and basic procurement
problems of the Army.
1t is foreseen also that advancing years will
make it necessary to relieve the civilian chiefs
and their staffs of specialized industrial aides in
the procurement areas. So Congress has been
asked and authorized the establishment of "Mu-
nitions Battalion" Four hundred promising un-
dergraduates chosen by college authorities to
meet certain definite standards, are to be enlisted
next Summer at the close of their junior year in
college. They will be stationed at Fort Washing.
ton. on the Potomac in what will resemble pre-.
war Plattsburg camp and given intensive
course in soldering, and treated as soldiers in
every sense of the word, for three months. When
the colleges reopen, they will be assigned back to
their respective schools, with tuition paid and the
regular allowance of enlisted man, and free
from any military duty whatever throughout the
school year, to finish their college course and re-
cefve their degrees. When they have graduated
they will have already given the Army three
months and have received nine months in school.
balance the account
Then their Munitions Battalion" will organize
again. and there will be added to their soldering
duties three or four hours day of study and
coaching on the basic procurement work of the
Army, under selected instructors who are gradu-
ates of the Army Industrial College, now in opera
tion and of the Harvard School of Business Ad.
mnistraton, where Army officers are now taking
courses to fit them for key positions in procure.
ment work.
X X X X
With the Christmas holidays the members cf
the Munitions Battalion" will complete their tour
with the colors and will go forth to take their
place in the industrial life of the Nation and spe
cialize on their chosen lines If the college author
tiles and the War Department have picked their
men we'll, they will in the course of time work
their way to commanding positions in industrial
life. At the end of 10 years there will be 1000
young veterans Of the Munitions Battalion" the
elder of whom have advanced to executive posi-
tons They will be available as understudies and