Evening star., 1941-03-03
Post Exchange Looks
For Big Business
Al Fort Meade
Monthly Trade of at Least
$500, 900 Expected With
No Credit Losses
By CARTER BROOKE JONES,
Star staff CORRESPONDENT.

| BY CARTER BROOKE JONES,
Star Staff Correspondent.
FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md,
March 3.-The soldiers post ex-
change has gone modern, too, along
with the infantry, the cavalry and
all the rest of the Army.
It provides services never imag-
ined in the old days of its ancestor,
the canteen.
Already the National Guardsmen
from three States and the District
of Columbia who make up the 29th
Division, in camp for only two
weeks, have the beginnings of post
exchange system which will offer
them everything from soft drinks
and picture postcards to gas for
their cars.
And the post exchange, unlike the
canteen of World War days, will
follow the division wherever it may
go during its years service, even II
it should be ordered to some base
in the Caribbean.
When the division was concen-
trated here there wasn't single
building ready for the post ex-
change, though it had been prom
iSed that sufficient space would be
ready two months ago. But within
a few days the exchange had been
started, in a modest way, with
sections of mess halls set aside for
the sale of few simple things.
IL to Is Stores Expected.
Today one big barracks was open
for business, a general store stock
ing up gradually with a little of
everything, and others of equal size
will be opened as rapidly as the
carpenters complete them. There
will be IL to Is stores for the divi-
sion, which will number close to
10000 when selectees fill 1t to war
strength next month.
Maj. E l.. Reynolds, division post
exchange officer, probably is as busy
as any other four men in camp. To
realize the magnitude of the busi-
ness he is building up it may be
noted that he expects the various
branches of the post exchange to
OO VI dNlC VI ally
from 100000 to $500,000.
Moreover, he must start the busi-
ness from scratch. And launch it
without dime of capital!
Since this is fresh division, just
inducted into Federal service, there
is no surplus from an old post ex-
change. And the War Department
q or1y,royoriotoc ,ootI,inO for yNoct oy-
changes. They are furnished only
store space. They must be self
sustaining. Which means that the
29th Division exchange must finance
itself, buying what it needs and
paying for it out of the first profits.
Not Run for Profit.
The exchange is not run for profit.
1t sells at the lowest possible prices,
but it must make enough to pay
the salaries of the civilian employees
which the regulations say it must
hire exclusively, and to defray other
expenses. If there are profits,
above the expenses, they are pro-
rated among the regiments and used
to buy added comforts for the men
or Tor some OCner DenenC.
Under the elaborate system of
credit, each soldier may receive
scrip books good for purchases up
to one-third of his monthly pay.
Each credit application, however,
must be approved by the company
or battery commander and the post
exchange officer. More liberal cred
it is extended officers and nom
commissioned officers, though they
also must be vouched for and ap-
proved.
An innovation which Maj. Rey-
noldss plans is at least three service
stations for automobiles. All Off
GERS and non-commiSsioned officers
of the three highest grades are al
lowed to keep cars in camp. At
the post exchange garages they
may get gas and repairs on credit.
If an officer needs, say, a uni
form, he may arrange to buy it
from some tailor, perhaps in Wash
ington, and have it charged to the
post exchange, which will collect
from him. The versatility of the
new post exchange was illustrated
last week end when Maj. Reynolds
arranged for a considerable number
of enlisted men to go home on
leave despite the fact that their
pay day was delayed and they had
no funds. He bought the tickets
and took the price out of their
credit books.
Deducted From Pay.
Since the money owed the post
exchange is deducted from the SOL
diers' pay each pay day, the insti-
tution's losses are negligible, oc-
curing only when somebody deserts
or some other unusual situation de-
velops.
Maj. Reynolds is, in effect, the
president of the corporation. He
has a chief steward, a civilian, who
is a sort of general manager. And
each branch store has a civilian
manager. There is a supervisory
Army officer over each store, usual
ly one from every regiment
The post exchange, though en-
ploying civilians so that soldiers
will not be tied up in this work, is
run entirely by and for the Army. |
Auditors from the finance division
of the War Department go over its
books regularly.
The 29th Division returned to its
vigorous training program today
after the usual Sunday holiday.
More moderate weather was ex-
pected to bring an early renewal
of the outdoor drills which were
interrupted Friday and Saturday by
the heavy snowfall.
S.. President HaVes