صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

Necessary highly specialized technical or mechanical expert of necessary industrial enterprise.

Necessary assistant or associate manager of necessary in-dustrial enterprise.

CLASS IV.

Man whose wife or children are mainly dependent on his labor for support.

Mariner actually employed in sea service of citizen or merchant in the United States.

Necessary sole managing, controlling, or directing head of necessary agricultural enterprise.

CLASS V.

Officers legislative, executive, or judicial of the United States or of State, Territory, or District of Columbia.

Regular or duly ordained minister of religion.

Student who on May 18, 1917 was preparing for ministry in recognized school.

Persons in military or naval service of United States.
Alien enemy.

Resident alien (not an enemy) who claims exemption.

Person totally and permanently physically or mentally unfit for military service.

tion.

Person morally unfit to be a soldier of the United States.
Licensed pilot actually employed in the pursuit of his voca-

Member of well-recognized religious sect or organization, organized and existing on May 18, 1917, whose then existing creed or principles forbade its members to participate in war in any form, and whose religious convictions are against war or participation therein.

The men selected for the national army are ordered to report at training camps which have been established throughout the country. These training camps or cantonments as they are called are small cities in themselves with complete lighting, sewer and water systems of a size sufficient to accommodate about 40,000 men each. In addition to the 16 train- Training ing camps for the drafted men of the national army Camps. there are 16 cantonments for the national guard located for the

most part in the southern part of the country. The men drafted from New England and a part of those from New York are trained at Camp Devens, Ayer, Massachusetts.

The organization of the navy on a war basis did not present so difficult a task as that of the expansion of the land forces of the nation, as such a large number of men were not required. Figures from the report of the secretary of the navy recently made public (December, 1917) show that since January first, 1917 the naval force has increased from 4,500 officers and 68,000 men to 15,000 officers and 254,000 men. At the present The Navy. time the navy is recruited almost to its maximum strength although it is probable that with the progress of the war the maximum strength will be increased, and, of course, enlistments will be required to keep it continuously at full strength. Training camps for the navy have been established at various places, the largest being located at Newport, Rhode Island; Norfolk, Virginia; Mare Island, California; Puget Sound, Washington and Great Lakes, Illinois.

SUPPLYING OUR FORCES.

Almost equal in difficulty to the task of raising an army and navy was the problem presented of equipping and supplying the forces to be organized. Not only guns and ammunition but also food, clothes, methods of transport and shelter had to be provided. Training camps and mobilization camps had to be erected.

Some idea of the actual work necessary in procuring and organizing the materials necessary for the war may be gathered from the following list prepared by army officers of what is required for an army of a million men.

750,000 rifles and bayonets for them to fight with.

265,000 pistols-little brothers of the rifle.

8,000 machines guns, the military scythe.

2,100 field guns to batter down attack.

What a

Million

165,000,000 cartridges to carry them into their Men Need. first fight, and as many more for each succeeding fight.

2,500,000 shells and shrapnel for our field guns for every hour they are in action.

196,000 horses to carry them and pull their gun carriages.
127,000 mules to haul their supplies and pack their guns.
8,000 wagons to transport their supplies and ammunition.
1,000,000 cartridge belts for their ammunition.
1,000,000 first-aid packets to bind up their wounds.

1,000,000 canteens.

Each of them must have uniform and equipment:

1,000,000 shelter-halves to protect them from the weather. 1,000,000 ponchos to keep them dry.

2,000,000 blankets to keep them warm.

2,000,000 pairs of shoes.

2,000,000 uniform coats, breeches, leggins, suits of underwear. 1,000,000 hats.

2,000,000 shirts.

4,000,000 pairs of socks.

1,000,000 haversacks to carry their equipment.

Finally they must eat:

1,000,000 pounds of meat each day.

1,000,000 pounds of bread each day.

2,000,000 pounds of vegetables each day.

3,000,000 pints of coffee or tea each day.

All this must be purchased, transported, prepared and cooked each day, and to eat it they must have:

1,000,000 cups.

1,000,000 plates.

1,000,000 knives.
1,000,000 forks.

1,000,000 spoons.

To provide for proper care, training and lead in battle they should have:

25,000 trained officers.

Most of the items listed above the government purchases from the manufacturers or dealers. Some supplies such as ammunition and rifles the government manufactures in its own factories and it may at any time build and equip additional factories or take over the operation of plants privately owned. Because of the increased demand's for all sorts of goods prices have risen and it has been necessary for the government in

Fixing
Prices.

many cases to fix a price for which a dealer or manufacturer must sell his goods. Care is taken to see that such price insures the seller a fair profit else there would be no encouragement for him to continue in business.

The Need

Two of the biggest problems put up to the United States in connection with supplies result from the shipbuilding and aviation programs. The need for the construction for Ships. of ships and the steps in the program so far made are well outlined in the following extract from an article in the Current History Magazine:

"The destruction of allied and neutral shipping since the war began in 1914 and the diversion by the Allies of an enormous amount of tonnage from normal trade channels had already, before the United States became a belligerent, forced this country to consider very seriously the problem of creating a mercantile marine of its own on a scale commensurate with its commerce. Ever since the civil war the United States has occupied a secondary position as a carrying nation. It has depended upon foreign ships for its ocean transportation, although for half a century efforts were repeatedly made to establish a mercantile marine.

"The European war accentuated the problem. The Government was urged to take the matter in hand, and finally President Wilson secured the passing of legislation which authorized the appointment of a Shipping Board and the creation of a corpora

tion to build ships. It was provided that the majority of the stock in this corporation should be held by the Government. Again there was delay, but our entry into the war hastened events, and on April 16, 1917, the Emergency Fleet Corporation was organized by the Shipping Board, .. . Congress authorized the use of $50,000,000, and work was immediately begun to build a vast fleet of both steel and wooden ships to transport supplies to the Allies and thus frustrate the German submarine campaign. Contracts were awarded to various ship-building firms, and shipyards on both the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts began to hum with increased activity.

"The first warlike act of the United States on entering the war was to seize all the German merchant ships laid up in the ports of the United States and its insular possessions. As many of these ships had been disabled by their crews, work was immediately begun to repair them. Early in June fourteen of the seized ships were assigned to the service of the Navy Department and renamed, while at the end of the same month President Wilson signed an executive order authorizing the Shipping Board to take 'possession and title' of eighty-seven of the Germanowned ships, representing 500,000 tons."

Later plans of the Shipping Board provide for the building of over 1200 ships of approximately 8,000,000 tons which necessitates an appropriation of an additional billion dollars bringing the total amount required for building, commandeer- Two Billions ing and purchasing vessels up to $2,000,000,000. for Ships. Three government owned ship building yards for the erection of steel ships have been erected or are in process of construction at each of which it will be possible, after the first pattern ship is turned out, to produce one 5,000 ton steel vessel every two working days.

The war aircraft bill passed by Congress and signed by President Wilson on July 24 appropriated $640,000,000 for the purchase of airplanes and aviation work. The payment and training of a force to man the machines, equipment, overseas maintenance, spare parts, flying stations, armament, and scientific apparatus is also to be paid for out of the appropriation.

The magnitude of the task may be understood when it is known that the appropriation is greater than the amount expended for all army and navy purposes in the year ending June 30, 1916.

« السابقةمتابعة »