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Show : WARJKOTES Optical glass equaling the product of European manufacturers, from whom only it formerly could be obtained, ob-tained, is now being produced for military mili-tary use by the bureau of standards of the United States department of commerce com-merce and several privately owned factories. One shipment from the glass factory in Pittsburgh, for use by the navy department, contained 780 pounds of high-grade optical glass enough to provide lenses for probably 750 binoculars. Development In glass manufacturing manufactur-ing In the United States has been similar simi-lar to that of dye making. Before the war manufacturers o optical goods IK this country were content to import all their glass from Europe, themselves them-selves doing only the grinding, polishing; polish-ing; and mounting. European glass factories, one of the three lurgest being be-ing located In England, one In France, and one in Germany were closely guarded to protect secrets of the trade sometimes a century old. It was considered con-sidered Impossible fo produce efficient glass without formulas and factory processes developed by many years of experimentation. One of the problems facing the bureau bu-reau of standards when, with optical companies In America, it started to replace re-place with locally made products the supply of European optical glass which had been cut off by the war. was to provide suitable pots for melting. In one process of Its manufacture the glass must be kept at temperatures as high as 2,000 degrees F., when It would rapidly dissolve a container made of Iron, steel, .or other metal. Pots now being used which satisfactorily satisfac-torily withstand the heat and chemical actions of molten glass are made of. day found In the United States. In addition to the factory operated by the bureau of standards at Pittsburgh, Pitts-burgh, several privately owned companies com-panies are now furnishing optical glass for military use In telescopes, binoculars, binocu-lars, field glasses, periscopes, and other oth-er technical and scientific Instruments., The quartermaster corps, charged with the responsibility of feeding and clothing the soldiers, Is rigidly Inspecting Inspect-ing the food purchased for the troops to see that only pure articles are supplied. sup-plied. As an Indication of the amount of food that must be obtained, says a statement authorised by the quartermaster quarter-master general 1,!W0,000 men consume con-sume dally 1,500,000 pounds of beef, 225,000 pounds of bacon, 210,000 pounds of hnm, 135,000 cans of tomn" toes, and 225,000 cans of Jam with other articles aggregating 6,750.000 pounds. These qnsntHlpa of foodstuffs are subjected to thorough Inspection, which begin at the source and continue con-tinue until the food Is actually consumed. con-sumed. Each depot of the quartermaster quarter-master corps Is a central subsistence business of Its own, supplying the camps, cantonments, aviation fields, and other posts In Its territory. The subsistence officers are held responsf-We responsf-We for the quality of the goods they receive. . . : . ( - Before tie supplies Tench the djrpots, however, they are passed upon by Inspectors In-spectors In the pscklmg Jiouses, canneries, can-neries, and other sources of origin. The recojds at Washington show the capabilities, character, and standard of every establishment furnishing food for the army. The specifications which their products must meet are clear and exact. The Inspection branch maintains a current file of unreliable dealers and unreliable products. Insuring the elimination elim-ination of dealers who, having been denied the right to supply some of the many depots of the army, make subsequent sub-sequent attempts to obtain contracts at other points.. Relatives and friends of several sol dlers In army ramps have been vlc-tlmlxed vlc-tlmlxed by swindlers who wired or wrote for funds nndir soldiers' names. In each Instsnce It was requested that money be sent by wire waiving Identification, Identi-fication, or by msfl to general delivery, the customary explanation being that the soldier hsd been dlschsrged and i would have no way of securing Idea-' i tlflcstlon. nor of getting mall address- j pd to his company. . The following Is a typical telegram, sent to the father of a soldier In a southern camp: i "Have been discharged. Coining j home. Going to Atlanta through country coun-try tonight. Please wire me $00 at Atlanta so I may pay for uniform and come home direct. Wave Identification Identifica-tion as I am not known In Atlanta. ! Wire, cash quick so I can get It tomorrow to-morrow morplng." Before being complied with, any request re-quest for money to be sent'undef such conditions should be verified by a letter let-ter or' telegram to the commanding officer of-ficer of the cninp In which the man whose nnme Is signed to the request Is stationed. |