Show Many Workers Supply Army dig Big Force Needed at Front Bread Making Gigantic C igan tic Ta Task D THE A AMERICA 1 B FRONT IX IN l FRANCE nA CE March 9 Less Loss spectacular than tin th s su continued arrival of America troops and their occupation of oC a a. definite site nite front sector yet et in its wa way quit e as ns important for tor their success l has haa been the steady development de of the in intricate in- in system of or keeping them in all the hundred and one supplies that they must have Public attention of or course cours has been n mainly riveted on two things things the the ar ar- rh rhal al of the tho troops themselves and the arrival of or their supplies Pace race by pace pac e with the thc increasing training camps camp s hero thero has grown rown up a storage transportation transportation transportation trans trans- and distribution system that not only accurately and efficiently supplies supplies sup sup- plies the tho needs of ot all our soldiers rs but that is continually being enlarged against future needs Neither troops nor supplies can come too fast for It It The various functions of ot the system bakery refrigerating plant warehouses warehouses ware ware- houses louses for tOr clothing nonperishable foods and similar supplies and the main distributing plant plant are are located for convenience sake in three towns or cities situated at the three corners of or an obtuse triangle and near enough to the training camps and front so o that supplies can reach the tho farthest points in twenty-four twenty hours COMMISSARY FORCE BIG An increasing over force of ot men is employed In the task of ot keeping the fighting man supplied with all ne no needs How wen welt they hey succeed is at attested attested attested at- at tested to b by p the splendid physical condition condition condition con con- of ot the tho troops in camp and at the front No link In tho the chain between a Port in France and the American front is perhaps more Int interesting than the ba ba- kerles When the troops began to arrive arrivo arrivo ar- ar rivo rive last summer it was announced that tho they would bo be the first soldiers in Europe to receive hit bread Europe isu- isu rope lope read the announcement with as astonishment astonishment astonishment as- as tempered by envy though America probably thought little of ot it ft For a n. time tho the troops however er had to eat tho the dar dark French bread until bread until bakeries could be bo established Then when a n. few tew field flold ovens had be been n set setup setup I up a short distance behind tho the camp training line tho the men began to get their pure puro white whito bread But the output output out out- put required for tor the first arrivals was relatively small and imposed but little difficulties either on the bakers or on transportation on BREAD MAKING IS INDUSTRY Not only has all that chan changed ed but tho the task of or supplying tho American troops in I France with white bread has become a genuine In Industry which industry which is growing all the time The few e bakers orl originally hero have havo grown rown into companies companies companies com com- the tho relatively ly small dall dally daily quantity quantity quan quan- of ot bread turned out in July has Increased to scores of ot thousands of or pounds pounds to to give livo the exact number might be a ley key to the number of or troops being fed and red and entire shiploads of or flour are arriving weekly and are aro being stored awa away In warehouses with ca capacity capacity capacity ca- ca of ot millions of ot pounds as a 3 re reserve reserve re- re serve against the arrival of still more troops The Tho site originally selected for tor the baking Industry was t obviously selected by those who appreciated that It soon would develop to largo proportions The Tho American arm army first took possession possession possession posses posses- sion of at a huge bakery in a central Fre French ch city formerly operated by a a. aGerman aGerman German it is Js Interesting to note and Ind having a 3 capacity for storing pounds of ot flour in addition to a not In Inconsiderable inconsiderable inconsiderable in- in considerable daily output of bread from its coke ovens For the moment this establishment was more than ample for tor the tho needs of at the first troops but those making the I arrangements knew that the tho time would soon soon come como when hen tho the city bakery would be Inadequate So they went outside of ot the city and leased from the French a tract of land consisting of ot several thousand acres upon which tho the conventional military wooden shacks soon sprang u up and up-and and nd where thero there is room for tor an m indefinite number of ot additional additional ad ad- field bakeries as the need ma may arise GREAT KNEADING TROUGHS By the time time the city bakery had reached Its capacity the shacks were fully equipped with the tho very latest in baking machinery while alongside of ot each building where are operated the mixing and kneading troughs there thero had been Installed r rows ws upon rows of offield Held field ovens ovena that open conveniently a afew afew few fow feet teet from side entrances to the shacks 00 so that the kneaded loaves may be passed directly Into place over tho the fire The The- American authorities early I foresaw foresaw foresaw fore fore- saw probable difficulties in tho the way of or procuring a n. steady supply of coal and f decided from the outset to use only wood for tor which the ovens were were- accordingly accordingly accordingly ac ac- cordingly arranged A large detachment detachment detachment detach detach- ment of ot engineers was assigned to assist as assist ILS- ILS the bakers and today furnishes a dally daily carload of ot wood for tor each of at the baling baking compa companies les Additional engineers engineers engineers engi engi- have arrived Just as fast as have havo been needed and the reserve O supply of or wood t on hand makes the baking camp resemble a felled forest One of the first concerns of ot the officers oUI- oUI officers cers in charge of the bakery was to provide railroad d. facilities and to this end spur tracks have been constructed constructed constructed con con- out to the field from tram tho the city Over these tracks whole carloads of ot bread leave caye each morning and afternoon afternoon afternoon after after- noon for or the training camps and tho front LIMIT EXCEEDED Each baking company though supposed sup sup- posed only p to have an output of pounds a day has hns for or some time been exceeding this limit and has been turnIng turning turning turn turn- ing out from to pounds u Tho men to a company compan work worl in two twelve hour shifts alternating week b by week in day clay iU and night work worl J Their product chiefly great at round hard crusted loaves constitutes cons about fort forty separate shipments that are an made dally dally hy by train motor truck and horse- horse drawn vehicles The Tho loaves loa arc nrc very hard on the outside to protect the bread as It is transported but are aro soft inside No o soldiers soldiers' bread is s more than twenty four In rare instances thirty six hours old when he Jets gets it I Tho bread is supplemented by biscuits biscuits bis his cults and rolls roUs to nr vary tho the monotony at breakfast and supper rolls that please tho the taste of ot one who has been cn months or years in Europe without his favorite American white whito brew bread All the product of or tho the baker bakery Is h made as asin asin I in ordinary times at home except that sugar ono sugar one and one quarter pounds to pounds of oC flour flour Is Is now omitted The ingredients hero are arc flour water salt and yeast east Shipments of oC these ingredients Ing are arriving ing very re regularly and satisfactorily satisfactorily torn the tho commandant of or the tho bakery baker told the correspondent as ho opened the door of ot a n re reserve erYe magazine or shack where considerably more than a a- half million pounds of ot flour most of oC it the high grade product that quality and clever advertising have ha made popular popular popular pop pop- PI ular Is stored In the tho city itself the Americans found one of or the largest est refrigerating refrigerating- and amI meat storage warehouses In n France and absorbed it last Jul July even cven though I it was then man many times lar larger er than their needs Its capacity is close to pounds and while it has hus at atI times been full or nearly full the supply supply sup sup- I ply is never permitted to fall below SUP SUP-I half haIr a million pounds There arc are more I than pounds there now TRANSPORTATION IS PROBLEM Direct railroad lines lead not only from the tho baker bakery and the refrigerating plant to the camps but also from tho the seaports and the elt city so that there Is Isto isa a a. to con constant tant and uninterrupted flow of material into town ton as well as out Several Se miles westward at the lower I apex of or the tho triangle lies another French town which has has' been all but but- bodily taken over b by p the Americans as asa I a no center Here storage e c everything thing that comes under the head of oC I foods foods canned canned goods salt alt sugar ugar vegetables other than those bought f 1 1 f P 1 h 1 11 U res uan U i U rem Alum t me II e j J I peasants peasant I UI-I UI s sis s-is is 5 stored in huge quantities against thel the I time of need t I One of or the largest buildings which the Americans have o taken over is de devoted devoted tie tie- voted to equipment Here hero are arc stored thousands upon thousands of uniforms uniforms' j and very ery article of or clothing from irom shoes and caps down to buttons and hand hand- kerchiefs The supply la tR not only large enough h to meet all the reequip- reequip ment merit needs of or the tho troops estimated at several pairs of ot shoes a 3 year rear and at least three or four uniforms but also alsoto to outfit all nil the newcomers who may arrive The bake bakery and cold storage o plants at one ono apex of ot the triangle and the I storage e houses for tor clothing and non non-i 1 non perishable goods at a another lother apex are arc all nIl permanent sources of supply whereto materials and goods come In huge quantities and whence nce they leave in bulk At the third and upper apex apes Is the separator into which everything every every- thing thinS flows where It is 15 split up and parcelled out and from which It I is s sent nt in large and small lots according to the needs of ot this or that camp MEN WORK LONG Hero Here a complicated organization has grown up which with endless freight cars motor trucks and vehicles ve Ye- Ye at its disposal seizes the bulk hulk goods as thc they arrive divides It into the requisite shipments and is responsible responsible responsible sible for tor their arrival at camp behind the front The men who are arc doing all this work ha have ye long hours none hours none of them is on duty less than twelve e hours and most of ot them work worle longer longer and and what they do lacks the zest of ot the spectacular without being entirely free from the dangerous features of ot warfare Minus tho the popular acclaim which the fighting fight fight- ing in- soldier gets the they p are steadily and earnestly making the latter's laUer's task possible possible possible pos pos- sible and In their own way doing their share to win the war |