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Show WEEKLY WAR NEWS DIGEST Stories of Activities and Conditions Throughout the United States and on the Battle Front From Washington D. C. 40 to 50 Men Required for Each Airplane in Active Service. In a statement issued by Howard How-ard E. Coffin, chairman of the Aircraft Air-craft Production Board, is the following: fol-lowing: "In discussing the accomplishments accomplish-ments of the air service in the consummation con-summation of the army program, it will be well to point out the impossibility impos-sibility of certain proposals enthusiastically enthu-siastically and persistently put forward for-ward by word of mouth and in the press. We have seen and heard much of the proposal of '100,000 airplanes' to be provided by the United Uni-ted States within the next year. In a country where one great Industry produces 1,500,000 motor cars per year, the fabrication of 100,000 planes might, seem easy, but actual figures based upon three years of practical experience in the war show that there are now between 40 and 50 men of the auxiliary services required re-quired for each active machine at the front. If this same ratio should be adhered to in our service, it would mean that some 4,000,000 men would be required in our aeronautical aer-onautical department on foreign soil between our ports of debarkation and the fighting front. "Even though this number of men could be reduced by 50 per cent by increasing efficiency and standardization, standardi-zation, the number required is still staggering. Consider, also, the over-seas transportation problem as related re-lated to material only and without reference to personnel and Its maintenance. main-tenance. The transportation of finished fin-ished planes, properly crated, .with the necessary spares, accessories, and equipment is in itsself a serious problem, in view -of the situation in ship tonnage." The United States, importing before be-fore the war as much as $10,000,-000 $10,000,-000 worth of aniline dyes a year, in 10 months of last year exported dyes valued at $12,500,000. A million checks a month will soon be going forward from the bureau bu-reau of war risk insurance to safeguard safe-guard America's fighting forces and soldiers and sailors for insurance are near $4,000,000,000. Red Cross appropriations for work in Italy from November 1. J917, to May 1, 19 IS,' total 1 4 .7 7 J . m " ; "' " Most Dependency Discharges Were., for Wife or for Wife and Child. A statement by the Provost Marshal Mar-shal General shows that of 859,150 total discharges for dependency 743.1 4 1, or 86.50 per cent, were for wife or wife and children: widowed wid-owed parent, 6.51 per cent; Infirm parent, 5.75 per cent; motherless child, 0.66 per cent; minor orphan brothers and sisters, 0.58 per cent. Of the total of 1,057,363 men certified cer-tified for service in the National Army 418,309, or 39.56 per cent, are listed as involuntary conscripts those who failed to appear or filed unsuccessful claims for exemption exemp-tion or discharge. Voluntary conscripts con-scripts those who filed no claims, for exemption of discharge numbered num-bered 639.054. Insignia on Shoulder Loops Denote Rank of Wearer. The rank of commissioned officers offi-cers of the United States Army Is shown by signia on the shoulder loops. . The shoulder loops of a general bear the coat of arms of the United States and two silver stars; lieutenant lieuten-ant general, one large and two small sliver stars; major general, two silver stars; brigadier general, one silver star; colonel, silver spread eagle; lieutenant "colonel, silver leaf; major, gold leaf; captain, two silver sil-ver bars; first lieutenant, one silver bar. second lieutenant, no loop Insignia. In-signia. The shoulder loop of a chaplain bears a Latin cross. Proportion of Men In Hospitals Less in United States than in Europe A recent comparison of health reports re-ports from troops in the United States and the Expeditionary forces shows the admission rate to hosplt als to be greater among the men of France. Admission to hospitals In one week in the Expeditionary Forces, figured on a basis of 1000 men, were 45.2; in the United States the rate was 33.7 per 1000 men. In the over-seas forces the noneffective rate (the total number of men excused from duty for any Injury or ailment whether or not ordered to hospital) was 54.1 per 1000 men; In the tropps jn the, Unlte States It was |