. Victory # «# Loan i : : z *• ; Victory \ • . * April1 2 : (Mftrial May 1$ : Bonds I MBLISMiED D AILY under order of THE PRESIDENT of THE UNITED STATES by COMMITTEE on PUBLIC INFORMATION GEORGE CREEL. Chairman ** * COMPLETE Record of U. S. GOVERNMENT Activities Vol. 3 WASHINGTON, T HURSDAY, MARCH 20, 1919. No.CG 5 ORRULES F THE ASSIGNMENT War C ontracts for Nearly 3 Billions AND DEMOTION OF OFFICERS Now Recommended for Cancellation; ANNOUNCED IN A CIRCULAR Total Actually Canceled $185,132,068 ISSUED BY CHIEF OF STAFF CONFERENCE W ITH STEEL MEN STATISTICS B UREAU BACKO T OLD GRADES ON THE LOWERING OF PRICES TABLESO T FEB. 27 After m eeting with leaders of the Iron Slowness i n Concluding For Will R eturn to Regular Army and steel industry, representing approxi mal Cancellations Due to mately 90 per cent of the country's pro duction, the Industrial Board announced Inventories, Careful Re Rank Where No Emergency yesterday afternoon that satisfactory progress had been made, but that a final view of Accounts and Place Is to Be Filled— Pol decision on a lowered scale of prices would not be reached until after full con Agreement with Contrac sideration of all phases of the subject. tors — Plans for Disposal icy to Return Retired Offi The q uestion of price was not touched upon at the first conference. The en of Surplus Stock. cers Now on Duty to the tire time was devoted to a discussion of the general situation and the necessity The S tatistics Branch, General Staff, Inactive List. for a reduced schedule of steel prices at War Department, has prepared the fol the present time in order to stimulate lowing : buying. The W ar Department authorizes pub e" W have found the steel men en ORDNANCE D EPARTMENT. lication of the following circular: tirely willing to cooperate in making ef The s tatus of contract cancellations' Circular N o. 69— Assignment and Demo fective any program that will hasten the February 27 is as follows: tion of Officers. return to normal conditions," said Geo. Valuef o recommended can- N. Peek, chairman of the Industrial eellatloiw-—- $ 2, 941, 000, 000 Wak D epartment, Board. " It is as yet impossible to tell Value, a ctual cancellations, Washington, February 8, 1919. week e nded February 27__ 508, 124 just how long it will take to formulate the Value, a ctual cancellations, 1. D uring the period of the emergency, new price schedule. We do not expect, ototal t February 27 185, 132, 008 officers who are assigned to line duties however, that action by the industry and The s low rate of concluding formal can will be assigned according to their tem the board will be long delayed." cellations is due to the need in determin porary grades as prescribed in the Tables ing settlement claims of detailed inven of Organization. In making assignments tories, careful review of accounts, and to staff or other duties, not line, below $50,000,000 L OAN IS OBTAINED agreement of contractor and Government the grade of brigadier general, officers agencies. Most of the balance on order will be assigned without regard to the BY RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION has been suspended. grades authorized by the Tables of Or ganization. General officers will be as Walker D . Hines, Director General of Deliveries C ontinue Small. signed to duties consistent with their Railroads yesterday announced that the The value of deliveries of certain im grades, and when they can not be so as Railroad Administration lias obtained a portant items for the week ended Feb signed orders will be issued by the War loan of $50,000,000 from the War Finance ruary 27 was $5,450,000 as compared Department demoting them to their Regu- Corporation, the Railroad Administration with $5,650,000 for the previous week, lor Army rank. having given its note to the War Finance $10,000,000 for the week just before that, 2. W hen officers of the Regular Army Corporation promising to repay the $50,- and $26,000,000 for the week just before become surplus in their emergency grade's 000,000 with interest at 6 per cent on or the armistice. Practically no artillery or their names will be reported to the War before July 15. The note is secured by trench warfare ammunition is now being Department. If vacancies exist to which an assignment of the Director General's loaded. Of 40 other important items, de they can be assigned in their emergency interest in notes heretofore purchased by liveries of 22 were at less than 50 per gra'des they will be so assigned. If no him, which assignment has been accepted cent of the prearmistice rate. such vacancies exist they will be demoted by the Secretary of the Treasury. These Surplus S tocks Being Disposed Of. to their Regular Army rank. notes were themselves secured by ade Nearly $ 12,000,000 worth of explo 3. C lasses 1 and 2 emergency officers quate collateral consisting of railroad se (Circular -No. 75, W. D., 1918) who be sives have .been ordered transferred to curities. The $50,000,000 thus secured the Department of the Interior for use in come surplus will be discharged as pre from the War Finance Corporation by clearing land, road building, and so forth. scribed in previous instructions. Class 3 the Railroad Administration is to be used officers will be available for assignment by the Railroad Administraton to meet Arrangements have been made for im to existing vacancies or for assignment to the current cash requirements of the mediate disposal of 54 per cent of the sur central training schools without reduc Railroad Administration and of the Fed plus stock of 1,441 .000.000 pounds of so tion in rank. Class 3 officers who are not eral Treasurers and will not be available dium nitrate, through transfer to the De recommended for appointment in the for payments on account of compensation partment of Agriculture, sales of stocks Regular Army during or after attendance due railroad corporations or payments iii Chile through the British Pool, and at such schools will be discharged when for equipment purchased by the Railroad sales through the United States Nitrate their services are no longer needed. Administration. Means of meeting these Board. 4.t I is the policy of the War Depart obligations are still under consideration 194 m m. Gun Project Not Revived. ment to return to the inactive list retired and an announcement regardng them will The p roject for 194 mm. (7.64") guns (Continued o n page 3.) be made within the next few dais. Was abandoned even before the armistice, 2 THE OFFICIAL U. S. BULLETIN: THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 1919. CONTRACTS RECOMMENDED FOR CANCELLATION because of the impossibility of developing contracts contained no cancellation pro terial in process could be completed more the required new capacity in time to be vision, and iu other instances because ma advantageously than it could be scrapped. of use. Two (inn forgings previously con tracted for, however, were delivered by Number to Value at the American Bridge Co. early in Decem Item. be com- | average unit Remarks. ber and sent to Watervliet Arsenal for plctcd. cost. machining. No carriages have been or dered. The recent newspaper notice tlint Smokeless powder, artillery (pounds). 52.103M $26,051,500 Not needed, material In process. an order had been placed for a gun to 240 mm. howiUers and carriage 396 11,392,928 Preferred type of heavy howitzer. supersede the famous 155 mm. gun seems Ball cartridge, cal. .30, M 1900 1I1,276M 7,063,800 Existing stocks not large; use will con to have been based on a misconception tinue in peace- 0-ton tanks ' 392 4,508,000 Needed to give a working stock. of the status of the work being done at 10-fon tractors 62S 4,082,000 Not needed; can be used. Watervliet. 155 mm. gun recuperators 464 3,735,664 Needed for desired number of guns. 75 nun. gun recuperators, M1SH7 1.2W1 3,210,000 Do. Neville Island Project'Abandoned. 155 mm. guns 341 3,114.012 Needed to balance artillery program. Grenades. Mark II. defensive... 18,41011 2,946,560 Not all needed. Ammunition boxes 428,180 2,826,028 Needed to balance machine-gun produc On September 10 the Artillery Board tion. proposed the abandonment of the big 8-inch howitzers and carriages 2.350.000 Contracts could not be stopped. Neville Island project ■which would have Light Browning 22. Ill) 2,168,814 deeded if scale of equipment is increased, or sales made overseas. cost over $150,000,000 and provided, a 240 mm. rceupcrators 42fi 2,130,000 Needed for desired number of howitzers. plant surpassing in capacity the Krupp Ammonium nitrate (pounds) 11. 63811 2.094,840 Small balance in view of large order. works in Germany, or the Creusot fac 75 mm. gun H . K. machining S25, 701 1,585,316 Important, present stock not too large. 2J-ton tractors 450 1,561,950 Much needed to motorize 75 mm. reg. tories in France. The urgent demand in 20-ton t raetors 216 1,521,720 Needed. France for 14-inch guns required the con 30-tou tanks 100 1,500,000 Much needed as a working stock. centration of all suitable labor, materials, 9.2" howitzers and carriages 20 1,400,000 Not needed, material in process. 4.7" gun H. E. machining 243.291 1,381,910 Not really needed. machine tools, etc., on existing plants. 155mm. how. II.