4U1fl MPfIT 41il0 i It PUBLISHED DAILY under order of THE PREJIDENT of THE UNITED ST.&TES by COMMITTEE on PUBLIC INFORMATION GEORGE CREEL, Chairman * * * COMPLETE Record of U. X. GOVERNMENT Activitlea VOL. 2 WASHINGTON, MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1918. No. 499 SECRETARY BAKER OPPOSES USE DISPOSITION OF PROPERTY LEFT NO DEATHS IN BELGIUM OF WAR EMERGENCY FUNDS TO BY DISBANDED ORGANIZATIONS FROM STARVATION, SAYS MAKE PERMANENT ADDITIONS TO The War Department publishes the following circular: 1100VER,REPORTING SURVEY THE MILITARY ESTABLISHMENT DisrosiTioN or COMPANY PROPERTY LET nY DIsnA-Na ORGANIZATIOXs. OF THE FOOD SITUATION CHICAGO HOSPITAL SITUATION Property owned by organizations, such as pianos, phonographs, libraries, ath- No Decision Yet As to Which of letic goods, etc., may be disposed of by FAMINE AVERTED BY the organization before disbandment for Two Powder Plants at Nashville, the use and benefit of enlisted men in the RELIEF COMMISSION Army. Should any money accrue from Tenn., and Charleston, W. Va., the sale of such articles it will be de- Undernourishment Effects Will Be Retained - Parade of posited and will form a part of the com- pany fund of the organization. Should Can Be Stamped Out if District Troops. any organization property remain undis- posed of after the organization has been America Continues to Send Press interview by the Secretary of disbanded it will be reported to the de- Food - People No Longer War December 28, 1918: partment commander, who will take steps With regard to the Chicago hospital" to distribute same for the benefit of the Need or Desire Charity Ex- situation the Secretary said: enlisted men of the Army in the service. "The board appointed to investigate By order of the Secretary of War: cept Gifts of Clothing. the matter reported unanimously in favor PEYTON C. MARCH, Condition of 2,000,000 of completing the Fort Sheridan project; General, Chief of Staff. reported unanimously against reopening Official: -Children Good. the Columbian Hospital project; report- P. C. HARRIS, ed The Adjutant General. unanimously that in their judgment There has been no loss of life from the Speedway proposition is located in a suitable place for a permanent Army CONVERTED U.S. YACHTS HOME starvation in Belgium and northern hospital building and is well adapted. France, and the results of undernourish- "'I have directed the approval of the FROM EUROPE ment during the occupation can be report OR DUE TO ARRIVE with this modification, that the stamped out if America continues to send War Department has no right to spend Secretary Daniels authorizes the fol- food. This Is the report that Herbert money which has been appropriated for lowing : Hoover, chairman of the Commission for it for temporary war uses in making The Navy Department is informed that permanent additions Relief in Belgium, has sent to the com- to the Military the following converted yachts, which mission headquarters in the United States Establishment, but that if the Congress have been in service in European waters, wants us to establish a permanent mili- after a careful personal survey of the have arrived or will arrive within the whole field. The survival of the popula- tary hospital in Chicago the Speedway next few days at their home ports: will then be considered, but tion of these territories, while a full quar- that as a war Cristabel en route to New London. ter of other peoples under German domi- emergency it obviously is not necessary. Corona and Emneline are at New Lon- Is due to the I have asked nation have died of famine, the Surgeon General if he don. says, which thinks it best to place a permanent mili- work of the commission, he Nakomis is at Hampton Roadq. for four years poured food across bel- tary hospital there, and if so to prepare May and Remlikiare en route Hampton estimates for submission to Congress." ligerent lines sufficient to keep the people Roads; about due. above the margin of starvation. Powder Plants. Sultana and Tidettc are at New York. Gratitude of People Unbounded. With reference to the powder plants at Wandcrcr en route New London; due Nashville, Tenn., and Charleston, W. Va., soon. The gratitude of these people, MNr. the Secretary said: - Arcturus, Druid, W1enona, and Tmlza- Hoover says in his cablegram, " is un- " The situation is this: Before the war eraw are at Bermuda en route to New bounded and embarrassing." They no Congress had appropriated a sum of London. longer need or desire to get food through money to bby a piece of land for a per- Surcryor on route to Norfolk; will ar- charity; but owing to the systematic de- manent powder plant, on the ground that rive soon. struction of their textile industries they the Picatinny Arsenal, where we had Manning and Wadena are due at Der- must still depend for clothing to a con- been manufacturing our powder, was too muda en route New London. siderable extent upon the people of the small and wrongly located, and we were United States. looking around for a suitable site. The SWISS AND PERSIAN ENVOYS Text of Cablegram. policy of the department has been, with the approval of Congress, to abandon the ALONE STAY AT PETROGRAD Mr. Hoover's cable message was as fol- Picatinny Arsenal. It would seem wise lows: to keep one of the powder plants, and it Advices reaching the State Depart- "During the German occupation there is a question which one to keep. It has ment state that the Swiss and Persian Le- was an effective control not only of dis- not yet been determined, so far as I gations are still at Petrograd. All other tribution by the Commission for Relief know." legations, however, have left Petrograd, in Belgium, but also of the native food When asked as to the possibility of through the Swedish and Norwegian Lega- supply, and with the retreat and de- having a parade of returning District of tions left clerks there. The Norwegian moralization in transport and Govern- Columbia troop., the Secretary said: consul at Moscow, the only official Nor- ment before the reestablishment of the " I am sympathetic with every effort wegian representative in Russia, has an- Belgian Government, there ensued a to have returning soldiers seen in their nounced that he will remain there for period when there was but little control home towns and in other towns, and be- some time to enable remaining Norwe- over foodstuffs. This breaking down of (Continurd on page 2.) glans to leave Russia. the rationing control in such commodi- 2 THE OFFICIAL U. S. BULLETIN:'MOINDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1918. ties as meats, butter, etc., has resulted in the whole of the very limited supply of LIST OF TRANSPORTS AND UNITS SAILING such foodstuffs gravitating towatd the rich through the fearful rise in prices. FROM FRANCE FOR THE UNITED STATES Food, But at High Prices. "The Belgian Government has estab- The Chief of Staff authorizes publica- and will probably arrive January 2 with lished a food administration and these tion of the following information: The the following troops: problems are being taken in hand just transport Matsonia sailed from France 5th American Base Cemetery Sector, 17 offil- as rapidly as possible under the condi- cers. 470 men; 81 per cent Portland, Me.; 14 December 23 for New York and will prob- per cent Jefferson Barracks, Mo.; remainder tions. In the meantime, it is possible* scatterIng. 'with sufficient money, to buy almost any ably arrive January 3 with the following Sth Trench Mortar Battery, 5 officers, 155 kind of food in Belgium. For instance, troops: men; 100 per cent Vaneouver Barracks, Wash. eggs $1 each, and Casual officers classified as follows: In- meat is $2 a pound, 143d Field Artillery, 24 officers, 24 men; fantry, 14; Air Service, 16; Ordnance, 2' butter $2.50 a pound. Supplies are, of Headquarters Company, 24 men; supply com- Field Artillery, 5; Coast Artillery, 1; Chemical course, available to anyone who can pay pany, 81 men; Battery C, 157 men : Battery Warfare Service, 2; Quartermaster, 1; Med* D, 101 men; Battery E, 152 men; Battery F, cal, 2; Ammunition Train, 1; Engineers, 1; these prices. 166 men; ordnance detachment, T men; medi- unknown, 3. "This gives an appearance to the cal detachment, 11 men- 55 "per cent Call- Sick and wounded classified as follows: Bed- casual observer of sufficiency of food, fornia National Guard Camp, 25 per cent Fort ridden, 269 men; others not requiring special Douglas, 20 per cent Camp Lewis. attention, 73 officers, 1,402 men. Casuals: but the fact is that over one-half the 8 men, 2 Army field elerks, 2 civilians, 2 naval population of Belgium to-day has an in- 144th Field Artillery, 58 officers, 1,440 men; 55 per cent California National Guard Camp, officers, 1 French officer. come under $4 a week per family, and 25 per cent Fort Douglas, 20 per cent Camp Transport Pocahontas sailed from they, of course, are not participating in Lewis; Casual Company No. 1, 3 officers, 130 France December 24 for Newport News foods, but are practically men; Casual Company No. 2, 2 officers, 96 and will probably January 5 with these kinds of men; Casual Company No. 3, 2 officers, 145 arrive dependent upon the distribution of con- men; Casual Company No. 4, 2 officers, 143 the following troops: trolled imports by the Commission for men; Casual Company No. 5, 2 officers, 135 338th Field Artillery, 47 officers, 90 men. men; Casual Company No. 6, 2 officers, 100 120th Field Artillery, 25 officers, 1,070 men; Relief in Belgium. men; casual officers, 5 medical detachment, 42 per cent Iowa, 10 per cent Minnesota, 23 by Commission.