HELPING THE AMERICANS.

Taihape Daily Times, 26 March 1918, Page 6

HELPING THE AMERICANS.

BELGIUM GIVES HER LAST LOCOMOTIVES.

As a mark of its appreciation of what the United States has done for Belgium, the Belgian Government has turned over to the American expeditionary force 600 locomotives, all that remains of the B’elgian rail motive power. General Pershing has been authorised to make such disposition of them as he deems advisable.

To a Belgian representative General Pershing expressed the appreciation which, he said, he knew would be felt by the people of the United States, especially as the Belgian Government 's act would result in a large saving of cargo space on American ships. Early in the war Belgium had in France about 1,700 locomotives. Since then the government had turned over for the use of the Allies about 1,100 of these. The remaining 600 the Belgian Government had retained up to this time as a nucleus for the rehabilitation after the war of the commerce of the prostrated nation. When it was found that tie American expeditionary force could use a considerable supply of motive power on the lines from the base ports of the army zone the Belgian Government made haste to offer the use of the locomotives, realising that to ship as many from the United States as needed would require a large amount of cargo space, which might be used for other supplies. Many of the locomotives will be speedily put into use and will be operated under the direction of the transportation department. It is considered certain that possession of the locomotives turned over by the Belgians will enable the American expeditionary force to speed up American transportation considerably. Just how many of them will be used for other purposes or be turned over to other Allies has not been determined.