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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Brigadier General George W. Goethals, Assistant Chief of Staff of the Army, to Brigadier General James G. Harbord, Director, United States Army Services of Supply

Chronological Copy.

Date 17 Nov 1918 Y-42                       File No. <45-91-1>  

Sent 210 AM 16 Nov                          Serial No. 5227

Recd.825 PM 16 Nov                          Cipher 45 ADR

From Opnav Washington             To Simsadus

M-1       17 Nov

No. 5227

     Number 262 11 November confidential (D of P S and T) for General Harbord. Please advise at once what influence armistice has on your supply program. We assume that you desire shipment of food, forage and clothing to continue as at present, but that you may require modification on shipment of ordnance and engineering supplies railroad material motor transportation. It is essential that you cable the more important modifications so that action can be taken on shipment and production changes decided. Your answer will have a very far reaching influence on the purchase program cancel<l>ation of contracts and on re-adjustment in the United States. 850,000 tons of supplies now on hand at the ports of which at least 50 percent can be eliminated from future shipments if active operations on a large scale are no longer contemplated. Please give us detailed direction as to future shipments of locomotives cars motor transportation airplanes and animals. Signed Goethals 16016 5227              Benson         <Opnav.>

N.B.Sent to Army via wire and immediate reply requested thru Naval channels|1|

Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B. A heading, “Cablegram Received,” appears center amid the material at the top of the cable, but would not fit on the line in this format.

Footnote 1: Harbord’s reply has not been found.

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