Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 309, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 January 1918 — SUPREME EFFORT TO BE MADE [ARTICLE]

SUPREME EFFORT TO BE MADE

GREAT TONNAGE INCREASE COUNTED ON—SHORTER TRAINING PERIOD.

Washington, Jan. 3.—The two principal recommendations, made by the special war mission which recently visited Europe, that the shipbuilding program be rushed and that the fighting forces, of the United States be dispatched to Europe with the least possible delay incider* to training and equipment, have been accepted by this government without question and will undoubtedly be approved by the people from one end of the land l o the other. The important thing is to get action along these two lines.

It can now be said without violating any confidence that the men who made up thu war mission to Europe gained the impression while over there that it is possible to end the "War during the year 1918. Not a man who served on that mission would today express the view that it is probable that . this calendar year will see the end of the war, but the commission members still hold to the view that a supreme effort on the part of the United States might enable the allies to force Germany to a just and lasting peace before another winter comes on, though they rather expect the conflict to go on for two or three years longer. It will be noted that the war mission in making its recommendations puts ships first The mission did not feel called on to explain that without ships a great American army can not be sent overseas, and once over there, could not be maintained. The submarine menace has not been overcome, though the allies take courage from the fact that it has not frightened shipping off the Atlantic ocean. During the last nine months, .959 British vessels of all classes were sunk by - mine or submarine. The total tonnage represented by these vessels has not been reported to the United States officially, but the authorities here say nothing is to be gained by attempting to conceal the tremendous loss in shipping as a result of the operations of-the submarine. Both Great Britain and the United States are hopeful that during the next few months new methods of combating the submarines that are about to be tried out will prove successful. But even if these new inventions should not come up to expectations, the allies will not be disheartened for they ar6 confident that the shipbuilding programs that have been adopted by Great Britain and the United States the loss of shipping by submarines can more than be met. Great Britain expects to do her part in building ships this year but, after all, the United States is looked to save the situation. So from this time on the United States shipping board will be the center of interest. Unless the new plans of this board miscarry, the United States will turn out somewhere between 3,000,000 and 6,000,000 tonnage during the year. The war experts have figured out if the 3,000,000 tonnage can be producted, the ocean transportation problem will be solved. This estimate is based on the assumption that Germany can not increase the number of sinking by submarines. Of course, there is the expectation both in London and in this city that from this time on the number of submarine sinkings will decrease. Provided transportation facilities are available, the training period for troops before sending them to Europe will be shortened. In accordance with the reccommedation of the war mission, so it was said authoritatively today, the American army will be sent across . just as rapidly as transportation can be provided and the men can be equipped. There is a limitation both as to transports and to equipment at the present time. If this were not' the case the entire natiqpal guard army would-be moved to France during the next two months and the work of transporting the national army would begin not later than the middle of March or the first of April. More transports are available now than at any time since the United States entered the war and provided the government improves the equipment situation, it will be possible to speed up the movement, of troops. But nothing can be gained by holding out the impression that the United States is going to have a great fighting force in France by early spring, for it is not.. . ■ If transportation facilities were unlimited, the men now in uniform in this country could not be sent over in a hurry, because they lack other equipment, and this lack can not possibly be entirely met for several months. If the men were today completely equipped the process of getting them to France would be slow, because of the transportation limitations. It does appear that at last everybody concerned is alive to the importance of speeding up in every direction. Certainly there should no longer be any question about the necessity of this country’s sacificing pretty much everything that will assist to speed up the shipbuilding program; and it must now be evident to all that nothing must stand in the way of manufacturing establishments of the country turning out equipment for the army. The return to the United States of officers of high rank who Fere sent over with the first Pershing expedition has revealed a determination on the part of the general staff and the war college division to see to it that from'this time on, officers who are not physically .fit and otherwise adapted to service abroad shall not be sent to France. It is foreseen that many Jwnppeto*m«nta are in c

store for ,men who now hold commissions and .who have counted on seeing foreign service. Most of these will take place in the so-called guard forces. The weeding-out process has been in operation for several weeks, but the imperative demands of General Pershing that only the best officers be sent to Europe to lead the men has made necessary further drastic action by the war department. New efficiency boards are now being created in the various divisions and every officer must undergo a severe test to determine whether he is fit for service abroad. The war department has determined that this husineM of sending .officers to France and then having them sent back must be stopped.