Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 60, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 October 1918 — Page 8 Advertisements Column 3 [ADVERTISEMENT]

PREPAREDNESS: TALK AND ACTION What Was Accomplished by Taft, Roosevelt and Wilson Republican talk about “preparedness” always leaves out the fact that preparedness has been advocated for more than a dozen years by Presidents of the United States. Theodore Roosevelt has always been an enthusiastic advocate of universal military training in time of peace, and he did his utmost to get Republican Congresses to adopt his ideas. It is of interest to note what success was attained by him and by his Republican successor, Mr. Taft, as compared with what President Wilson succeeded in getting done during his first term, before we got into war. It should be borne in mind, however, that during all of these twelve years the country was confronted by the impossibility of getting men to join the regular army, for the reason that a soldier’s pay was only sls a month; and Americans will not perform military service in time of peace for that compensation. In war time it is different. Thousands of men are ready to respond to their country’s call when there is fighting to be done without much regard to the pay; but “soldiering” in time of peace is plain work, and is viewed as any othqr work. Here are some of the z official figures for what was accomplished by the three Presidents before the United States declared war, together with some of the results achieved since April 6, 1917: CONDITION OF THE ARMY At close of Roosevelt’s administration, all branches of service * (number of men) 207,067 At close of Taft administration, all branches of service 211,964 At close of Wilson’s first administration, prior to war...' 323,000 (After 18 months of war, army of 4,000,000 men; 2,000,000 of which are now in overseas service.) April 6, 1917, total number of officers, all branches of the service 8,684 August 24, 1918 173,07 T April 6, 1917, total number of forts, cantonments, training camps and arsenals 257 Jung 19, 1917 41 * Total amount used for construction of 33 army cantonments.... $242,984,697 Quartermaster’s expenditures during 1918 S.OIS.OOOjOOO 1 Ordnance expenditures during 1918 3,200,000,000 Expense of trench warfare 282,000,000 Comparative Army Appropriations Roosevelt, 1905-1909 .$425,801,575.23 Taft, 1909-1913 442,066,469.35 Wilson, 1913-1917 989,413,588.60 CONDITION OF THE NAVY Total number of men in navy at close of Roosevelt administration, including reserves Total number at close of Taft administration.. . r.. .t ...... 65,0b® Total number at close of Wilson’s first four years. 83,323 Today, total number of men and officers. 561,735 Increase in Fighting Ships April 6, 1917, ships afloat 304 Today 1,72& Growth of Building Program Close Roosevelt administration 173 Close Taft administration % 176 Close Wilson’s first administration • 304 Comparative Navy Appropriations Roosevelt administration $470,811,372.11 Taft administration 526,350,935.24 Wilson’s first term 1,141,855,694.25 Relative World Rank of Navy At close of Roosevelt administration No. 3 At close of Taft administration No. 3 At close of Wilson’s first term No. 2

SINCE WAR BEGAN Medical Department Death rate of the Army now 7.5 per 1,000. 1898 (Spanish-American War) death rate 20.14 per 1,000, or three times as great as during present war. 81 per cent, of men wounded in action return to field. 14 per cent, of wounded are discharged, unfit for further military service. 5 per cent, only of woundecj die of wounds. Army hospitals have been increased from 7to 63. Others under construction. ■ ■ ... ■ Bed capacity increased from 5,000 to 58,400 (to be increased to 100,000). Increased personnel 8,900 to 171,000' Officers, from , 900 to 24,000 Nurses, fr0m..... : j ...- ••“. 375 to 14,527 Ambulance service, from nothing to 6,000 Air Service April 6, 1917 Sixty-five officers, 1,120 men. Three small aviation fields. Less than 200 second class planes. TODAY • More than 150,000 men and 6,000 officers. Twenty-eight aviation fields. 5,554 planes built (2,000 in France). 7,000 aviators trained in the United States. 4,000 awaiting assignment to ground schools. Cadets flying 3,000 hours a day. Cadets flying 195,000 miles a day, or 8 times around the world. In one American field there are 135 planes in the air at once, flying 882 hours in one day. Clothing Typical Purchases of Clothing 47,000,000 cotton undershirts. 178,000,000 pairs wool stockings. 2,000,000 pairs rubber hip boots. 199,000,000 yards denim cloth. 3,000,000 pairs arctic overshoes. j 40,000,000 pairs shoes. Subsistence Purchases in This Country in One Month Included 216 carloads sugar. i 240 carloads evaporated milk. 75 carloads tomatoes. 66 carloads flour. Hardware and Metals Typical Purchases by this Division J • , 752,000 hammers; 1,000,000 planes. ' ■■■«; 171,000 saws; 1,500,000 axes. 6,400,000 files and rasps. 1,000,000 halters; 30,000 pack harness. . 25,000 combat wagons. 129,000 escort wagons. Rifles From April 6, 1917, to June 30, 19-18, 2,000,000 rifles had been produced by the Department. Now being produced at the rate of 46,000 per week. Not a man in the Army without a gun. Machine Guns 80,000 machine guns completed. 350,000 machine guns ordered. Artillery Tractors. 35,000 motor trucks for hailing heavy guns, ammunition, etc. Shells Shells produced daily at four Government plants 179,005 Fourteen private plants also running full speed. $90,000,000 expended for nitrates in production of explosives. 5,000,000,000 rounds of ammunition for small arms, 1*500,000,000 of which are delivered. | 80,000,000 projectiles; with four million completed. 1,500,000 pistols. 1,000,000,000 pounds powder. 35,000,000 hand grenades, 7,000,000 of .which are completed. Coast Artillery April 6, 1917, total officers and men. 19,015 June 6, 1918, total officers and men.. 1... 1. * 85,800 Exclusive of those with expeditionary forces.

INDEPENDENT EDITORIAL. (New York Sun.) “We are at war with Spain, peace commissions and peace Jubilees to the contrary notwithstanding. Upon President McKinley and his administration are yet the burdens and responsibilities of a state of war not yet terminated. And upon all patriotic citikens of every political party rests the duty of supporting the administration and sustaining the nation's cause against all foreign enemies, both by voice and by vote.'*

REMARKABLE FORESIGHT. Several days ago tbe Republican State committee announced that it had postponed all speaking meetings to and Governor Goodrich requested the Democrats to do the same. Chairman Van Nuys declined and announced the intention to hold meetings in counties that had gone over the top. On October 10s Governor Goodrich's State Health Board called all meetings off till midnight of October 20. Tbe vision of our greaT waR governoß In foreseeing tbe exact date at which the health safeguards of the State would allow meetings is almost uncanny.