Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 April 1919 — GLAD TO PAY COST OF PEACE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

GLAD TO PAY COST OF PEACE

Millions of Lives Saved by Vast Military Preparation of Our Government. FOE KNEW AND QUIT COLD These Life-Saving Bills Must Be Paid and the Boys Brought Back to the Country They Love. “The price of peace,” of which the Victory loan Is but a part. Is large, but not nearly so large as it would have been had the war been fought to the annihilation of the German armies as our military lenders believed would be necessary. the war lasted as long as these lenders anticipated, hundreds of thousands of American youths and millions more of their allies would have been called upon to pay the supreme sacrifice. That they were not forced to give tbelr lives Is In no small measure due to our government's preparations to crush the enemy completely. The industry as well as the man power of the nation was called Into the government service, and a great war machine was created which the German general stuff suw meant complete annihilation far their forces if they fought on, so they quit. There were in France when the armistice was signed, 2.002.175 officers and men wearing the United States uniform. In the states there were more than 1.30U.000 more In training or awaiting shipment overseas. Thia army had 1.500,000 rifles and 429,000,000 rounds of ammunition in France when the armistice was signed. There were 221.000.000 additional rounds on boats en route to France at this time. These figures do not deal in anything but Infantry equipment. Smokeless pywder was being delivered at the rate of 4.800.000 pounds a xgeek and high explosives at the rate of 6,9oo.ooo*pounds. We had on hand when the war closed, 419 tons of mustard gas, enough to |oad 410,000 sheila; 654 tons of phosgene, 511 tons of chloropicrin, 660 tons of white phosphorous for incenßiary bombs, 303 tons of tannic tetrachloride, and 153 tons of titanium tetrachloride. We had enough gas to smother the German Army. On the defensive side the government had developed the best gas mask known, and had produced 5,087,600 of them. We had built 2.010 ten-ton caterpillar tractors and 1,586 15-ton machines for hauling great guns. There were 15,000 more of these under construction when the war ended. They had

demonstrated their ability to drag the heaviest mortars, howitzers and rifles over any terrain, no matter how badly cut up or how wet. Ten thousand Ford “baby” tanks equipped with two Ford engines would have been on the front line . the time the Victory Liberty loan is td be floated. They would have been supported by thousands of the French “whippet” type tanks and the big 35ton American tanks driven by Liberty motors. We had in France and in use at the army at home, 57,607 trucks of two, three and five tons capacity, 11,476 ambulances, 18,375 motorcars and 29,421 motorcycles. Our merchant marine was growing at the rate of 400,000 tons dead weight per month when the war ended, and we were turning out about 10,000 airplane engines a week, with planes to carry them. German spies found this out. German spies knew that the U-boat had failed because of the barrage of mines that the British and American navies had strung across the North sea. German spies sent word to the general staff that In spite of their best efforts to check the Americans at the home base, they were outgeneraled. So the German staff learned that the Americans had thrown their unlimited resources Into the sdales with the allies, and the German staff turned “yellow” and quit. That mighty preparation of which the above is but a fragmentary tale, Is the reason why the Victory Liberty loan Is the last of the war loans. Had the war gone on there would have been a fifth, a sixth, a seventh, an eighth loan—loans until the German hordes had been crushed and sent back Into the heart of the fatherland. The need for these was eliminated by the mailed fist of our great preparation, which supplemented the gigantic efforts put forth by our allies. “Let us, then,” as the secretary-of the treasury has said, “with thanksgiving to God that we were spared any greater price, meet the honorable cofnmitments of our government contracted in behalf of the freedom of the world.” HELP "FINISH THE JOB.” For permanent peace and prosperity —support the Victory Liberty loan. Buy Victory Liberty loan securities to rebuild the world.