Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-04-25

southern Massachusetts. where ma
chimes were painting night and daN.
buildings trembling with their steam
fever, men toiling without steep, 10
take advantage of the days OF grace.
1t was not only the brass cases Tor
the fixed ammunition. the fuses lot
shells, the cartridges for rifles and pis-
tolls the hayonets and Intervening
tools for which the army depended on
New England. hundred places OF
peaceful manufacture were WORKING
as desperately were the mahufaS-
turers of quick firing guns 10 pro'lue
the food that war devours with Such
monstrous rapacity when it begins 10
feed.
There were shops that turned out
chains and shops that turned out COOK
ing utensils. There were workmen who
never had done anything more warlike
than to make bootlaces. There were
manufacturers of whips and hats, and
wheelwrights and makers of thread.
Up and down all the river valleys and
in all the crowded towns they were
working TO give the army what it
needed before the enemy should reach
on: and make the land his own.
Now that it was on the verge of be-
ing lost, the United States knew sud
denly what this New England meant
to it. 1t realized all at once what vast
productiveness had enriched the entire
continent with its manifold variety.
SO accustomed through long genera
tions to the endless supply. even the
merchants of America had not realized
how much they depended on Connec-
ticut and Massachusetts factories for
a thousand articles of daily utility.
From every point in the Union came
orders. Had such torrent arrived in
10 t,,,;,r - r.,
built one unbroken factory, reaching
from the Berkshire hills to Stonington,
to meet the demand.
And all that lay between this treasure
house of the United States and capture
was a bluff-a last, desperate Ameri-
can bluff.
The American general knew that his
adversary must know that it was a
bluff but bluffing was an American
game.
we will play our hand out" he said
to his staff. NO doubt he knows he
could drive us back now. without wait
ing for his whole army to land and all
that ungodly mess of artillery that he s
brought with him. But he wants to
play safe. He wants to clean the whole
thing up in one operation. He wants
to lick us, true: but he wants still
more to accomplish his bigger job
the possession of the seaboard. Wen
sit tight and bluff him into going
slow
The army sat tight 1t sat tight
while New England worked, and cham
bers of commerce and committees of
safety argued and resolved and ar
gued, and could agree on nothing eX-
cept that the whole thing was a hope
less mess. 1t sat tight while a hun
dred millions stared at the mess. and
hooted their congressman and politi-
clans, who wandered around feebly to
explain that it was the fault of some
body else.
In Ohio and Indiana the mess was
typified. Here. in great camps. were
gathered the organized militia of the
western states to be amalgamated with
100000 entirely raw volunteers, who
had everything to learn. These green
men were the pick of the country
physically perfect Intelligent, quick to
understand. But there was nobody to
teach them.
For years the United States had been
warned that If the crisis ever should
occur there would not be any officers
available for the work of organizing
and training recruits. The warning
had been whistled down the wind Con-
crosses that could find ample time to
debate about mileage and constructive
recesses and pork barrels. had never
found time when they could debate
this.
Congresses that could always find the
money for increased pension rolls never
had been able to find the time to lessen
the pension rolls of the future by pro-
viding trained officers who would pro-
tect their soldiers and teach them to
stay alive as long as possible. instead
of rushing to glorious and unnecessary
DEATH
Even as it was, there were not
enough officers for the army that was
in the field For training the new
men the nation had to call on every
aged officer in the land. on every other
wise qualified man who was physically
unfit for active service and on for
eigners from foreign armies.
This army in formation was placed IN
perfect surroundings. Its health. its
sanitation and its water supply Were
excellent 1t was fed on the best that
money could buy. In everything mat
did not depend on military efficiency
its maintenance was beyond criticism
Uniforms were being made for it in
record time Mills we're producing
blankets at a speed never before reach
ed Wherever Americans could help
by the efficient execution of duties
that they UNDERSTOOD, the resull "ao
magnificent.
Rut In everything that demanded the
efficiency of men trained to war the
land was entirely lacking. Everything
few men who knew anything about
pitching tents, camp drainage and the
management of large bodies of men.
There were practically no men outside
of the army who were capable of man
aging the work of supplying the great
camps with what they needed. As in
the Spanish American war, the utter
inadeuuacy of the quartermaster's de-
partment under its civilian appointees
had become a scandal within few
threatened already to de-
moralize the entire volunteer body.
Perishable provisions were left i'll
freight cars till they rotted. Requisi-
lions for vitality needed supplies were
not made until 1t was too late. Requi-
sitions for one and the same thing
were sent out by half dozen different
officials, leading to ineXtricable con-
fusion. There was not an hour In the
day when quartermaster's transports
did not block roads where they had
no business to be, and in situations
that in war would have made disaster
for Il hurrying army.i'
six months to train that mob" said
a retired general, reporting to the
President Well, Mr.. President, let's
hope So ! should say nine months, and
not even then unless you can give EN-
more officers to teach EN-"
In Connecticut a spy was reporting
to the staff. He was a captain of artil-
lery, and he had spent seventy-two
hours behind the enemys lines
.Tbsv have cOmpleted their disem-