New-York tribune., 1917-05-03
AS Soon as Possible


The Tribune hopes that recent reports
from Washington indicating change Of
official opinion in the matter Of the dis
patch Of troops TO France arc correct It
believes that never in our history has a
call been made upon US more deserving 10
be honored than that made by the French
Mission for American soldiers in France.
Almost century and half has passed
since Franklin in Paris persuaded the
French monarchy TO come TO the aid of the
struggling Colonials, to send troops, 10
send money and to send ships, without
which American independence could not
have been won. After one hundred and
forty years, France. now in deadly peril
makes 10 US the appeal that we made to
her in the hour Of our great struggle. To
fail 10 heed her cry now would be TO be
tray an obligation and abandon a friend
At the very outset Of American en-
trance into the war The Tribune urged
that a division should be sent to Europe
At that time it was pointed out here that
the moral effect of the arrival Of a small
American contingent could not be meas
ured either by military values or technical
Importance. Any one who has been in
France during the last six months knows
precisely what would be the effect Of such
an American advance guard, bringing by
its physical presence the assurance of the
armies that are to come.
When The Tribune advocated that prop
osition a few weeks ago it was criticised
as having been guilty of that peculiar of
fence which is supposed to be characters
tic of the amateur strategist." But GER
tainly this criticism may be laid aside now
that Marshal Joffre himself has advocated
precisely this thing and we have the testi-
mony Of the whole French Mission to the
effect that it would not only be useful but
is almost necessary that the French peo-
pie should receive some assurance at once
that America means TO fight with France
on French fields.
No one should waste much time with Gen
eral staff objections, based on General Staff
suppositions of how America should raise
armies. The difficulty with all general
stats in war lies in their utter inability
10 appreciate moral influences and moral
effects. The American General Staff sees
only twenty thousand men, i'll equipped
and i'll prepared, sent TO Europe. 1t thinks
only that this country would be badly pre-
sented to Europe by such a division, and
that the work Of organizing the armies
to come would be made more difficult by
the dispatch of officers and men of a di-
vision TO France. 1t sees only that one
division would have no military effect on
field where millions are fighting and the
division is but the smallest unit.
But the French and those Americans
who are familiar with conditions in Eu-
rope, see clearly the other side. They
know the tremendous moral effect both in
France and in Germany produced by the
arrival of a single Russian division upon
the French front just year ago. They
,koN Lo az e
can division would be ten times as great
They know that until the Germans see an
American division in France they will con-
tinue TO believe American participation to
be immaterial. They know that in their
present agony nothing but the arrival of
American troops will have a real value
for the French people, suffering from the
terrible bleeding of three years of war.
II is no longer necessary TO argue as TO
the advisability Of sending troops to
France, since the only possible objection
was based upon the supposition that the
Allies preferred materials 20 men and
that the question of transports was fatal
obstacle. The appeal Of France to Amer
lea has been made, and the appeal has
been made for men. The French have
asked us TO repay the assistance given US
by Rochambeau when France was asked
for troops. In the words of Joffre and
yiyiani in Washington are repeated those of
Franklin in Paris century and half ago.
The question of sending troops imme-
diately TO France-the division which
might be sent.-adnmts Of but one answer,