Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-07-27
RUSSIAN DEFEAT AND
U-BOAT LOSSES SPUR
OFFICIALS To ACTION
Faced With Certainty of Long
War, Government Is Rush
ing Its Preparations In All
Branches

WASHINGTON. July 2ss-America
rushed her war measures today to fill
the breach in the allied hopes made by
Russts's collapse and the increased SUB
marine sinkingS
Win nearly 500 900 regulars and mill
tianen mobiliEed or encanped already,
contractors were speeding the canton
rents for the new national army OF
100000 IN OCTOBER.
Admiral Caps took charge OF the
emergency feet construction to over
take submarine destruction The ship
ping board was 20 meet today with Ed
ward y. Hurley. its rev chairman
Brigadier General George o. sQuier
sounded the slogan Of the ss4o.ooo. 900
aviation program By declaring I'VE will
enter Germany by the air route"
Awaiting Secretary MoAdoo's $4,000
coo. 900 war budget, the senate finance
committee informally discussed raising
S2.0oO.ooo.ooo OF this sum by added
taxes.
The senate military and foreign rela-
tions committee were discussing q bill
aimed TO increase the second draft for
the new national army by calling UP
aliens
While these steps were taken the
house and senate conferees met 10 dis
cuss the food control bill whose early
adoption IS still threatened by persistent
petty political wrangling in both
branches
Soaring submarine tolls. plus Rus
BIAS apparent collapse. makes more
h. rFsFmA ~
leans Imperative. navy and army Off
GERS said today.
Great Britain's announcement OF
total Of II major ships sunk the past
week gave fresh fuel TO the demands
among a large portion Of both services
for more active campaign at the heart
of the .U-boat menace-Zeebrugge. and
other bases
The admiralty statement frankly
brourbt gloom in official quarters. Com
ing atom OF returning army mems views
as 70 the strength OF the western front,
me I--bozt harvest spelled a long war
recurring Americas utmost In money
in men and effort And, the Russian
situation gave such grave discomfort as
20 make new policies imperative In the
view OF many here
In an offensive such as American
military experts picture. airplanes
would drop vast quantities Of explo-
sives on the U-boat bases ana lano ue-
F.nxes- while the combined naNies
uouId move fn-not directly under the
bfz 9un--but gradually easing toward
them and land forces would WorA u
the rear Of the bases
II would be a big gamble
pur with things shaping as they no"
are. only a big gamble can De enectiN 3
the more skeptical say. secretary OF
war Baker believes the west 'front.' can
y. smashed. Men about him DO not
,hinLx n can, except through joint navy
and army action. and then by pourlns
hundreds OF thousands OF men against
m. northern end OF the west front
Russia is regarded as "out OF the run
ming" Her recent brilliant offensive is
considered only a flash IN the pan;
and now army men think she cannot %
counted on for any sustained Work TOT
, wear or more-if at all
This means Germany can swing some
Of her eastern forces into the western
thsater. making that line even more IN
breakabie than II already is.
The situation, dark as IL seems 10
many. however, Is far from irremedi-
able. Hopelessness is not the cry. In
stead. there Is the bitter realization that
the war will undoubtedly be long. and
a determination to inspire the American
people TO do their utmost only oy
mighty contributions can the situation
be met all agree.