The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1917-11-13
UNITED STATES PLANS
FOR THREE-YEAR WAR
ARMIES TO BE ENLARGED AND
THREE TO FIVE MILLION OF
MEN WILL BE CALLED.
The NATION IS CONFRONTED
BY A TREMENDOUS TASK
Reversals in Russia and Italy Throw
Burden of the War Upon America,
Whose Men, Munitions and Dollars
Must Bring Victory.


Whose Men, Munitions and Dollars
Must Bring Victory.
Stupendous preparations to mus
ter every ounce of American man
power and economic resources for
the defeat of Germany will be the
answer of the United States to the
Teutonic victories over the Russian
and Italian armies and the shedding
of the first American blood in the
trenches of France. Three years of
war effort face the country. accord
ing to governmental calculations, and
only decisive fighting can bring peace
to the world. That peace will not be
possible before that time is the
theory upon which Americas war
preparations will proceed.
Here is the program, some phases
OF which already are being consider
ed and put into operation: Legisla-
ton by congress authorizing the ex-
pansion of the army to a maximum
of from 100000 to 100000 men,;
lowering the minimum draft age to
10 and raising the maximum age.
possibly to 35 years; examination of
the second increment of $4,000!
draft reglstrants beginning in De-
cember with a view to sending them
to the training camps by early spring;
fiotation of third liberty loan, prob
ably for 100000, next February;
a marked increase in war taxation,
particularly on incomes and the prof
its of business.
Reverses Call For Action.
The reverses suffered by the Ital-
ian armies, following c.oseiv upon
the military collapse of Russia, have
awakened the administration to the
realization that much more aggres-
sive policy must be pursued by the
American government. All hope of
an early peace have been dissipated.
Government officials who believed
that the leaven of discomfort was
working in Germany and that the
Prussian autocracy could not much
longer weather the rising storm of
internal dissension, now cuDcede that
their hopes have been blighied by
the successful German drive in Italy.
If the war is fought to a military
decision, and there IS no reason for
believing that the Entente will listen
to peace proposals by Germany dur
ing the existence of the present mil
itary situation, the United States
must expect to grid itself for three
years of conflict. This statement
may not imply that the allies cannot
beat Germany in less than three
years, but it does mean that this
country must be prepared for such
an eventuality.
The government must be prepared
to raise and equip 100000 men,
possibly 100000 men, for overseas
duty; it must turn hundreds of fac
tories into munition plants; it must
build thousands of ships to keep the
allies and American troops supplied
with foodstuffs and munitions. 1t
must do all this because of the two
recent developments of the military
situation-the obvious collapse of
Russia and the threatened break
down of Italy.
To Revive lettering Nations.
The great problem of the Entente
nations during the winter will be to
rejuvenate Italy and Russia suffi-
GENTLY to compel Germany to mail,-
tain on. their fronts large armies
which otherwise would be massed
against the allies on the Western
front. The weakness of Russia and
Italy has heightened the war to an
extent that none can estimate, and
has made necessary a greater expen-
diture of man-power and economic
resources by the United States and
the allies.
The immediate result of the Ital-
ian reverses has been to spur on the
administration to even greater under
takings than hitherto. Already a way
has been found to furnish important
aid to Italy, in addition to the %
ships diverted to transportation of
Italian munitions and food. The
character of this aid has not been
disclosed, but apparently it was such
as to elicit expressions of satisfac-
ton from the Italian embassy and
the war mission at Washington.
May Send 100000 Soldiers.
But the most important respect in
which the administration has been
impelled to expand it's war program
concerns the number of fighting men
required by a war lasting two or
three years longer. 1t is admitted
that it may be necessary to send g.
100000 soldiers to Europe before
the United States and its allies can
be assured of victory.
President Wilson has come to the
conclusion that there should be no
further delay in providing for the
expansion of the army to 100000
men and possibly more, and he in
tends to urge this and other legisla-
ton on his war program when con-
gress meets next month.