The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-11-18
1t Is Said This Will Be Basis on Which Conference
 Will Plan
PREPARING
 FOR FIVE YEARS OF
 GREAT STRUGGLE
Thousands of Troops Are Going Across" Continuously and Mighty Offensive Will Begin in the
 Early Springtime
By HUGH w. ROBERTS


 By HUGH w. ROBERTS
 Washington, November 17.-tspe- cial)-The inter-aIlied conference, about to begin sessions In France, will proceed on the theory that the Euro pean war cannot be brought to con- clusion before the fnI of 1919. With out discounting the probable accuracy of the inter-aIIied forecast, the Unl- ted States Is presaring for five years' active participation in the struggle.
 Military authorities indicate that the United States is preparing as if fate might make it the bearer of the big bur den in the fight. Russia has apparently disintegrated it is pointed out, and Italy, without immediate assistance, threatens to collapse. The United States in effect promises England and France, in reward for their determined stand on the western front, to take up the battle and rush 1t to conclusion beginning next spring.
 WAR AGAINST AUSTRIA
 The inteIalIied conference, it is learned. will bring pressure 10 bear to induce the United states to stand on d parity, in
 
 This would necessitate the United States entering into formal agreement to re- train from making a separate peace and would force this government to ueclare war against Austria and Turkey. In Washington an apparently strong senti- nlent favorable to the desire of England and France has displayed itself.
 The government of the United States is apparently appreciatNe oI the ileees- sity of the allied nations actiiis i'll eoi,- cert, and to this end Will proud1ly aeaee to centralized war councli 10 uAss he Iarteis in Paris 1his counclD II creA will direct the ealnpalsn lson all K ts. The campaign caniiVt be ui- recte& rom all fronts by Coune4 as l long ak 1t IS impossible to order dtiy l troops eVen those ot the unlted nsa,es, against any enemy of the coinnloii eadss. 1 IRE PRESIDENT HESiIAI.S.o l On the other hand, President Hlison is said to be disinclined to declare War against any nation without a specific reason. He does not regard Ausnia collaboration with Germany against the United States specific reason, 1t is re- ported. Because of that. members or Congress, discussing the subject. declare l a belief that in December there will nut l be a new declaration of war, but that such declaration will be ordered before l the beginning of spring. It is pointed out that by that time Austria cannot have | lefrained from committing the specific 1 offense."
 l Military strategists who, after studying conditions i'll Europe, have returned to 1 the United States, do not hesitate to point oat the advantage held by Germany, au- l tocratcally governed by Berlin, over the I allies operating under several independ- ent heads. The Teutons, they declare, l hold off the stronger nations-England | and France-and one by one destroy the | ,iS SerN1A. l Rusyia and Italy have suffered. The off, ] cers . cite these facts as argument for 1 the censralizatfon of military govern I ment on the part of the allies
 BIG ARMY IN FRANCE | While the administration is apparently | attempt lg to solve these collateriai l problemsS n such manner as to guaraE- | tee success~ as quickly as possible, It Is 1 obvious that it is preparing with great l force to strike it's first real blow in the spring.
 l No secret is made of the fact that every l boat crossing the seas at the present 1 time is ladan with men and supplies. It ! is learned nicially that by December l the America army in France will not be 1 the small a ! imperfectly trained aggre- l gation whiN excited the contempt of 1 the Kaiser. Ky next spring the United | States will have it's full available strength l in the field, and 500000 men, in addition, l ready to go across. By that time, l furthermore, the government will have ] called to the colors 100000 new men l under the draft act.
 1 The new draft regulation is proof with l in itself that the United States Is grimly preparing for what appears to be inevita- bie. No man will escape service. Ire 1 spectve of the dormant attitude of the | people themselves, the administration Is l thoroughly aroused. It realizes the pos sibility of the war continuing another five years, and the necessity of putting as
 many as 100000 men in the field.
 NEW STYLE OF BATTLE | Tn connection with these prodigious | preparations for war; it has leaked out
 from an authentic source that the United States plans to put a new style of cam paign into the struggle. Open warfare is
 desired. An army officer told the rep
 resentative of The Age-Herald today that | American troops must go after the Ger man trenches like Pickett charged at Get tysburg." It Was his idea that following
 artillery fire and aeroplane observations.
 the Americans must break into the open
 and take entrenched territory by storm. We have got to get the boches out of
 the trenches before we can make prog
 ress' he continued. The great drive of England and France on the western
 front, continuing unchecked since last
 spring, has netted gains averaging only rom two to nine miles, At tn5l rate U would require many months to drive Germany out of France and Belgium | It is significant that men under train ing in the various American camps are 1 being taught more with the idea of open
 warfare and use Of machine guns than in trench duty There is promise of op- portunty for traditional American dash.
 100000 AIRPLANES
 Great dependence is being placed in 1 the possibility of American airships. At
 the present time 22,000 are in course of
 construction. It is learned that the war
 department contemplates the construc-
 ton of an additional 75,00o. America is
 apparently determined to drive Germany
 from the skies, or, as it has been ex-
 pressed, to put out the eyes of the reu- tons"
 President Wilson has let it be known that every dollar and every man in America will be sacrificed, If 1t be neces- sary in the cause of world freedom 1t is understood that it Is his idea, which I the war department has adopted, that
 this country in the long run must bear 'the real brunt of the fight,