New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-27

what can we do best and quickest in the
present crisis for France and our other
alies7 ] shall deal only with what we can
do in a military way. and shall still fur
Their limit myself by stating what we can do
Immediately, and not year hence, when the
war will probably be over
In this juncture we are continually mixing
up two very different military questions We
do not distinguish clearly between the or
ganization of a home army and the sending
Of an expeditonary force to France, and yet
the two problems are much more distinct
than most people seem to imagine. One-the
expeditionary force-in order TO be sue
cess and attain its real purpose, requires i'm
mediate action: the other-the creation of
home army-is sure to drag on for months
to come before it even gets started.
| am therefore much more interested in
the first of these matters, for when the Ger
man mad dog is once run to EARTH then
we can let a proverbially pow-wowing Con-
gress and still sleeping public opinion
waste time before arming this rich but de-
fenceess country.
But at present we are much like land
lord placidly examining architects plans for
the improvement of his burning hotel when
he ought to be telephoning for the fire en-
CINE. And yet in our case we have the fire
engine with steam up, all ready for action
it is even in action, lacking only the captain
and fireman or two-while we 90 on calmly
studying plans.
Everybody in these United States should
know, but | am surprised to find that so
many do not that the French, British and
Canadian armies at the Western front all
contain Americans. Though the number of
our countrymen in the first two armies may
be comparatively small, it is very large in
the last named. the estimate running from
$500, who have declared officially their
American citizenship, up to a figure suffi-
GENTLY large to make fair-sized division.
Our Nucleus in France
But the exact total Of American infantry
men in France and Flanders is immaterial;
it is at least great enough TO form the nu-
cleus of division Of seasoned veterans right
on the firing line, who are accompanied IN
some instances by young American volun-
teer officers, often from our best families
John Bigelows grandson is one of these
who have also had months Of experience on
the battlefield. In a word, we have at this
very moment in Europe a body Of infantry
unsurpassed by that Of any of the Allies.
Nor is our armed force actually in Europe
limited TO this body of infantry. We have
with the French an excellent flying corps
which is also the equal of any of the airmen
in the ranks Of the Allies. This fact has
already been officially recognized by the Paris
War Office.
So here we have at this very hour on the
Western front an infantry division and a
flying corps-a very necessary adjunct in the
present war-both thoroughly trained and
fighting every day. who count in their midst
many men who have been mentioned in dis
patches, who have received the various mill
tary medals of both France and England, and
who have buried some OF their fallen COM
rades in foreign graves.
Military interpreters act an important part
in this war, where so many races are brought
together on the same front. The last time
made inquiries on the subject learned