Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1917-11-21
No. 7
MCCORMICK SAYS WAR
WILL END IN 1919
Illinois Congressman Returns
from Battle Fronts in Europe.
Neither Side Winning.

Russia's collapse and the unreadiness OF
the United States make hopeless any
thoughts of peace before 1918 In the nn'e-
ion of Medil Mccormick, congressman
at-large of Illinois. who has just reluri,s
from visit to most of the important
fronts of the European battle line. Mr.
Mccormick in q. statement said:
The Germans are not winning the war
Neither are we.
1.-THE war PRESENTS stalemate from
which we are unable to extricate our
and the unreadiness Of the United States
Nowhere in Europe did | find an n-
formed soldier or public man who be-
lieYed that a military decision could be
achieved before 1918, when the United
States might add effectively to pressure
on the central empires. There is prac-
tically no hope that Russia can be useful
during 1918. Russia is SO disordered that
she can not make war. Happily, in all
probability, neither can she make peace.
1.-THE resources of the central powers
have been energetically spent. They are
bleeding terribly. But they act with great
er energy. unity and skill than their
enemies. Thus they made a seemingly
successful drive into Italyt The real obs
ject of their political foray into Venetia
was PARTLY to make camoufiage to conceal
their steady losses from Verdun to Pass
chendaele and partly to provoke reyoitie
THE Italians were under gunned,
neither had they enough ammunition. But
even SO they would nor have been driven
DaCk as LHey We're II Two OF three Qt-
visions. debauched by the spy system Of
Germany had not thrown down their
Allies Outright Germans.
1.-THE French and British have a mod
crate preponderance in guns and man for
man they Outright the Germans.
While there are still excellent German
divisions in Flanders, there was an APP
preciable. dlminution in the morale and
the physical quality of the German troons
on the French and British fronts. At
the battle of the Chemin des Danes the
German batteries were so drenched with
fire that they were unable to reply. With
mathematical exactness the French took
the terrain. Hundreds and hundreds of
enemy defenses This is an artillery
and industrial war. That must never be
forgotten. Above all heavy guns are
necessary-heavy guns, with their obvi-
transportation, but heavy guns and still
more heavy guns; twenty-five thousand
cannon to be made in American factories
and shipped to France before March ].
1919. This is the essence of victory and
great guns offer the only means by which
it can be won.
1.-THE splendid little American army
which already has crossed the seas rend-s
cred great service when the echo of the
first American feet on the soil of France
carried to every home the promise that
that strength and still more the industrial
genius of America will bring succor to
France.
France is fighting with heroic and
logged courage. Her steady, thoughtful
soldiery are ready to- spend their blood
and to die. in the belief that America
Will forge the weapons to win the war
They must not be mistaken.
Il say very earnestly that we must
have greater coordination of effort We
must have true war council such as
does not exist in Washington council
of men who represent in the greatest de-
gree the energy and the genius of Am
erica It will be fruitless if we are ready
too late"