Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-03-31

mas ntth Fcbofn. NtrmanN Is NlSiblN
weakening; the allies are Strengthening
the United States is preparing for war,
the railroad strike passed into history.
and the supreme court has sealed the
teonstitutionality of the Adamson law,
All of these events are of first i'm
lportance. In ordinary times they would
have commanded the most intense atten.
tion, accompanied perhaps by consider.
liable excitement. As il is, this rush of
developments has been taken with com.
parative ealmness, and there was a no
table absence of agitation, explained
by the fact that Americans are prepared
to face these crises and viii continue
to face them as steadily as other nations
have done. Unless all signs fall we
have reached the beginning of the end
in the world S greatest tragedy. Tur-
key is practically beaten; Austria is al
most impotent; Germany is retreatinC.
and her submarine and Zeppelin meth
DDS of warfare are practical failure.
Not a few well informed authorities
maintain that Germany is anxious to
end the war, and rumurs of peace are
once more in the air, while evidences of
grave internal discussions among the
central powers multiply daily At the
same time the allies are increasing their
aseendancy every day. Great Britain
is at the zenith of her power: Russia
has been invigorated by the revolutions;
the French spirit is higher and stronger
than ever, and Italy, too, seems to have
taken on new energy. OF course, Ger
many may be able to maintain the strug-
gle longer than expected but at the
cost of more serious consequences to her
self; and the entry of the United States
into the war will certainly hasten the
end.
Our own government must at once de-
eide just what part we shall play in the
great struggle in which we are about to
participate. There is no alternatives;
we must cooperate with the allies md-
vidual action being impractical and in
advisable. The most effective lines of
cooperation for the United States
would be, G) a suitable and active use
of our fleet, which ranks third in the
Eworld; (2) furnishing financial aid and
munitions on a liberal scade; and (3)
the preparation of such an army as we
may be able to create and utilize before
the conflict ends. In all probability,
peace will be attained before we could
make and transport an army of any con.
siderable strength across the Atlantic
THE magnitltre. of such a TASK is not an.
preeiated bv those who glibly talk of
tsendino over an army of a million men.
AIonths would be required to train and
eouip them. and the war may be over
! before thev will be ready. Between two
and three hundred VOYAGES would be
necessary to carrv them. and in addi-
tion. n Great fleet of transports would
be EMPLOYED conveying munitions. food,
etc. We could readily afford consid-
cradle help bv the creation of a large
MOSQUITO fleet as protection against
! submarines. as well as by providing al
| large and thoroughly up to date aero.
blanc service. Probably the most eff |
ficient aid we could render the allies
would be i'll the continued making of |
munitions and in giving financial aid. |
/ We might easily cooperate financially, /
if our government would lend its credit |
by agreeing to take large block of
foreign bonds, say a billion dollars, is
suing our own in place thereof. Such |
transaction would be eminently sound |
and safe to the investor, and would be
a simple form of lending the credit of
the United States FOR the purpose of
bringing the war to an early conclusion.