The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1917-11-05
ARMY OF 5 MILLION
REPLY OF AMERICA
Germany Must be Defeated at Any
Cost-Expand War Program
Draft Age May be Lowered to
10 and Raised to 35.

G1S5S ~@~SSJ ~ w g
10 and Raised to 35. ,
washington Special, Nov. Ito Green's
boro Daily News. :,
Americas answer to Germany's in !.
vs,ion of Italy will be recommended ,
ION to Congress by the Washington
Government that the army be expand {
81 to 100000 men, the lowering of (
t1a minimum draft age to 10 years /;
md raising the maximum age posi-
Nv IS wears. Every ounce of power
which can be exerted by the men of
fhe United States, supported by all
the material resources of the country,
will be utilized if necessary to defeat
Germany. !
It is known that a war program OF
greater extent than any heretofore
damned, phases of which were dis
russed by a recent meeting of the
Cabinet with President Wilson, is be-
ing framed. Some of the features in
clude:
Early examination of the second in
crement of the authorized army, so
as to get them all in training camps
by early spring.
Flotation of the third Liberty loan
at least two months earlier than had
been expected.
Restriction through legislation of
all non-essential industries, so as to
concentrate the labor of the nation
upon the production of ships and war
supplies, new war rates.
Authorization of the expansion of
the army to a maximum of 5,OOO,O 900
men and lowering the minimum draft
age to 10 and raising the maximum
age to 35.
TIE reverses suffered by the Italian
a.raies, following closely upon the
,.;,itary collapse of Russia, have
awakened the administration to the
realization that much more aggres-
sive policy must be pursued by the
American government. The advisers
of President Wilson, who met at the
Cabinet table yesterday, i'll concealed
their discoura cement over the misfor-
tunes sustained by the Entente cause
in the last week, but they left no
doubts of their renewed determina-
ton to redouble the efforts of Amer
lea.
Hope of an early peace has been
dissipated. Those government Of
ficials who believed that the leaven
of discomfort was working in Ger
many and the Prussian autocracy
could not much longer weather the
rising storm of internal dissension
now concede that their hopes have
been greatly diminished by the sue
cessful German drive into Italy:
There is no fear that Italy will be
crippled to the extent that Russia has
been by the foe at home and abroad
but it is feared that it will take Italy
long to recover from the blow dealt
by the armies of the central powers
Prussian autocracy, it is realized
will be able to appease the suffering
peonle of Germany even in the mlds
of Che privation of the approaching
winter. The German people will b.
told thatGerman arms practically hay.
put Russia and Italy out of the wa
and will be urged to endure their pr
vations a little longer until German.
can crush her other enemies. Their
is little doubt that this argument vii
serve to pacify dissatisfied element
of the German people and rally Their
to the support of the war at least TO
another year.
With another year of war assured
the Washington government is no'
ready to concede that the end Of tn
conflict is not in sight and that
struggle lasting two and posslbl
three years longer is conceivable. In
weakness of Russia and Italy ma
heightened the war to an extent ths
none here can estimate, oftlcia
agree. and has made necessary
greater expenditure of man-power an
economic resources of this countr
and her allies.
The immediate result of the Italia
reverses has been to spur on the az
ministration to even greater unde
takinps than ever before. 1t W.
learned today that the adnninisratle
has found way to furnish some IN
portant aid to Italy at once, in add
ton to the ships to be diverted to II
TRANSFORMATION of Italian munltlol
and food. The character of this a
was not disclosed, but apparently
is such as to elicit expressions of sa
isfaction from the Italian embas:
and war mission.
Perhaps one of the most importa
steps to be taken by the adminlstr
ton as a result of the reverses OF e
Italian army concerns the develo
ment of a vast army designed to flu
nish the number of fighting men I
CURED by a war lasting three yea
longer 1t is admitted that it may
necessary to send 100000 soldie
TO France before the United States a
the Allies can be ISSUED of the kl
of victory which will satisfy tt
country and the Allies.
President Wilson has come to t
conclusion that there should be
further delay in providing for the
pansion of the army to 5000, 900 MT
and he intends to urge this and Of
er legislation in his war progrs
when Congress meets in December
The general staff and the war c
lege have worked out in detail
organization of an army of 5000, {
men and the plans for the munitit
ing of that number of troops on f
eign land.