Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-05-03
CABINET MEMBERS
WARN THE NATION
Of U-b0AT PERIL
Unite in Declaring Submarine
Menace Is Serious.
100000 TONS SUNK ~ WEEK
Secretary Lane Tells Governors That
"If w oon't light j the Other
Side, Wei. f.ave 10 Fight
IL. e."

Washington, May 3.-At the state
department Secretary Lansing in re-
Spouse to inquiries said:
1T may as well be recognized that
the submarine situation is serious"
Secretary Lane told the governors
tional defense on the part state gov
ernments will take in the war that the
federal government h"d heard 100000
tons of shipping had d" IN sunk in the
last week by German submarines.
The destruction e, cret.uy Lane
said, was Lot anl! threaten AZ the ex-
istence of E..clano nd ,;nee, but
was alarming ne L, a SITES. Study
of inventions L. CONT ., the submarine
menace is being Gigently pursued in
the department o. he interior, he said.
The United States must build ships
gates.
If we don't fight the war on the
other side he said I'VE shall have TO
fight it on this side of the Atlantic"
Secretary Lane declared he believed
the war would last several years, and
that every resource of the country
must be brought into play TO bring
1t to successful conclusion.
Many persons thought" said Secre-
tary Lane, that all we had to do was
to issue bonds, and that Germany
would bow her head in submission.
Nothing could be farther from the
truth. We do not know when this war
will end. 1t may not be a One-year
war. Personally, | believe it will last
several years. Herbert c. Hoover has
many has food enough to last two
years, perhaps longer.
Germany has put up the greatest
fight of history, and she has the ad-
vantage of now fighting a defensive
warfare. Don't go back home and in
spire your people with the thought
that immediate action can bring this
war to an immediate end. Your people
must look TO this years crop and next
years crop and the next after that.
Can't Afford to Fail.
eve can't afford to fail in this war.
Every man in this country is involved
in this work, and every man in the
country is a soldier. The French hope
to break down the morale of the Ger
man armies. Our concern is to see to
1t that our own morale rises"
Besides Secretary Lane, the state
representatives heard Secretaries Bak-
er and Daniels, Adjutant General Nc
Cain and Judge Advocate General
Crowder of the army. Later they were
received by President Wilson.
The three secretaries declared the
one need Of America and the allies
now is ships
This is a war of principle, and
France and Italy are fighting for the
principles we invented" said Secretary
Lane. 'The United States now is a
mother country and our children are
fighting for principles laid down in
the Declaration Of independence. 1t
was that Declaration Of Independence
that mode democracy possible"
Secretary Lane warned his hearers
against discomfort and attack on the
government. Always, he said there
was dissatisfaction with those who are
directing war, and he urged his hear
erS to base their criticism on facts and
not on rumOr.
Secretary Baker asked the state rep
reSentatives to cooperate with the
government in putting into operation
the army draft law. He told of mill
tary and industrial preparations and
described difficulties the government
faces. ~
Supplies a Hard Problem.
'In. obtaining supplies for the army"
said Secretary Baker, I'VE are having
to organize through the council of ma
tiOnal defense and through you all the
way back to our raw resources. We
are raising the greatest army in the
countrys history, and the defense
council has had to go into the factories
and back of the factories to the sheep
on the farms for supplies. We have
found there are not enough factories in
the country making army cloth to sup
ply our forces. We are getting the help
Of the cOuntry's business men and are
arranging to supply our armies with
all they need as rapidly as possible"
The state representatives,, more than
100 strong, were accompanied to the
White House by Secretaries Baker,
Daniels, Lane and Redfeld
President Wilson told the delegation
1t was the supreme duty Of the United
States TO coordinate its energies so
democracy shall be indicated and the
world shown that the American gov
eminent does not live in vain. He de-
clared that every force in the United
States should be turned toward the SUI
preme effort Of winning the war.
Airmen Are Active.
Rome, May 3.-Austrian and Ttal-
ian aircraft ara again active ovar fhaf