The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-12-01
SUMTER. 8. G. SATURDAY, DECEMBER / 1917
MILLION men FOR PERSH|Ne,
GREAT ARMY WILL RE IN
FRANCE BY NEXT JULY.
Moving Over Now ut fOO,O 900 a Month
New Shipping to Surpass Six Mil.
lion Tons I'm Year.

Washington dispatch to The
New York Sun says: American troops
are proceeding to Europe in a steady
stream, according to an authoritative
announcement today. Gen. Pershing
Will have n million men at his COM
mand by next summer unless present
plans miscarry.
The appeal Of Lloyd George that
the United States place this number
OF troops on the fighting front as early
as possible has brought the reply
from military and naval experts that
the fulflment OF the American plan
depends not only on transportation
facilities but on the British navy's
ability to keep the sea lanes reasons
ably clear of submarines or German
raiders
Indications are that the u-boat
menace has dwindled and the British
admiralty has no particular dread OF
sporadic raiders. 1t Is assumed here
that Lloyd George is confident that
Americas army of million men will
be a reality by next summer.
Secretary Daniels indicated today
that the accelerating rate by which
troops would be sent to the front
would make interesting reading If he
felt at liberty to give details of pro-
gress But this is a subject which
the navy department feels can not be
discussed except in the most general
terms without giving valuable infor-
nation to the enemy. Under normal
conditions the dispatch of 100. 0O0
troops a month across the Atlantic
would represent efficient action. Mar
shall Joffre. when he was here, esti-
mated that this would be about the
maximum rate. Eut this was beforA
the gigantic shipbuilding program
was launched and before speeding up
on the present stupendous scale be-
gan.
Discounting shipping shortage and
other difficulties which retarded prog
ress. 1t may be assumed that the. AT,
erage rate OF transportation Of Amer
ican troops abroad will proceed ap-
proximately as Marshal Joffre pre-
'dicted. Taking 100000 American
troops as an arbitrary basis of Major
Gen. Pershing's present strength and
increasing it at the predicted rate,
there would be 100000 Americans
in Europe by early in July.
Much depends on the number of
ships and the amount Of tonnage
which the United States can turn out
during the next six or eight months,
but equally as much it was said to-
day depends on tonnage which Great
Britain can make available for the
transport Of American troops.
America has promised 5000, 900
tons Of shipping to the allied cause by
the end of 1918. America will full
fill her promise with several hundred
tons to spare.
This is the statement made here to-
day In response TO the inquiry OF
Lloyd George at the allied council as
to the date the United States would
be ready with it's vast new merchant
marine.
BY the first of March production
will have taken on tremendous i'm
petus officials Of the shipping board
said. . Next Saturday marks the be-
ginning of the launchings of ships ac-
tually contracted for by the emer-
gency fleet corporation. After that
they will come with steadily increas-
ing frequency and by March, it was
said. 100000 tons Of ships con-
tracted for by the government would
be i'm the water.
Ships commandeerec on the stocks
are not included in the estimate. They
would have been built any way and
ultimately would have been in th,
service of the allies. Under the SUI
pervision of the shipping board theii
construction is being fastened for the
double purpose Of getting the tonnage
at work and of clearing the ways for
now construction. What the shippin.;
board is promising is that it will
build by the end of next year 5000. 900
all the tonnage under construction or
contracted for ut the time the Amer
lean shipbuilding campaign began
AMERICAN SAILORS MISSING.