The Elk Mountain pilot., 1917-02-22
PLANS FOR VAST ALLIED OFFENSIVE

| Rome at the time OF the conference,
tells me that entente statesmen do not
expect the German government to
make serious effort to meet the coun-
try's financial liabilities toward its own
people, and 1t Is therefore not difficult
to understand why the big business
Interests of Hamburg, Frankfort and
Berlin have for long been clamoring
for peace.
If, as expected, Germany wipes Off
her liabilities and begins again with
clean sheet, she will obviously be in
a position of economic superiority to
the entente countries while the latter
are struggling to devise ways and
means of meeting their Indebtedness.
Social problems will be no less grave.
OF all the entente countries, France
will have suffered most heavily in men
In relation to her population by the
time the war is over. By the end of
this year her dea( or permanently
incapacitated may reach 100000, and
England, Italy and Russia will suffer
after the same rate. AT the same time,
Germany's losses will be found to be
superior, both relatively and absolute
ly, to those of any other country In
the war.
Affects the United States.
This means that In every town and
village labor will be scarce. Emigra-
ton will be brought to a standstill
for at least this generation. and per-
haps for the next. The United States
will thus be directly affected, while 1t
is certain that the development of
Canada will be set back for half a
century.
Proof that great scarcity of labor
Is feared In Europe, and especially
France, is given by the measures al
ready prudently taken by the French
government for the Introduction of
coolie labor. This movement began
some months ago and will be inten-
sified this year. Already thousands of
Asiatics are employed for national
purposes, and even when millions of
Frenchmen are released from the col
ors 1t is anticipated that the employ
ment of cOlOred men will have to be
continued to make big trade revival
possible.
Therefore. in the opinion Of Euro
1
ly disappointed If she expects the re-
leasing of millions of men at present
in the field to cause a stream of migra-
ton westward across the Atlantic ow-
ing to bad conditions in Europe
The greatest and most pressing
question dealt with by the Rome con-
ference was, of course, that of the
organization of huge united offensive
| strokes on the main fronts this year.
The moment for delivering these
simultaneous blows will be decided
upon by the commanders In chief, but
1t is no secret that by next April the
millions Of men and women working
4 in munition factories Will have pro-
duced sufficiently enormous quantities
of guns and shells for the beginning
Of continuous offensive that will
break beyond repair the belt of iron
laid by the Germanic invaders across
Europe. Had not entente statesmen
been sincerely convinced of their stead
lily increasing military superiority over
Germany they would not have shut
the door on Germany's peace opening.
One Man in Chief Command.
|
immediate probability in the entente
camp. 1t will very likely center in
one man, supported by small inter-
national staff.
In future entente offensives the
weight of attack will be more fairly
apportioned to the big nations in ac-
cordance with their resources in man
power than has been the case hither-
to. The British front is gradually
lengthening; it will grow lot longer
before the war is over. In fact, the
relative burden of united offensives
Will be decided upon after consider
alton of population, number of COM
batants, figure of losses and length
of front, in the case of each entente
nation.
Regarding munitions, no longer Will
each country manufacture merely for
] Itself with a view to various partial
attacks fixed in advance. Henceforun
the countries will decide: () the
an 9unt of defensive material neces-
sary for the whole front; (2) the ma
terial necessary for offensives on the
whole of the different fronts (3) the
quantity of raw material for NUM-
tions needed in every country.
Goose's Crop Held $1O27.
st. Louis, Mo.-When John F. z.
4 l-.l G.