The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-09-30
AMERICAN AID MAKES
ALLIED VICTORY CERTAIN



Vice President Of the Army Commits
sion OF the French Senate.
Parts, Sept. 2a.-(by mail to New
orlt) Nine months ago we scarcely
dared to hope for American inter
vention; today we count 1t one OF the
surest factors Of victory. And we are
right. The powerful aid OF the United
states cannot be rated too highly. The
great republic is strenthoning us in
men industrial means, foodstuffs and
money TO an extent never hoped for.
Nevertheless the fun and legiti-
mate confidence which we place in
the United states should not become
the part Of tbe entente allies. w
must use her aid wisely we cannot
afford TO make mistakes this time.
THE principal reserve of the army OF
civilization has entered the lists and
It's Intervention must be employed In
such maner as tn render victory more
asy and especially more rapid.
To my mind two ideas should IN
spire and direct The collaboration of
the United States In the common task.
To begin with despite three years
OF war, not every one yet realizes that
this is above all n war OF material
n war of machinery. q war OF produc-
tion and toll. a war Of economic or
ganization.
The second idea IL that IN spite of
the increasing number of peoples en-
gagged In the struggle. IN spite of the
daily growing complexity of the dip
romatic and military problems, the
whole conflict stIr hinges upon the
dual between France and Germany.
1t Is upon our soti that the enemy
might win complete victory and be-
come the master Of the world; It Is
on our frontiers that nc must receive
sthe fatal ,tSsos FL h4ca staa! brea k tRfs
power ara pride
In order to produce it's full useful
enert. American cooperation should
aim at crashing the enemy upon the
Western front by taking French ter
ritory the base for supreme in
dustriniisation of the struggle. II IN
upon soil that all Efforts must he
concentrated.
our allies across the Atlantic win
first OF all send us men and her help
in this direction will prove at once
most essential and most valuable.
But do not let ourselves be dazzled
once more by the mirage OF electives
The great usefulness of these young
and vigorous contingents that are
about TO cross the ocean resides not
in the fact that. they will augment
Z the already considerable superiority
the French. English and Reigtans
have over the Germans. but in the
fact that they viii permit France TO
ease up little the superhuman mil
itarv effort which has carried her
much farther than any of her allies
France should find in the American
endorsements an opportunity to lib
crate her old claSsee TO send back
once for all 10 their homes the infirm
and sick, and to make decisive step
towards the revival OF her civilian
activity.
/. The submarine danger compels us
10 draw from our national supplies
UP TO the maximum If our own soil
were better worked we should not
need SO many conveys from across
the perilous seas, America will en-
able us to send back our farmers
and peasants r. the soil: she can also
send us agricultural machinery. mo-
tor ploughs and fertilizers. or, better
attn, the machinery to make fertil-
izers.
To an ever-Srowing extent the
soldier should be merely the work
man In terrible industry, the brain
of the machine that fights for him
a fearful task that will call for still
more hrmness. self-ss crince and cold
courage. What we must organize II
the EFFORT of the machinery; we want
superiority I'm material IN every
Branch.
The whoe Of France should he r
vast arsenal feeding the armies on
our territory. Here in France we
must make thousands OF guns and
! aeroplanes. millions of shells ane
thousands OF tons OF explosives. Let
American money and American genius
I build up an endless chain OF work
shops and laboratories upon our soil;
let them produce here behind our
armies. instead OF sending the war
supplies along ocean routes where
submarines are always watching,
II Ia by sending us their engineers
and their specialists. by harnessing
our waterfalls, by locating and ex-