Mexico Missouri message., 1917-04-05
War Conditions In
the United States
Charles II. Grasty, Former Audrain
County Man, Summarizes the Sit
uation--Writes in n. Y. Times.


1t IS called England or America. 1t
gets down 10 business OF any kind
awKwardiy. 1 see i'll Washington pre-
IIsely the same muddling and chaos
that l saw in London in August,
1914. In contest between the kai-
ser, operating as from a switchboard,
and putting the great forces in motion
by touching buttons, and England
working on a kind OF town meeting
system, there wouldn't have been
much doubt of the result, except for
the fact that the advantage of raw
resources lay tremendously on the
side of the Allies, and they could
stand the waste, time, money, ma
terial and men.
Any man used to efficiency meth
ods would view with sorrow and
alarm the scene now presented in
this capital of the greatest democ-
racy. The whole landscape is a con-
luSbu MASS VI uudbOulNOu uCIolioy
en- which bewildered men wander
casually and aimlessly.
They are watching Public Opinion
in Washington.
1t seems very absurd, but it is no
different from the experiment in Eng
land. To give a small illustration,
Lord Haldane would have been kept
in the war office, but a newspaper
suggested Lord Kitchener, the peo-
pie made clear their approval imme-
diately, and Kitchener was turned
back from Egypt. When I read a dis
patch from Des Moines stating that
the Iowa Legislature had introduced
universal training, 1 said: 'The peo-
pie are moving. We are going to see
some great things in this country"
While the United States has been
suffering from a mental unprepared-
ness, there are many points in the
situation that may be dwelt on with
satisfaction To enumerate some Of
these
L. We are prepared down to the
ground financially. The United
States treasury, the Federal Reserve
banks, the national and private bank
ing institutions are in such condi-
ton so as to enable the Cabinet to
talk of financial assistance in terms
of billions. This war has now reached
the stage when money counts at the
maximum, and while the United
States is not to be considered a dol
lar ally only, If it merely under
wrote to the wars end the finances
of the Allies and did nothing else, 1t
would thereby guarantee unlimited
victory.
2. Making of munitions for Eu-
rope has canalized into the direction
of war and enormous industry in this
country. Before the war our ca
pacity for arms and munitions was
so small as to constitute but a frac,
ton of that of Germany. Today
Bethlehem is bigger than Krupp, and
there are many others. The capacity
of our privately owned factories if
estimated to reach the huge total oi
sixteen thousand rifles day Many
of the plants engaged on European
muitions are Just completing theii
contracts and are ready for Govern
ment work
A good beginning has been made
in war organization in the establish
ment of the Council of Defense anC
its auxiliary the Advisory Commits
sion. The first, as is we'll known, II
composed of six Cabinet members
The second, while possessing no larg'
formal powers, is engaged with wa
matters alone. This singleness o
viewpoint enables the commission t
sweep the whole horizon and its ac
tivities have already been most fruit
ful. The present organization is to-
cumbersome. The ball has to b
passed back and forth too much.
AS the war developes. the America
spirit of getting things done will 10
off a lot of the useless mechanism.
would be fortunate II the experienc
of England could be profted by an
a simple, highly centralized systeI
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