The Washington herald., 1917-11-19
FURNACESOFU.S.
WILL WIN War,
SAYS MCCORMICK
Big Guns from America, De-
clares Illinois Congress
man, Needed by Allies.

Chicago. Nov. D.-That the issue Of
the great Worldwide conflict win be
decided not on the Isonzo or the
Piaye: not on the Meuse or the
Rhine; but In Washington and by the
! furnaces Of America "a the opinion Of
Representative MediIl Mccormick. OF
Illinois, who has Just returned from
Europe. where he spent two months
studying the war.
During his trip. Mr.. Mccormick
| visited the British, French and Ital-
ian fronts and the American camp in
France. He conferred with the rulers
OF France. England and italy and with
the commanding generals of the great
allied armies.
"The Germans are not winning this
war" asserted the Representative, and
then added significantly: Neither
are We.
Look to United states.
THE war today presents a stale
mate from which we are unable to
extricats ourselves, because of the
collapse Of Russia and the unreadi-
ness Of the United States.
Nowhere in Europe did find an
Informed soldier or public man who
believed that a military decision could
be achieved before 1913. when the
United States might be ready to add
effectively to the sum Of pressure
upon the central empires. There is
practically no hope" Mr.. Mccormick
| said, that Russia can be in any
sense useful during the year 1913.
From the most responsible people"
he continued. II heard a disheartening
tale Of Russian inefficiency. corrup-
ton. incendiarism and murder. Russia
Is so disordered that she cannot make
war. Happily. in all probability,
neither can she make peace.
Italy Expected Drive.
while I was in the now conquered
Italian territory a little while ago."
he said. the Italian command ex-
pected an attack, in the neighborhood
Of Asiego. The Italians were under
gunned, neither had they enough am
munition. The margin Of subsistence
in the country is 50 narrow that II
must affect the morale Of the popula-
ton. But, even SO, the Italians would
not have been driven back SO far as
they were II two or three divisions
holding an almost impregnable point,
debauched by the excellent spy sys-
tenn of the Germans, had not thrown
down their arms.
The French and English, the Con-
gresham said, have a moderate pro-
ponderance in guns and man for man
they Outright the. Germans All Of the
German class OF next years boys OF
seventeen are in the army and many
Of sixteen, whose tear-stained faces
among the prisoners wrench the
hearts Of the Tommies and the Poilus
who show them a shy. tender and
clumsy kindness.
"Plainly the German resources in
men and material are running low,
he added. while there are stir ex-
cellent German divisions in Flanders,
there was an appreciable diminuton
in the morale and the physical quality
Of the German troops on the French
and British fronts during the ten
weeks in which I was in Europe.
Germany, everywhere had lost the Of
fensive.
Large Guns Needed.
AT the battle of the Chemin des
Danes, which was the greatest artl-
lery bombardment the French have
made, 1 had the good fortune to wit
ness a perfect operation The Ger
man DalIeEleS were SO OrtnSucO WIN
fire that they were unable to reply.
With almost mathematical exactness'
the French took the terrain which
they had planned to take weeks be-
fore. There l witnessed the demon
stration of what I had learned from
the lips Of the most distinguished
French generals during my wander
ings along the front This is an ar
tfllery and industrial war. That must
never be forgotten"
Mr.. Mccormick does not want the
public to lose sight of the fact that
shipping is necessary before anything
else, because vessels must carry to
France the engines of destruction.
But above ALL" he said emphatically,
| heavy guns are necessary-heaNy
guns, with their complement OF air
craft and rail transportation, but
heavy guns, and still more heavy
| guns; 5000 cannon to be made by
American factories and shipped TO
France before March /. 1919.