Ellsworth American., 1917-05-09
GERARD WARNS0F
LONG, BITTER WAR
Ex-Ambassador Says Germany
Still Has 1850, 1000 Men.
HER NAVY is INCREASED.

United States Has Not Entered War
Against a Weak and Broken Nation,
but Aeas, People Capable Of TAX
ing and Delivering Many Hard Blows.
Favors Universal Military Training.
BY PORTER EMERSON BROWNE
Of the visiiantss.
Ambassador Gerard Is no alarmist-
Ambassador Gerard Is no lingo. Nei-
ther is he tool OF the Wall street In
terests nor predatory munition man
ufacturer. So when Ambassador Ger
ard tells these United States OF ours
that the German menace is real. actual
and immediate 1t behooves all good
Americans to stop, look and listen q
lot
When l asked Ambassador Gerard
as to what seemed to him the most
important phase Of our national prob
lem his answer was characteristically
Germany.
Germany" he went on, has mo-
bilized and put into the field, In ac-
tual war service, 100000 men OF
these 100000 men 1,350,OOO have
been killed. $4,000 permanently dis
abled. All the rest that have been
wounded or disabled have returned to
and are now with the colors. And that
leaves 11,33oO00 troops that the Ger
mans now have In the field. These
figures are not guesswork; they are ap-
proximately exact
Has Increased Her Navy.
"And furthermore" he continued. for
the bad news was not yet over. dur
ing the past thirty-two months Ger
many has been enlarging and increas-
ing her navy until it is greater in size
and formidability than ever before.
And that, too, these United States Of
ours have challenged to life and
death combat
Wherefore doesn't 1t seem to you.
since the United States has align
ed itself against a nation SO pre-emi-
nently powerful. so terribly efficient
and SO absolutely ruthless as the Ger
man nation is and has shown itself to
be, that the United States should make
every effort to equip itself In every
way to face so tremendous a menaceT
nodded, and profoundly. 1t did, 1t
certainly did!
But" ! qneried, isn't there any
chance OF its being only short war?
The shortage of food
rs something that can't be relied
upon" he interrupted. "One good har-
vest viii put Germany back upon her
feet. A good harvest every year win
keep her on her feet. And accidents
are always liable to happen. Further
more. while civilians all through Ger
many are feeling the pinch Of the food
shortage the troops are kept fed
Warns Against Short War Idea.
''One thing l want particularly to
warn my countrymen against is the
so called short war idea. 1t was this
fallacy that so seriously crippled
France, that so seriously crippled Eng
land, in their preparations for their
struggle with Germany. They thought
1t was going to be only a short war,
SO they made their preparations only
from day to day. from month to month.
1t is not for US to fall into this same,
this obvious, error. There is no indi-
cation that this will be a short war.
On the other hand, 1t looks as though
It would be very long war-a long
war and bitter war.
For this, first money and supplies.
Credit to the allied governments and
everything that, from our vast re-
sources, we can supply them.
And then universal military train
ing. The volunteer system Is no good
In times of national need it has always
broken down. as 1t win always break
down. because it is economically and
rsychologically unsound. Conscription
Is good rs far as 1t goes. but 1t does
not go far enough. The one thing, and
the only one thing. that will give US
the number of trained soldiers that we
must have is universal military train
ing And that is what all OF US here
In America must strive to gain.
Furthermore, want to impress,
and impress as hard as know how,
because 1t is most important. the pres
ent tone of the German spirit. 1t is
cruel. 1t is brutal 1t is bitter.
with the Germans this is a war Of
Hate. with a capital H. They are to
win IL they can. To win they are 60
ing to use ALL their resources, every
means in their Cower. fair or foul or
even worse. They are going to fight
with every man, with every gun, with
every ship. with every means and ev-
cry agent that lie in their power to use.
THAT is what we face, not short
war, but long war, and bitter one:
not broken nation. but a strong.
cruel country capable Of taking and
giving many a grievous blow; not
disorganized nation. short OF men and
supplies, but possessing still the great
est and still virtually as well equipped
an army as is possessed by any nation
In the world.
Let these, then. be the slogans Of