Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1917-12-20
Of OUR
NAVY SOLE HOPE
Of GERMAN PRESS
JUNkER ORGAN PREDICTS OFF.
FICULTY OF TRANSPORTA-
TON WILL CRIPPLE
OUR WAR POWER.
Issue Resting Largely on Americas
Ability to Get Enough Men and Ships
to Police Routes to France.

w TofSc INVITES ~ Vt~1ISs
Washlngton.-llurlin the gauntlet
OF defiance directly at the American
navy, the clique OF Junkers who forced
the ruthless submarine campaign upon
Germany are openly Boosting that
their policy is already Justified by liz
success,
This attitude Is based upon the the
CRY that because American naval
forces cannot guarantee the safe
transportation OF men and supplies
Cur participation in land warfare next
year Will be inconsiderable. 1t il hard
10 tell how much OF this they believe
themselves and how much is canlou-
tlage intended to reassure the German
people, somewhat G!smayed by IL.
ports Of the tremendous scale upon
which the United States is preparing
for war.
Their foremost newspaper, tAe
kreua Zeitung, has jGat published q
remarkable article Analysing The stu
| alton from the German point OF view.
Ii is far franker than most Junkcr
publications, in that il does not at
tempt to minimize the importance Of
what America u do if it q E"t
enough men on the firing live. Back
of this seeming candor, however, is a
clearly defined purpose CT casting
doubt upon the probability Of Ameri-
can military Intervention amounting
TO much.
.. TIE Problem Stated.
Accentuatirg what seems 10 it the
weakness Of our whole program. the
kreuzZeitnng says:
what worries the President mast
In connection with his wal plans Is
how to transport the alleged million Of
soldiers across the ocean. The indus
trial press figures out that for 1905
men 5000 gross tons Of ship space are
needed. 1t is further assumed that q
single trip. exclusive of e%mbarking and
landing, requires four weeks on the
average. According to these figures,
T50, 900 gross tons of ship space would
thus be required.
in this connection two other points
should be considered. The n per
tains to the submarine boats. which
are not likely to permit 100000 or
even 100000 Americans to cross the
ocean without attacking them, and fur
Their, that 1t Is not alone a question OF
sending men across the ocean, but
also Of supplying them with food.
stuffs. clothes, ornaments, guns, air
craft and other things constantly nee,
essary in warfare. This will require
still more ship space. The Liverpool
Journal of Commerce figured out tina,
to keep permanently 500 900 men in
the fighting line the United States
will require, without the transporta
ton of men, 100000 gross registr,
tons permanently.
This is a performance which ever
the United States cannot carry out
anu lOI llI1 lE1SVA NHS luEd Va al
American giant army fighting in Eu
rope appears to be a mere dream. Til,
outcome Of this experiment, however
is of great importance to the popular
ity and the influence Of President vii
son. should this not turn out success
fully. The Americans feel as con
WINGED they are the first nation Of thu
world and so much above other ma
tons that they will blame 1t on theiI
!, bad and inefficient government should
the United States fail In coming vic
? torious out Of this fight"
;, It must he admitted that the Ger
man paper has given a shrewd twis
. to the very thing that has caused
much worry to our own leaders. Tn
less America IAN find the solution t
, the problem, and find 1t right away
the Kreuz.zeitung's conclusions vii
. have to be conceded as correct.
Now q Matter Of Men.
Here In Washington It Is believed
that we have already found It. Tn
. remedy must be left to the navy an
to the navy alone. Enough shippini
3 10 carry our armies and to maintain
them Is In sight, thanks to the extraol
binary energy which has been directe
I toward that end all over the country
D It will be up to the navy to protec
that s%hipping-to police the oceaI
lanes and to keep them free Q
U.boats. The navy has enough vel
sells and enough guns to do that thiul
,, The only thing It IL short Of ID nler
and It needs them more urgently tina
II ever did In it, history.
. Given the 10000 more men Seer
. tary Daniels has asked for In the nez
IL days. the problem Is regarded Z
solved. For that reason the author
ties At the capital are watching wit
breathless interest the present hurr!
up recruiting campaign.
Az typical Of the inland states. Nj
= souri, results srs getting especial o
tsntion. That state has been asks
Tor 1900 men W De. 10. Il II take
tor erantsA that ~ FssponsS Il Mil
\ OQaE1 wnlstse Observation-Disclosures
| I Z !