The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1917-05-01
SENDING SOLDIERS TO FRANCE

1t is, without doubt, wild and un-
tenable idea that the United States
should send, or seriously think of
sending. any troops to the battle line
in France at the present time. This
is not saying that we may not send
them in the future, although we hope
not, Much less is it saying that
we should not make large levy of
eligible young men and begin to train
them at once, so that all will have
something to send should it become
necessary.
Any one who feels like antagonizing
any of the foregoing propositions
should read the article by Lord North
cliffe, the well known English States
man and journalist, in the last "Satur-
day Evening Post" 1t is entitled
Lessons from French and English
Mistakes" and some idea as to it's
trend and scope may be gathered from
the following excerpts:
"If you (tbe United States) bring
an army to France or Belgium, you
realize 1 suppose, that you will have
to bring with it half the mechanics of,
let us say, a town like Bridgeport, to
carry out the necessary construction
repairs. You will have to take over
whole French towns for their resi-
dence, or build miles of huts for them.
The army behind the army in modern
war is an army in itself
1.-The fine American lad who will
swing down your New York streets on
his way to the transport will probably
cost you. apart from his pay, at least
fifty dollars a week. Ours, who are
operating near home, cost us from
thirty to thirty-five dollars.
But the boy with his rifle and his
uniform and his enthusiasm is only
the beginning of him; the rest of him
is some tons of stuff that has to do
with him. l will enumerate some
of the tonnage he requires.
Let us talk first about his food ::
! imagine the American soldier, like
the British and the Canadian, will
not be content to exist upon the soup,
bread, cheese, meat and red wine of
the Frenchman l think he will prob
ably not prove to be such a good
cook as the Frenchman. 1 think he
will want, in addition, almost I'M
limited beef, pork bread, and biscuit
All these things will have to be
brought from home, for we in Europe
have only just enough for ourselves
If you bring mules and horses, you
will need to bring hay also, for we
have got none for you; and the amount
of hay your boys horses will con
sumo will surprise you.
I'm addition to your boys food
and that of his horse, there is his
spare clothing, which l dare say We
can provide, though we can do moth
ing in the way or spare harness. Thinl
of the tonnage involved in his ma
chine gun, his spare rifle, his revolv
ers and their ammunition, his stee
helmet and other protective armOI
Think of his boots. In one eXceptiona
section of the Italian Army, with whicl
l sojourned the boot ration wa
twelve per annum! Your boy will
have to bring with him all the lates
kinds of American boot-making an
boot-repairing machinery. You wi
require a boot plant for making an
remaking boots and for the utilizatio
of the waste material at least as bi
as the Pennsylvania Railroad depo
Think about his spades for digging an
his pickaxes; the tons of barbed wiz
and of corrugated iron for the roc
of his hut; the oil stoves and electri
stoves. What, too, about his wasl
ing? Is that to be done in France. {
sent back home? Our army is equiI
ped with the very latest steam laui
dries on scales that daze one. tt
amount of washing required for a ho
pital of one thousand beds is a su
prise to the civilian. In one of OF
series, of hospitals we have thirt
thousand beds"