Gilpin observer., 1917-02-15
U. S GAN BECOME
M|GHT|EST NATION
Experts Agree All Other Be|Iiger-
ent Countries Could Be
Surpassed.
LEADS IN ACTUAL WEALTH
Possibilities Are Unlimited, II 10 De-
elared, II Uncle Sam Should
Choose to Develop Vast
Powers.


Should the United States choose to
develop all her vast powers, military
experts agree, she will become the
strongest military nation in the world.
No belligerent ON either side will equal
her.
Other nations, or empires, have
larger populations; but none has so
many intelligent, energetic citizens of
the type from which, universal expert
ence shows, the best fighting material
comes.
No other nation can approach her
In natural resources.
No other nation can approach her in
actual wealth.
No other nation can approach her in
iself-efficiency and ability to flourish
without outside assistance of any sort.
No other nation can approach her,
history shows, in the invention of new
weapons Of war; and leading Ameri-
can military men know that this fac
tor takes a very important position
in the calculations Of foreign military
councils when estimating the ability
of the United States to resist or to
attack.
The population of the United States
and its colonial possessions is nearly
as large as the combined population
of Germany and Austria-Hungary.
The entrance of the United States
into the war would add to the re-
sources of the entente q national
stock Of gold as large as the COM
'bined gold reserve of France, Russia
and Great Britain. When the gold
in private hands Is considered the
lprepOnderance of Uncle Sam is still
more impressive. The gold stock of
the central powers together is only
about one-fifth Of ours.
But iron, steel and copper are still
more important in war than gold, and
here the United States shines so bril-
liantly as to dim the rest Of the
world.
The United States produces more
pig iron than all the other countries
of the world combined.
The central powers pig iron pro-
ductiOn is equivalent to three-eighths
of this country's production.
Great Britain, France and Russia
combined produce only a little more
than half the amount mined and
smelted here.
But when we come to copper. that
Indispensable of war, the full impor-
tance Of the United States is realized.
In 1915 the United States produced
twice as much copper as the rest Of
the world.
The central powers produce about
one twenty-fourth as much copper as
the United States. Great Britain,
with all her colonies, produces only
one-twelfth as much. -..
In Industrial development and large
scale production, American energy
and ingenuity lead the world.
While exact figures are lacking, It
is known certainly that the United
States has more than four times as
many automobiles as all of the rest
Of the world put together. And the
rate Of production is putting this coun-
try farther ahead In automobile own
ership every moment, despite vast ex-
portatlOns.
About three-fourths Of the automo-
bile factory facilities, 1t is estimated,
will be put to work Immediately on
munitions In case of war.
The railroad system Of the United
States compared with other nations,
is giant among pigmies. .
1t would be possible to spread this
inventory Of the American resources
over many pages. Nowhere else does
q mans labor produce SO much as
here, due to the unequaled utilization
Of mechanical power.
All that Is needed to turn this
mighty cataract Of national energy to
the business Of war is time and prepa-
ration.