The Oskaloosa herald., 1917-05-03
PRESIDENT GIVEN
STATUS OF ALLIES
HEAD or FRENCH MISSION CON.
FERs WITH WILSON.
AID OF U. S. NEEDED AT ONCE
Americas Power Must Be Thrown
Into Scales Of War If World ls
To Be Saved From Prus.
sianism. =

Washington, May Ian of Amer
ica's enormous pOwer-man, money
and economie-must be thrown In
to the scales of war If the world
is to be saved from Prusslanism. And
1t must now be available.
Members of the French and British
war missions impressed this upon OFF,
Gals of this government with per-
sistency that can permit Of no doubt
Of its truth. 1t was further empha-
sized when Rene VIviani, as head of
the French mission, called at the
White House and held lengthy con
ference with President Wilson. Ii
was the first time that the president
had personally seen and cOnversed
with Il member of either commission
privately shout the part America Is
TO play in the world conflict. When
the conference ended the president
had In his possession the real truth or
what Americas task is. .-.
President Gets Exact Status.
M. Viviani placed before the presi-
dent the exact status of the entente
powers, told him what they are capa-
bic of under existing conditions and
gave him, in short, the first complete
summary of the war situation to date.
The prospects of the American flag
soon flying in the trenches of north
ern France grew materially brighter.
1t is the belief of the visiting com
missioners that every days delay In
sending the first United States con-
tlngent means the prolonging of the
war just that much. They have CON
stantly impressed the necessity for
speed upon American officials.
Much of the opposition to the plan
of Immediately sending troops is I'M
derstood to have come from congress.
This, ii was learned, was largely over
come at a dinner which number
of leading senator's and representa-
tives attended with the French COM
mission. 1t was said auth0ritatively
that when the dinner ended the con-
gressmen were converted to the belief
that troops should be sent at once.
Would Have Moral Effect.
The Stars and Stripes in the
trenches. it was pointed out, would
have tremendous moral effect on
both the German and the French
troops. An example was given the
congressman. When Partisan news
papers first announced that Russian
troops would soon be fighting on
French soil, the Germans put up pla-
cards in their trenches saying that the
Paris papers were lying. When the
Russian uniforms really did appear
opposite the Germans the effect was
electric. They did not know how
many Russians were over on the other
side. The German paper treasured
their troops by saying there were only
a few, hut the German soldiers would
not believe them.
And what Is more significant about
the Russian example, 1t is being point
ed out, is the fact that they whipped
the Germans the first time they went
against them on the western front.
The Russians who went to France
were raw peasant recruits; they had
had less than three months military
training before they arrived their lpil-
itary knowledge consistcI principally
of the manual of arms and how to
march in formation. Five weeks were
devoted to teaching them, within the
sound of big guns. the speciality work
of trench warfare. homb and hand
grenade throwing and bayonettlng.