The Washington herald., 1917-05-04
How the Editors Are Viewing
America and the World War

put forward to be rejected, so as to
make bridge over which Germany
could pass in relentless submarine war
tare." He tells Germany that America
mas not entered the war to get rich, as
the Germans have been told. but in
stead has chosen, for the sake of an
ideal' TO give UP the profits 1t was max
ing out OF the war and burden itself
with heavy expenses. He charges his
government with having lied to the Pres
ldent In its Official communications. '''
Submarines for the U. $.
Chicago Tribune)
The United States will proceed wisely
by basing its policies, so far as prac-
teal, upon an assumption of the worst
Practically has its limitations, but the
Wisest course is to consider that no
disastrous contingency is outside of ex-
pectation.
1t may be improbable that Russia.
France, and Great Britain could be elm
mated by Germany, but we have no as-
surance. What the revolution will do
to Russia and the submarine to the west
ern nations are matters in which we have
no guaranty that the outcome will be
as pleasant as we want 1t to be.
Therefore we must consider the security
of the United States by conceding the
possibility that We might be exposed with
out allies. II Great Britain should
be defeated It would be by the subma-
rines. II submarines can defeat Great
Britain they can protect the United
States.
Germany to get at America would have
to fight the naval weapon which opened
up the seas to her-provided We were
equipped with this weapon. The demands
upon our navy building resources are
enormous. The shipping board is start
ing the construction of wooden ships
which will fight the submarine in one
way. Submarine chasers are to be built
to fight the submarine in another way.
Our delayed naval building program is
now a test of the shipbuilding activities.
But with all these demands upon build
ing facilities there are still the consid-
erations of national security to take
into account, and II submarines can dis
pose of an ally they can dispose of an
enemy
We may be certain of this: II Ger
many gets the upper hand and gain
control OF the sea for the use Of bat
tleships and transports she will try to
deprive US OF liberty II a landing can
be made upon American soil.
New York Evening Post.
advanced for rushing American troops
over to France? There are at least three
the moral effect on Germany will be in
stantaneOus: the men can be better
trained in France than they can at home;
France needs men very badly. The rea-
sons do not dovetail but that hardly mat
ters. II France. for instance. cannot
wait for men, obviously the thing to do
is not to send over raw recruits to be
trained, but regular army men who can
take the American flag to the front with
out loss of time What are the troops
to be sent? Regular troops, say some;
National Guard. say others; Roosevelt
volunteers, say others still. What do wei
mean by sending troops now? Is II
next week. next month. three months
from now? Out OF the turmoil only one
thing stands out, and that is that the
American people is invited to set out
on this war with a profound mistrust
In its General Stan and the administra-
ton. Undoubtedly. the authority of
Joffre's opinion should have weight, but
we do not yet know exactly what JofTre
said to the newspaper men, and under
what circumstances he said 1t. All we
do know is that every argument brought
forward only the other day by the ardent
spirits is now being stood on its head.
We were to take conscription because the
General Stafr demanded It; now the Gen
eral StaT is an aggregation Of nl-in-
formed chaIr-strategists. We were to
have military training because 1t was a
crime to send our unprepared youth to
slaughter; now 1t is discovered that men
can be prepared for the trenches In a few
weeks. The volunteer system had to 20
because we needed 100000 men in a
hurry; now we have not the time to
train half a million men, but must send
them over in small patches