The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-11-21
LONG WAR AHEAD.
MEDiLL. MCCORMICK SAYS WAR
! WILL END In 1919.
Illinois Congressman Asserts That
Big Guns, Guns Made I'm America,
Are Necessary.

>>Chicago, Nov. S.-Russias collapst
and the unreadiness of the , United
states made hopeless any thought O.
peace before 1919, i'm the opinion OF
Medill Mccormick, congressman a
large from Illinois, who has just re-
turned from visit to most of the i'm.
portant fronts of the European bat
tie line. Mr.. Mccormick in a state
ment tonight said:
The Germans are not winning the
war. Neither are we.
The war presents Z stalemate from
which we are unable to extricate our.
selves because of the collapse of Rus
sia and the unreadiness of the United
States.
Nowhere in Europe did / find al
Informed soldier or public man who
believed that a military decision could
oe achieved before 1919 when the
United States might add effectively to
pressure on the central empires. There
5 practically no hope that Russia can
ne useful during 1918. Russia is SO
lsorganized that she can not make
var Happily. in all probability, neith-
n can she make peace.
THE resources of the central pow
RS have been energetically spent
fhey are bleeding terribly. But they
,ct with greater energy. unity and
'kill than their enemies Thus they
made a seemingly successful drivs
nto Italy. The real object of their
political forary into Venetia was part
to make camoufiage to conceal
heir steady losses from Verdun to
''asschendaele and partly to provoke
evolution in Italy.
"The Italians were under gunned
neither had they enough ammunition
fut even so they would not have
)een driven back as they were If two
'r three divisions, debauched by the
'py system of Germany, had moi
brown down their arms.
THE French and British have a
moderate preponderance in guns and
nan for man they Outright the Ger
mans.
while there are still excellent Ger
nan divisions in Flanders there was
appreciable dminution in the
morale and the physical quality Of
he German troops on the French and
British fronts. At the battle of the
'hemin des Danes the German bat
cries were so drenched with fire that
hey were unable to reply With math-
'matical eXactness the French took
he terrain. Hundreds and hundreds
If heavy guns were employed to wreck
he enemy defenses.
This is an artillery and industrial
var. That must never be forgotten
Nbove all heavy guns are necessary
reavy guns with their obvious com
dement's of aircraft and rail trans
'ortation, but heavy guns and still
more heavy guns; $4,000 cannon to
'e made in American factories and
hipped to France before March l..
9l9. This is the essence Of victory
nd great guns offer the only means
~ which it can be won.
This issue of this war will be de-
'ided in Washington and by the fur
'aces of America.
The splendid little American army
which already has crossed the seas
endered great service when the
'cho OF the first American feet on
he soil Of France carried to every
nome the promise that that strength
ma still more the industrial genius
" America will bring succor to
france.
France is fighting with heroic and
logged courage. Her steady, thought
'ul solidery are ready to spend their
blood and to die. i'm the belief that
America will forge the weapons to
win the war. They must not be mis-
taken.
II say very earnestly that we must
have greater cooperation Of effort. We
must nave true war council such
rs does not exist i'm Washington-a
council of men, who represent i'm the
greatest degree the energy and genius
OF America. 1t will be fruitless If we
are ready too late"