Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1917-11-17
HARD FIGHTING
PLANNED AHEAD
FOR NEXT YEAR
ALLIES WEARING ON THE LIMIT
LINE FOR SOME TIME MUST
HAVE SUBSTANTIAL
HELP AND AMERICA IS PUSHING
EFFORTS FOR INTENSIVE CAM
pAlGN IN FRANCE.
TROOPS AND SUPPLIES BEING
RUSHED ACROSS THE SEAS
WITH MARVELLOUS DISPATCH.

Win MRfNN ILLUS Gi1I SFs
WASHINGTON. NOV. IA, The gov
eminent is putting forth every effort
To get Gen. %Pershing's forces In repd-
mess for hard lighting on the western
front in France with che opening OF
the campaign OF 1918. There is not
any deluslon in Washington about tho
necessity for that, no expectation that
our active participation IN the great
struggle FOR world security and world
domination can be postponed more
than four OF i've months.
During the winter the combined re-
sources Of the army and navy will
be exerted TO carry and convoy troops
and supplies aeroas the Atlantic. The
speeding up has already begun, and
is showing results thai are a source
OF satisfaction, we have already fur
exceeded in our transatlantic trans
%portation tle estimates that were
made IL May.
December viii find on the other side
more men, more guns, more muni.
lions aud more provisions than milf
tary and civilian experts six months
ago believed It would be possible to
get there by that time.
I'm spite OF the dlaeouraging hand
leap Of a shortage OF ocean tonnage
We shall have a force In France by
the frst Of March that will be no
contemplate little army but u
fighting machine of evenly balanced
ptrts with which 10 iairh the scale
Of victory.
The whole government has awaken
ed to the fact that our task Will
await us sooner than we bad expect
all along the line that the expeditions
airy army must be reinforced by the
addition Of every available man who
can be sent acros the sea, and not q
vessel is sailing fer Europe now from
the United States. American or for
elgn. that is not carrying soldiers up
to ITS capacity.
Behind the yeil OF secrecy surround
Ing the movement Of troops across
the Atlantic, the government has ac-
complished i remarkable feat OF rams
porta.ion. Troops and supp fes are
arriving IN increasing numbers" said
Gen. Persbing at his headquarters on
November II. lIi3 statement tallies
with information obtainablo on this
side of the ocean.
so far as the transport Of troops
and supplies for the American army
Is concerned. transportation facilities
have recently been increased. On the
continuation and augmentation OF
thu. transportation the success Of the
1913 milit Try campaign hinges to q
large extent. Despite the diquieting
failures and delays that are hamper
ing the new shipbuilding program, we
are finding ships here and there that
are p"pduA y biliOlNilB Nht RiNf VI bho
transport fleets.
Every fast vessel that can be added
10 the %troopshlp feet has a value
now that could be estimated in terms
OF human lives. We are still send
ing troops across the Atlantic in slow
ships some Of them only 10 or IL
knots. That we have not so far stls-
tanned the loss OF a single eastgound
transport has been due entirely to the
convoy system to the untiring vigil
ance Of the navy, We are taking
chances every day with the lives of
our soldiers, simply because we are
obliged to use slow ships for their
transportation. The ~exigencies OF the
military situation require II, A few
Of the slower ships employed in the
early summer have since been trans
ferred to the supply department, and
more will be used for freight as fast
ships become available to take their
places.
The use Of slow ships is being crit
icised IN some quarters. A part Of
the criticism comes from the navy,
for the slow SHIPS, being the more
likely pray OF the U-boat, imposes m
additional burden of responsibility
upon the conveying destroyers. But
Continued an na1Ta six