Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-11
FACTS AND COMMENT

Will enroll themselves TOT military ser vice tomorrow In asking that this en- erfn6Ns fliimber ke put at the dispos-; al Of the government, there is of course no intention of drafting them all into military service. To take all of these men from civil life would be
 t6 absolutely cripple the producing
 power of the iiAtion, thus making 1t Impossible to maintain the armies at Fthe front. Furthermore nation is
 hard up for defenders when men of forty five are called into active rnilf-
 tafy service. America is long way from this point. The practical effect of the intended eilrellment will be to bring forward into public notice the hosts of men who, either unoccupied or occupied in unproduetive ways, ousht t5 be serving their country according to their age and ability The two Of three millions that may be needed to defeat Germany will of course be se- lected f5r the army. Then from the others, listed according to age. oe-
 cupation and family responsibility. the nation will have the information i to choose and the power to draft as | mary as may be needed for farm Or l factory.
 America is fast refutine the belief ! that a democracy works all right in time of peace but autocracy is nee
 essary to the Successful conduct Of war. The upholders of this theory overlook the fact that a democracy
 may delegate all power to one man or | a group of men, thus transforming it. self into a virtual autocracy for the moment while retaining within itself the right to criticize and the power to 1 remove it's leaders. Certainly no l l5aiser'S mandate could be more bind- 1 Ing than is the self-voted obligation resting on American men between the 1 ages of IS 70 45 to enroll themselves l tomorrow There was some uncertain
 tv how the first order to register 1 that of June, 1917-would be obeyed and measures had been taken to en- | force the peoples will should 1t be necessary It has long since become | q matter of history however, how nearly ten million men gladly enroll ed themselves at theft e6untrvs bid ding with distaebanees absolutely neS- ligihle.~ In passing the latest enroll ment act, congress rightly Interpreted inc willingness on the part or the peo- ple to serve by giving the bill a vote of s36-2 in the house of representa- tiVess The puble's ready acaaieseence iii all sugeesttotis and readests to ee6h6mize and refrain. to give and to loan IS simply marvellous. and this
 readiness to co-6perate u1ust De the II greatest inspiration to the adminis- tfation ift it's endeavor t6 guide will Ing people wisely and well
 Immediately after the publication if the senate 0f the report Of the failure
 to produce aircraft Secretary BakAt
 announced the appointment of John D
 Ryan as director of air craft with full
 bowers over material and peTsennel It is surprising that some such ste! was not taken earlier. for the coun. i try and suffered sifiilhrly fF5m di- vided respo'ssibilitv in the business O building ships and only began tc
 achieve siieeess When a really bis
 man was abb6inted and aiten full pow ers ntiirect tFe ieb. The lesson wa
 not taken t6 heart however. tfougf
 precious dollars and mere ,pfeei6b:
 time and yet more precious lives Wer. h&ine wasted Jtin n Ryan is, lik' SeiiW'ah. d man whh does things. BoTi ,4 in Miehiean in 1ss4, he began life d. a travelling salesman and iater dfiftet
 into the cobret field where lis success was astonisliine. As president of tn ; Anaconda Conber Co. he Is known d l inc most pr1fninent fiaii in tie cobpe } world toflav. An avidenee Of his cre s atite ability Is the great Montan: ! Power Co. which furnishes power f6
 the electrified linnS Of the Chicago
 Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad in it ' passage over the Great Divide. 1n1me 3 diately after his appointment to ii : rect the production of aircraft Xii Y Ryan sailed for France with secre il tary Baker and other high officers c a the war department and the army. s = carefully guarded were the plans TO
 the trip that the departure of th party was not known ef before tn s annoancef1ent If their safe arrival i h France. The object ef the trip is pre- n sHmahlv to give Mir. Ryan and Seere Q terY Baker 2 first=hahd knowledge c 6 what is necessary b our stifcesSfl < aircraft service after which the f1a
 tion is confident that grea+ results wi
 come.
 t General Foeh has maintaired con ' tinHal pressure on the retreating Ger s niaii line ail the way from Flanders e tie vicinity of Rheims. keeping tl1 If British afriv hsmmerihe away at tl7 = north end and the French at inc souti # Especially has tho pressure been kei # lp along tie si$fr mile stretch froi # Before Dotiai tn the AisFe above Sois ,.. sions. The most notable exnloit ws :" the British victory hv which they ovei = came the formidable defenees abol u adeant thus passing completely dvt l. tile north end of the Hindehburs lin h At nc tine since July 1S have the Gei 0 mans sdTered such vital defeA U Eleven divisions were put out of d Al ton afld prisoners were taken bv Il .E thousands This success was inimed
 ately followed bv an advance into Il 's vicinity of Cambrai. ground made fl
 nous a year ag5 bH General Byng ar
 his first fleet of tanks.
 For fifty miles from before Can r. brat to the neighborhoed Of La Fer ,g the Germans are retreating iowa
 their old positions, heing already witt in few miles of the starting poi from which their drive toward An1ie lp was launched in the terrible days
 March. La Fere and Laon lie on | 1e curve where the hattie line turns fro W a north and south to an east al lE west direction Iaeh is the mo
 important railway center within [ ,a German lines. Its evacuation weu .t. mean the abandonment of the enti ,, Tindenburg . line. The defences ID Laon are truly formidable. eonsistil V. of the great forest of St. Gebain wi d. it's many ravines on the west and { a ridge of the Chetfin des Danes on t ks south. Thg French are pressing clo ,t. CT on La Fefe ih their progress ea the Disc and are endeavorine to pa s- around the forest of St. Gebain 1h t .Mt M north, while south Of it thet are for S,i ing their way toward the Chemin q ck Danes. Further east the Amerieal
 having fought their way across t to ves1e and pushed the enemy back e. the Aisne, ;ire ready when the ii, is shall come to advance on Uaon frc ch the southeast. Naturally the Germa
 are putting all they have into the [ !. fence. of this all imbertant place q