New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-01-18
OPTIMISM IS NOT
JUSTIFIED AS TO
OUR PREPAREDNESS
CLAIM THAT AMERICA HAS
A SUBSTANTIAL ARMY"
IN FRANCE is NOT SUP
PORTED BY THE FACTS IN
THE CASE

IL IS natural tildt CeCTetdry BAKER
should lean toward optimism in his
description of the work accomplish
ed by the War Department. 1t is
his own work, and its sufficiency
has been sharply challenged in testi-
mony recently given before the SEN
ate Committee on Military Affairs.
The Secretary speaks in his own de-
fence. Some allowance must be
made for an eagerness to assure the
world that our military preparation
is more advanced than numerous less
optimistic observers have believed it
to be-
In a life and death matter like
making war it is dangerous to be
oversanguine. 1t is bad policy just
at present for our government to say
anything which will raise false hopes
either here or abroad. We should
carefully avoid making rose-colored
statements alb out our military readi-
ness which will excite complacency
among our own people or give the
French, British and Italian publics
wrong impression of what we have
done and what we can do within
the next half year or so to help
them.
Substantial Army" Too Strong
From this point of view it is re-
grettable that Mr.. Baker should have
made a point-blank statement like
this: "A substantial army is already
in France. where both men and Of
Ulcers have been additionally and
specially trained and are ready for
active service"
What is Substantial army? We
may have in France what might be
described as Substantial" force.
measured on the scale Of our organ
de lale ed. But measured on the scale
OF military effort on the Western
front. does it deserve to be called
"substantial"? Is it a contribution to
Allied strength in France which will
tell to any material extent in the
fighting in the first half of 1918?
Can it be expected to restore the
prepOnderance on that front which
the French and British enjoyed in
1916 or in 1917? If it is not ex-
pected to do all this it is then only
an earnest of future contributions
which may turn the scale; it is moth
ing else.
Really Ready For Action?
Moreover, the assertion that "both
men and officers have been addition
ally and specially trained and are
ready for active service" needs quail
fication. Few Americans who have
had opportunities to study the pro-
gress made in fitting our forces in
France for active service shared Mr..
Bakers optimism. The Tribune has
articles by its representative with
the expcditionary forces. Mr.. Hey
wood Broun, which frankly describe
the state of semi-preparedness
through which our troops as whole
are still passing. Given the facts
as to time and training, how can
our men be as well prepared for
first-line fighting as the British
when they went into the first line?
Apart from the question of training.
thew are still dependent on the
French for ordnance and ordnance
supplies. We are borrowing French
heavy guns. field guns. automatic
rifles, bombs. airplanes and gaso-
lene. We are getting gas masks from
the British. We are relying on
French labor behind the lines. Our
armies are not organized as a self
sustaining unit, nor can they be so
organized for some time to come.
When Mr.. Baker says that 'arms of
the most modern and effective kind
including artillery and machine guns,
rifles and small arms
have been provided by manufacture
Or purchase for every soldier in
France and are available for every
soldier who can be gotten to France
IN 1918" he must mean that the War
Department has purchased such
arms in large part from the French
Inder the circumstances, but one
which does not bv any means argue
l high state of military preparation
On our part.
Better Face Actual Facts
1t would be better to face more
'rankly the fact that we cannot give
he French and British decisive as
,lStNHNC hl tuC Ill 'IIo. NNC
,hall do the best we can. The French
md British governments know what
We can do. So does the German
But the French and
British pub1ics ought to know as
we'll. so that they will not suffer
| bitter disillusionment. And our own
people should know, too. so that they
will not relax for a moment that
,igh pressure which is needed to
,eep our machinery of preparation
at top speed. We have to
the handicap of a late
tart. But for that very reason let
is avoid covering over our def
from ourselves or
rom others. IF we do our utmost
We shall arrive on the battle line
n time.