The Washington herald., 1918-08-09
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This is no time for Congressional delay in pass
ing the new power bill prepared by the War
Department.
Nor is it time to hold post-mortem. or griev-
anee conferences over change of front" on the
part of Secretary of War Baker, or to debate in
terminably the lowering of the draft age which
has been recommended by the War Department
after prolonged consideration.
The War Department may have made mistake
in asking that the consideration of the question be
postponed when Congress was eager to take 1t up
last june. That is not the question now. Gen.
Peyton c. March, Chief of Staff, the ranking Off
Ger of the American army, has explained to the
Senate Military Affairs Committee why such a
postponement was asked He is a soldier who
has the confidence of the nation, whose reputation
is of the highest and his word should go, for the
present at least.
II will be time to hold the War Department
to Strict accountability when it has blundered,
when it has proven inadequate to the great task
facing it in Europe-when it has FALLEN down."
1t is accused of being short-sighted and of making
slow progress. Yet are today marveling at the
transportation of more than 100000 American
troops to Europe and proud of the way in which
they have acquitted themselves way which has
drawn the following tribute from Lloyd George:
Every one knows how calamity the Americans
have fought. They fought with a trained skill
which no expected, had right to expect
Their officers, who not trained officers in the
ordinary sense of the word, have shown skilled
knowledge in the management Of the men under
trying conditions which one could hardly antici-
pate from who had not had years expert
ence in the war"
The War Department has made mistakes but
they all, thank God, minor ones American
troops fighting the Western front with
a valor which has thrilled the world, and their
numbers raOidlv hat on
the brink of complete reversal of the whole situa-
ton in the West. America is yet to encounter her
first reverse in the war. Our troops have not yet
been defeated
In the face of this it is foolish to heclle the
War Department over what is at best a question
Of policy, which it has disposed of in its own way
it had right to do. If there has been Change
OF 'front.'" it has been made before any costly mis-
take has intervened, and it least shows that the
Secretary OF War is troubled with the hobgoblin
OF consistency afraid to acknowledge a mistake
when he makes it.
After all, the army that the plans of the
War Department call for is not one which reaches
the maximum OF American power, or anywhere
near it. Great Britain and her colonies have Gre
ated an army of 6,5ooooo men since the war be-
gan, and their population is not much more than
half Of ours Exclusive OF the Hindu population Of
India, Of course).
At the present time we are not contemplating
IN army Of more than 4,5oo,ooo soldiers of which
approximately 100000 will be combatant troops
abroad 1t is calculated that 100000 men can be
transported to the front before next spring, pos
sibly 100000. Not all of these men, of course.
will have finished their training, but enough will
be ready for the fight to begin the grand offensive
which, we all hope, will be the beginning of the
end, if not than the beginning