The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-04-27

and Keep out of the penitentiary from
sheer general cussedness. I have put
myself to some trouble to see what
this country has done in one wear of
war. IL is marvellous record and
now any man can take into consider
alton our total unpreparedness and
then criticise those in authority is
beyond my comprehension. You NAV
be sure those doing it are either
ignorant Of the facts or have some
Interior purpose. They should be
looked upon with distrust and treated
as enemies until they prove other
wise. Listen, on April 9Th, 1917 we
had only 10000 trained soldiers uu
der arms and 1854 officers. on Anril
9Th, 1913 we had 123,S0O officers al
most as many officers as we had men
year ago, and when you consider
the 1act that a modern war deepnds
very largely on trained officers yo,,
realize what tremendous work has
been accomplished. The number OF
enlisted men is 1,52S,924. an increase
in one year in the army of about 900
per cent One year ago we had S4.-
700 enlisted men in the navy and to-
day we have $4,000 an increase OF
400 per cent. In the aviation service
year ago we only had about 1000
men and today there is about 14O. 600
an increase of 10000 per cent On,
experts have standardized the liberty
motor and will revolutionize the air
service. Twenty-Five large compa-
MES are manufacturing airplanes Is
more are producing engines and 400
are producing accessories and SUD-
plies. We have produced 10000 au-
tomobile trucks. Machine guns are
being manufactured at the rate of
225,00O per year ard 1-2 inch guns
at $4,000 year. The ordnance sup
ply of the government is handling
every month 10000 car loads Of ma !.
terial. Within two weeks after wa,
was declared contracts had been
made covering the requirements of an
army Of 100000 men. The govern.
ment has taken over and is operating
10000 miles Of railroad, employing
more than 100000 men representing
an investment Of nearly 20 billion dol
lars. Outside of the loan to the AL
lies the United States spent IL bill
lions of dollars during the first year
or the war. We loaned nearly 1-2
billion dollars to the other countries
engaged in this war. The government
has instituted a system of war insur-
ance to take the place of the worn
out and rotten pension system and in
one year insurance policies have
been issued for millions of dollars
and also about 20 million dollars paid
In allotments to the dependent fami.
lies of the sailors and soldiers. When
it seemed that we would not be able
to send our products abroad on ac-
count of the high rates charged by in
surance companies the government
stepped in and gave us war risk insur-
ance at greatly reduced rates and
are actually making large profit out
OF it. Cotton went from seven to
thirty-three cents. The greatest
achievement think of the govern
ment is the conscripton act. 1t is tht
most wonderful piece of legislation
of it's kind that the world has ever
known. What becomes of those that
were running around over the coun-
try crying out against the draft act
and predicting all kind of evil? There
has been no riot and in less time
than three weeks the men of this
country to the number of 10000, 900
presented themselves before these
boards and were registered at a cost
per man for those accepted for ser.
vice of $4.90. Our weak point has
been the lack Of, ships, we were pre-
vented by narrow partisan politics
from developing an American mer-
chant marine. The great trans con
tinental railroads postponed for 80
years the construction of an Isthmian
canal and an American merchant
marine. 1t was their purpose to
force the movement of freights east
and west instead of as nature intend
ed north and south the way that our
mountains and rivers run. Their in
terest was at Boston and New York
and not at South Atlantic and Cult
Ports. l know to my sorrow what il
cost. 25 years ago, for a man in the
United States senate to advocate ship
subsidy with both parties dominated
by this selfish railroad trust. In ont