Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-04-02

Harding Davis picture Of the entrance
of the Germans into Brussels, would
be worth immense sums as propa'
ganda to the allied nations at this
time.
But even were correspondent to
write It, the censor would not let IT
through.
EXPLANATIONS
It is q little difficult to understand
the logic Of an American who, calling
himself loyal, chooses q time like this
to minimize the seriousness OF the
war situation and to advise others to
share his view. The failure OF Amer
leans to waken to the peril in which
America and all civilization IL placed
cannot but result in further delaying
that vital moment when the United
States can announce to the world that
she is at the zenith Of her war-mak
ing strength and capable Of overcom-
ing the wonderful war machine Of Ger
many.
Yesterday the public in this country
read the stirring appeal Of Premier
Lloyd George for men In khaki to help
turn back the waves Of Prussian mill
tary force which, in week, had wiped
out much Of the gain the allies had
made in two years.
"In war, time Is VITAL" Is the sig
nifcant sentence in the premters ap-
peal, which continues, 1T is impossible
to exaggerate the importance Of get
ting American achievements across
is~
space Of time"
The Dss Moines Register, which
throughout the period Of Americas
participation in the war. has taken
more Of a pacinst attitude than q war
like one, devoted the greater portion
of a column ON its editorial page yes.
terday to advice based on this opening
sentence: THE Register would ad.
wise In readers to await with calm.
ness the facts with regard to Amer.
ican preparation for the war"
Then follows criticism Of the sen.
ators who have been active In their
efforts to obtain an aggressive admin.
istration OF the war department and
criticism also Of Major General Wood,
whose plea for large American army
was made to the senate military COM
mitteei after his return from the front
in France. And then The Register
ascribes all the agitation for speeding
up war preparations to the campaign
in favor OF Senator News bill pro.
viding for universal military service.
In an obvious effort to misrepre.
sent the true situation. The Register
says:
Less than four months ago Lord
Northcliffe made q tour OF the mid
die west to discourage the notion
of sending American soldiers to
Europe, and urged upon Ameri.
cans that they center all their
energies on sending supplies. ~
AS . matter of fact, Lord North
cliffe urged Americans to waken to
their responsibilities In the war. He
pleaded for ships, men and food. and
urged the dispatch of food hrst be-
cause ships we're not available for
both troops and supplies, and Europe
was facing famine. He impressed on
some Americans. at least, il not on
the editor Of The Register. the fact
that the failure of the United States
to build ships rapidly constitutes one
OF the most serious weaknesses in the
defense OF the nations allied against
Germany But he would indeed be
justified in denouncing the statement
that he made any effort ito discourage
the sending Of American soldiers tn
Europe" Had he done so he would
have been taking exactly the opposite
attitude to that Of other British rep
resentatives as we'll as General Joffre.
In the same issue of The Register
there was news dispatch from Wash
ington chronicling the fact that Lieut..
Col. e. Lester Jones Of the supply
division of the signal corps had testi-
fed before the senate military COM
mitete on Wednesday that only one
airplane had been shipped to Europe
by this government since the war be.
gan.
One airplane in eleven months!
And the aircraft board, which prom
Used to have $4,000 planes in Europe
by June /, has reduced .he estimate
to 1000 and set the date forward to
October l. It has been announced in
the senate that thirty-seven planes
will be in France June 1. Meanwhile,
american SOIulCIS Ac Oh tHS
line without aircraft protection except
that which the French are able to
spare.
But the complacent Register says OF
this fiasco:
The Register knows nothing di.
rectly concerning the airplane
progress we have been making.
But it does know that Howard E.
Coffin is in charge, and that he
has held an enviable reputation as
an engineer and promoter Of large
enterprises. The chances are
that he has ready explanation
for what has been done and what
has not been done.
Explanations are Of little conse
Quence when weighed against Ger
man shells. The thing America needs
now Is not an explanation. but a 50
preme war council, working tirelessly
snd effectively, to make up for thu