The Washington herald., 1918-05-04
Not Too Fast I!

Now that America has at last begun to recog-
nize the exact significance that man power will
play in determining the fortunes of the war, there
is deplorable tendency in certain circles to resort
to the high-flown pressagent type OF literature IN
dealing with the subject
Excesses of promise, speculation which has more
relation to somnambusm than to actual fact is
a tendency for which people have we'll
known weakness; but it was thought that the bit
ter experiences of last winter, combined with GER
tain "miscarriages OF plan" and failure, had about
cured Us of any further recourse to spreadeageism
for the time being, at least.
1t appears, however, that Secretary of the Navy
Daniels among others, is talking OF an army OF
100000, and of the conscrpting Of men up to
so years of age, if necessary; and there is now
a glib bandying of man power figures going the
rounds of the press based upon Secretary Bakers
estimates for the coming year, and upon the fabric
of rumor that is being built up about the present
speeding up" OF troop transport to France.
Now, the performance that the War Department
is doing right now in placing armies in the field
is creditable enough, without incursions into the
realm of the impossible and the fantastic. 1t is
not necessary to talk about such dropsical figures
as 100000 men in France by Christmas, or some
such date that. to give the public some impress
son to the great work that is being done. 1t
spols the substantial achievement that American
business ability is now showing to it with
publicity OF the ballyhoo sort; and it places an
aura OF unreality about our whole work to
be constantly dealing in figures which any military
man will tell you freakish and absurd.
Americans ought to be told that if they to
have 1900 900 soldiers in France by July August,
1910, it means a tremendous lot OF hard work and
a tremendous sacrifice and sclf-dcnial for every
mothers son OF us. None of the little hardShips
which we have endured with more or less bad
grace in the past six months will be a marker to
those which coming if to send army
OF this magnitude overseas to crush Prlssianism.
That might as well be understood at the outset.
Stripping for France and Britain have
stripped is something which Americans have not
yet experienced. Building up army Of 100000
to 100000 providing munitions and equipment
for it, mention the shipping needed to trans
port and to sustain it with supplies, is a task
worthy OF our steel, but let no forget that it
will take degree OF unity OF effort, of subordna-
ton of all private interest Of unfnching sacrifice
and conservation in all classes OF population.
Some iukling OF what may be cleaned
from the reports that the government is planning
a drastic curtailmcnt OF automobile output. In
France today it in impossible to get single gallon
OF gasoline for purposes. Imagine what
kind OF reception would greet government action
in the United States communicating gasoline and
banning all pleasure riding in motor cars STILL it
is not impossible that we may come to that before
this big job is with.
These the things in which Americans should
be educated optimistic forecasts of what great
work we going to do in the next twelve months
1t will be time enough to let the eagle scream and
pat ourselves the back when our vast prepara-
tons have enabled to deliver a really powerful
blow against the enemy who is now forcing
crisis in France.