Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1918-08-29
THE NEW DRAFT LAW.

I Congress passed the new draft DILL
for thereby is shown the determine
ton of the representatives of the PEG,
pie in both branches TO put the lar
gest possible number of men in
France at the earliest possible mo-
ment in order to win complete vic
tory without delay Much precious
time has been lost, but no doubt ev-
, cry exertion will now be made to
carry through the new registration
as rapidly as possible. This is a great
tneasure OF preparation, and express
es the feeling of the American people
in regard to the prosecution of the
war The weight of the United States
is already turning the scales which
So long have hung in doubtful bal
a1lce. l'iat weight must be lncreas-
ed in every possible way.
A great victory has been won, in
| the Marine salient, in which American
troops took a large and most impor-
tant para That victory has been
continued in the advance of the Brit
ish, French and American troops from
Amiens. We have every right to re-
| ioice over what has been accomplish
ed. We also have right to feel the
deepest pride in the splendid achieve
ments of the American soldiers. Dur
| ing the great German drive, when
began in March, the clouds hung low
and dark, but if hopes were dimmed
our faith in the ultimate result never
wavered. An undue pessimism then
would have been harmful in high
degree, and an uncalculating opti-
mism now would be almost equally
mistaken.
Great victories have been won. The
reasons e3r those victories are two
fold. the appearance of American
troops in large numbers on the fight
ing line and the unity of command
From nothing have the allies suffered
so much as from the lack of unity
of command, and the Wilson admins
tration is entitled to high praise for
having cordially joined in putting all
the armies on the western front under
the command of Marshal Foch. In
military operations nothing can be
worse than divided counsels and in
dependent commands, even if each
commanders is a man of the highest
ability. For military successes there
must be one man and one mind to
make the final decision. That has
been a great element of strength to
the Germans, The fact of this unity
of command which We and our allies
have at last attained has been felt
from one end of the western front to
the other.
The other reason for success was
the appearance of the American
troops in the fighting line. 1t was
not to be found in their
numbers alone, although those were
large and of the highest Importance;
it was in their quality Our soldiers
he! necessarily but little experience
in the long and bitter defensive war
fare carried on by the allies for the
last four years, but they brought
something cutie as important, as vital
even as that experience. They were
picked men of the finest physical and
mental quality, never war-worn nor
weary. They had not suffered from
tho miseries of hope deferred, from
the Encouragement which follow
great deeds that bring no final result.
Their spirit was at its highest In
one word, they. were the best shock
troops in Europe, for the shock troops
of England and France and Italy and
| Germany and Austria had all been
much more than decimated and had
lost to a degree the freshness of the
first keen impulse. Let US imagine
- r1o, of oa+fsfactiOn with which