The Washington herald., 1918-02-06
In the Trenches.

In surveying the mite of force have in
France which has just taken strip of 'front.'
line trench in the Lorraine sector We are reminded
whimsically of the Kaisers pet phrase OF the ante
Marne days. Gen. Frenchs contemplate little
army" To the Kaiser it was contemplate because
it little and insignificant it was puny and mean
in comparison with the mighty helmeted legions
which he unleashed to crush Europe under his
heel 1t is safe to say that the Emperor has re-
viscd his opinion of the British army 1t is
hardly "contemptble' any longer, for it has grown
in a steadily ascending curve, and has thwarted
him at every turn. 1t opened the with noble
sacrifice, for it Sir John French had not been will
ling to have his tiny force almost wiped out in
staying the German advance Paris would have
fallen and with it France
That contemplate little army" which the Brit
ish threw across the channel into Belgium almost
before Liege and Namur had fallen, which saw the
flower of its manhood done death at Mons and
Charleroi, several sizes larger than the force
which the United States has succeeded in trans
porting to France after nine months of preparation
This is said in disparagement OF work;
a matter OF fact, the American program called for
the careful outstanding and conserving of
standing army, so that it could train and supervise
the great forces summoned from the civil
ian population. The British doubtless would have
done the same, if France had been able bear the
shock and brunt OF the first German blow unaided
In the face OF great emergency the British con-
sentcd TO d great sacrhce-and Earl Kitchener was
LETT to the task OF creating great army with
the nucleus OF a regular army build
upon
The Prussans have sneered at our forces, laugh
cd them down the wind ridiculed pretensions,
told US it was impossible for us TO get a really
worthwhile army in France. matter what time
took This is exactly the attitude they assumed
towards the British; the Germans boasted it was
Impossible +" make real army out OF civilian
3eNIss without years and years OF intensive train
iag- Kitchener to work 10 explode that fal-
. ls-ys and did The United States is working to
c<plode II ROW; and it will do We even dare
20 believe that American youths can be equipped
TO go into the hrst-line trenches in less than
years time The Germans. following the drill man
Ual. and thinking always by groove and formula,
will insist until the end "it can't be done"
We not ashamed of pioneer force in
France small as 1t is; believe that the Secretary
OF Wars prediction of it's rapid augmentation is
approximately correct. despite the temporary pes
sImism which has fallen upon the Shipping Board
President Wilson has recently spoken of 1913 as
the decisive year OF the war, and this Judgment is
supported by all the experts and specialists, far
know. He would hardly have committed
himself in this fashion unless he had information
showing that america would be the firing line
IN real strength before the year is out. 1t is true
that Mr. Baker, i'll his statement before the Senate
committee made his progI and his promises
tingent upon shipping but neither he nor any 9th
official would dare to raise hopes and make
promises to the public which they knew were i'm
possible OF fuIhmcnt. The American government
IS awake, 1t is not going forward false bottom
and It is tot resting its highly tentative
ifs This year is the time in which we must re-
veal some measure OF strength: put an
army in France worthy of the name; one which
will show the Germans that their hopes Of even
stslc-ma;e in the war arc vain
We are willing to endure and beittle-
rHent from the Prussans now, If We have substan-
tial that different tone must of neces-
sity be adopted later. Americans are willing to
wait, in the confidence that the crown of their
mighty effort will yield new luster to their
name.