Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-05
Washington, April ;.

Washington, April ..
FTiHE An1eriesu army and navy are
u living Up to their highest traditions.
This can be taken exactly as II Is
written There viii be victory before
ths uniforms are taken OF TO be laid
away. The fighting men who now are
IN the trenches those in the camps who
are getting ready TO 20 there, the men
who are coming UP with the next draft
e-and the next and the next II need be
1.-The 400, 600 and odd hghers Of the
navy all will see TO Il that there Is no
ccnpfornise peace that will simply
bury the sword for a few years That
Is the great, all compelling and con-
viisring fact that today stands out
here in Washington, the hub OF the
national war activities.
When Germany forced war with the
United States II found a nation un-
prepared. There was no real war ma
chine. The navy--what there was Of It
was ready IL is true. But the navy
Of Apri: Q, 1917, and the navy Of today
are two radically different bodies. Then
half OF our ships were in reserve. our
building program was proceeding
leisurely. The entire personnel was
only $4,000 men. Today It is nearly
six times that.
And as for the army. Well there
wac no real army. The regular branch
was on the border, IN Panama Hawaii
and the Philippines. What there vas OF
IL was good. But there was not even
enough Of It for defensive purposes. or
artillery we had none. Aircraft, such as
there was. was a joke. Today the army
and navy of the United States are
powerful potent factor to be reckoned
with IN the struggle TO save the world
for democracy. And every day adds to
the strength and power Of this machine
which will make the influence OF the
United states all potent at the council
table where the new map Of the world
will be drawn.
Mistakes, But Not Repeated
All this Is encouraging. especially so
IN view Of the general criticism OF ;he
war preparations in certain quarters.
There has been and Is much to criticize
II one is that way inclined. Much has
been done that should not have been
done. Many things have been left undonc
that ought 20 have been done. 40 crc
in official life win essay to deny this
But right in this connection there is one
great truth which means much TO the
people OF the country. That is this
There Il not known 20 Newspaper cor
ttepOnuene single mistake that has
been repeated. In every instance the
Government has taken advantage of its
mistakes TO improve its pisns aud to see
that they did not occur again.
There is distinctly some satisfaction
IN this. In every war heretofore I'm
which this nation has engaged mistake
mas been piled on mistake. and officials
have refused TO take heed 70 their errors
Today this is changed. Mistakes are
medium through which a corrected
program is prepared. and there is not
an official anywhere who does not frank
ly admit a willingness to change his
mind II shown that he was wrong.
General CrowdeT's Great Work
OF course, the greatest single achieve
rnent of the war has been the work.
ing out OF the selectiVe army plan
General Crowder's work In this connec-
tion has had far too little notice and
generally is overlooked for other things
more spectacular but Of far less worth.
For almost a year now this veteran
soldier has labored night and day per-
fecting the machinery which feeds raw
civilians into one end Of a hopper and
brings out at the other end the "army
OF democracy" trained soldiers. who
act as though they had never known
anything but the rife and the khaki.