Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1918-08-17

| atty announces the output of merchant
ships by the allies and neutral nations
for the three months ending June 30
exceeded the losses from all causes by
| 296606 gross tons. The American
yards are now turning out vessels with
extraordinary rapitlity. The launch
! ing of the first one from the great gov
eminent yard at Hog island was at
tended by President and Mrs. Wilson.
Our war departments army program
was partly revealed to the senate com
mittee on military affairs by General
March. chief of staff. when he ap-
peared before it to urge all possible
haste in passing the bill extending the
draft age limits to eighteen and forty
five years. Concisely stated. the pro-
gram is as follows:
Ninety-eight divisions = 3.9oO.O0O
men-to make up troops obtained un-
der existing law.
Eighty divisions 100000 men-to
be sent to France.
Eighteen diviSions-72O.OOO mell-to
be held in reserve in the United States
while additional recruits are being
trained.
An army when completed Of 5000
GOO men, minimum strength.
Troop movement to France ut the
rate of 100000 men month until cold
weather sets in. meaning over 100000
more men abroad before the first Of the
year.
An expelitiOnary force of almost 2
100000 men in France by January l.
General March told the committee
the United States can end the war by
getting 4.0O0O0O trained troops. fully
equipped. into France. and he intimat-
ed that Marshal Fcch is only await
ing the arrival of the Americans in
full strength to hurl the entire united
military strength of the allies mt the
Huns on the western front. This ire
mentlous blow. he intimated. was due
to fall next spring. The chief Of staff
said he did not bslieve it would he
necessary to send the eighteen-year-old
class to the firing line. hut that the
government wants these young men
trained and in readiness. He said 1t
would be satisfactory if the bill were
passed Immediately after congress re-
Sumes the transaction of business on
August &c. Some of the senators be-
lieved quicker action would he advis-
able. Chairman Dent of the house mil
itary affairs committee. clinging to the
anti and ante-war ideas that always
have animated his actions. shows no
desire to have the bill considered by
his committee in time for early pas
sage It was stated that the sensible
members Of the committee, headed by
Representative Kahn, probably would
have to take charge of the measure.
Why TIE small-minded Dent is not
ousted from his craftsmanship Of this
most important committee remains one
Of the mysteries. Other men connect.
ed with the administration and the
government. who were pacifists and
small army and navy advocates. have
seen the error of their ways long since
and are doing everything in their power
to help win the war. but no such light
Eliminates the dense mind of Dent.
a.
The house ways and means commit
tee is still busy with the next revenue
measure. Secretary of the Treasury
McAdoo has Informed Chairman Kitch-
in that he is strongly in favor of fiat
war profits tax Of so per cent, which
he believes would render unnecessary
any increase in the existing excess
profits tax rate. and would also be
found the only way to reach real war
profiteering. The committee has
agreed upon section that would call
on the president to nay a tax Of S24..
600 as his part Of the cOuntry's flnan.
cial war burden and under which the
Supreme court justices. all federal
judges and all state officers would he
taxed. "There is great sentiment all
over the country" said Mr.. Kitchin.
''that no one should he exempted from
taxation" In which Mr.. Ki:chin
speaks the exact truth.
49,
The federal trade commission has
recommended that the government
take control of all the principal stock
yards. cold-storage plants and ware
houses and of refrigerator and cattle
cars. in order to destroy the monopoly
which it declares is exercised by Swift
4 Co.. Armour & Co. Morris & Co.. Will
son & Co.. Inc. and the Cudahy Pack
ing company. The commission ac-
cuses these concerns Of Illegally and
progressively controlling and manipu-
lating the meat and other food supplies
Of the nation. and Of protiteering.
The German hope Of ending the war