Evening star., 1918-01-16
GIVES GLOOMY VIEW
OF u. S. AND ALLIES
Senator McCumber Urges
Radical Speeding Up OF
ShipbuiIding Program.
FOR ARMY OF 100000

Senator McCumber of North Dakota
today gave the Senate gloomy picture
Of the position of the United States and
her allies in emphasizing his plea for
radical speeding up of the shipbuilding
program. He declared England was now
bearing the brunt of the war and asked
chow long can she stand this strain." !"
The United States must send 100000
troops to balance the manpower of the
central powers, he said, and 100000
would be needed to make the Germans
retreat.
Russia and Rumania are out of the
war" asserted Senator McCumber.
ITALY is losing ground. France is
unable to make any headway. The
wall of opposition at the eastern end
of the battle line in continental Europe
is crumbling. Who can say how long
Italy can or will Withstand the Teu-
tonic pressure? Optimistic indeed must
be the man who will say single year
without additional support. With Italy
under the heel of the conqueror. with
France assailed in the flank, who can
prophesy that that country will not
quickly be brought under the heel of
the same conqueror and England S army
left to battle against overwhelming
things-first, the exact situation as it
now is, and. second. the possibilities
of the future, and it is presented with
the hope that we will at least partially
awaken to a realization of what is be-
fore u.s.
Mistake to Hold Back Weaknesses.
pointing out our weaknesses discour-
aged the American people and en-
couraged the enemy was a mistaken
one and declared that I'VE must now
learn the lesson that boasting will not
win this war" He said he was tired
of hearing argument that Germany
would be reduced to submission by
starvation, and stated that the central
powers control three times as much
territory in Europe as does the allies.
The balance of resources held by this
country. he said. should not be con-
sidered until there was tonnage to
carry men and products across the
seas.
hs thas entents powers We said have o about
ance the man power Of the central
powers this country would have to send
100000 men, and argued that an
other million was necessary to overbal-
ance the geographical advantage of the
central nations and another million il
the United States and her allies wished
to be the aggressor. 1r other words.
100000 to make the Germans retreat.
Says U. S. Failed on Ship Supply.
When the United States entered the
war the allies cried. Give us ships"
declared Senator McCumber. I'VE al
layed their fears: we assured them we
would supply that shipping. We took
4, oil !f,n
portant. the most vital duty incum-
bent upon US in this war. And we have
neglected that duty beyond any other.
shamefully neglected it."
wranglngs and disagreements in the
shipping board" he declared, and added
that he believed there was lack of ap-
preciatior of the submarine menace in
the board and that he did not believe
any member 50 unpatriotic to delay
shipbuilding while his personal diff
ferences were being settled. He de-
clared I'VE appointed Kilkenny ship
ping board and then went to Sleep"
and later in his address said:
Need Five Million Men to Equalize.
I'VE know we must supply Great
Britain and France and Italy. We
know we shall require 5000, 900 men in
France before we can ever hope to
eoualize the forces of the powers pitted
against each other. Where is our
Shipping? Where is it coming from
Possibly God knows; certainly neither
the shipping board nor the Navy De-
pa rtment knows"
Senator McCumber recommended that
the United States stop sending soldiers
to France now and use all avaifnble
tonnage for food for the allies, stimu-
late efforts to attempt to produce a
ship immune to torpedo attack and to
make a full and adequate test of re-
inforced concrete vessels. He said he
Relieved the allies would emerge from
fhe war after securing the peace laid
down by President Wilson, but was
equally "cartain that unless we come
to the SUPPORT of our allies with ship
ping facilities many times greater
than we propose. some Of our allies
80 fh> haff1AHAldo