The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1918-07-01
AMERICAN MIN TO WIN
Money viii Not Fill Bill; Must Have
More Men.

mOiC wen.
The imminent broadening Of the
age-range of the selective service
marks the passing of the demsion
I that Americas chief contribution to
the war was to be money, and the
/ things money can buy. The war is to
/ be won by men. American men. whom
money cannot buy. AT last we see it
to be so, and the opposition. to ex-
tending the age limit, personihed 10y
the secretary OF war, mets away sud
denly.
AT the outset there were many in
huential men in America who thought
il better for the United States not 10
undertake large military enterprise
in connection with the war. They
argued for great naval expansion and
activity. but maintained that 10 nut
great army into France would be
more of hindrance than help to
the allies. Their reason for this be-
lief was that in order to raise equip,
transport and maintain an army. We
would have to cur,ail supplies for the
allies, 1t was this idea that gave rise
to the suggestion that we give nil.
lion dollars to France, outright. Ii
was felt that we could do our best by
providing generously for the main
tenance OF the allied armies that
were believed to be sure of winning
the war. Besides, there were certain
weird notions about beating the Ger
mans with electrical devices. but
these were the mere effervescenses
OF imagination. Practically all The
solid opposition to the big army idea
was founded upon practical consider
atoms. 1t wasn't cowardice. or
pacifism or money worship-it was
practical sense operating within mar.
row limits.
The coming Of the foreign ENJOYS
began our enlightenment. Men were
needed-chiehy for moral effect, 10 be
sure, but needed, nevertheless. So
we send over some marines and regu.
I lars, got the Goth and Rainbow diyis.
ions together and sent them alOng,
and proceeded inleisurely fashion TO
build a picture book army out OF what
material we had among the single
men between the age of 81 and 30.
Then came the series of events cul.
minating in the great offensive. and
we stood in full blaze of the truth
/ the truth that, American men are 10
turn the tide
But there are nowhere near
enough men in Glass as ii stands to
day. 1t is planned to call 1.550.000
men to the colors between July ! and
the end of the year, half-million
more than are available in Glass /.
We might 90 into other classes. but
I this would be industrlally and econo.
mically undesirable, and II is unneces.
sary. We expect to get 100000 men
| by process OF Reconsideration. They
will be absorbed in a month. Some
100000 men became available by the
/ 1918 registration--not enough by
10000 for two months needs. We
have got to have ampler sources.
Those sources lie on either side OF
the present age limits. We should
prefer not 10 send the boys into this
business. not because they ought TO
be coddled. but because~they are boys
and modern warfare is thing for ma
turity not adolescence, to graphic
with. But we have no choice. We
can't fight the war with theories of
youth and maturity. Men are demand.
ed, American men. and millions of
them. SO the boys must become men
quickly, in the swift maturing process
OF military service
And on the other side Of the pres.
ent narrow band stretched across our
population there are older men who
can fight or work under the selective
service plan, adding materially to our
military and economic resources.
They. too must fall in
For the war has become a question
OF men at last Let us not get away
from this idea again II always was
that, in fact. but some OF us didn't see
IT, II couldn't be otherwise. The
men Of the world are determining the
conditions under which they shall
live. How. then, could we have
thought that other men could settle
this matter for us. or that we could
settle II by money. or BY ingenious
contrivances, or by any sort Of proxy
Whatever? or course our men have
got to end this business as II ought
TO be ended-all OF them -Manches.