The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-01-05
NEED MILLIONS OF MEN.
UNITED STATES PLEDGED TO
SEND GREAT ARMY TO
FRANCE.
Allied War Council Made Plans for
Unification OF All Forces and Re.
sources, Military, Naval and In
dustrial to Win the War.

time to offset the detection of Rus
sia was disclosed today through the
publication by Secretary Lansing of a
review of the work of the American
mission which recently participated
in the inter-allied war conference at
Paris.
American fighting men are to cross
the Atlantic as rapidly as they can be
mustered and trained. France and
Great Britain on their part undertake
not only to join in providing ships to
carry them but see that any defcien-
cies in arms and equipment are made
up on the other side.
This was one of the great decisi ons
reached at the conference through
which the cobelligerents planned to
pool their fighting resources and
move as a unit toward driving the
Germans and their allies out of con-
quered territory and crushing the
Teutonic world dominating scheme
There is to be coordinated effort not
only i'm fighting on land and sea, but
In production at home and in the vast
shipbuilding projects upon which de-
pends the vital problem Of maintain
ing uninterrupted transportation in
spite OF submarines.
Even before Colonel House and his
associates of the American mission
reached home the machinery TO
again to speed up war preparations
here had been set in motion. In to-
days announcement is seen the ex-
planation OF the reorganization Of war
department control embraced in the
formation of the new war council of
general officers. of renewed efforts to
speed up the shipping board mer-
chant building program, and possibly
of tho decision of the administration
to take over all the nations railroads
without waiting for action by con-
gress. Other indications Of the new
pressure applied since the House
mission returned are manifest about
the navy and war department but
most of the things being done can
not be discussed publicly for the
military reasons.
1t can be stated a.uthoritatively.
however. that definite steps to make
good the pledges given to the allied
leaders by Colonel House have already
been taken.
The first recommendation Of the
mission Is for "entire military, naval
and economic unity Of action between
the powers opposed to Germany"
That is regarded as having been ac-
complished.
The summary Of the military con-
ferences attended by General Bliss
shows that an agreement to pool re-
sources for the mutuai advantages of
all' was entered into. There follows
this significant statement:
THE contribution Of the United
States to this pooling arrangement
was agreed upon. The contributions
likewise Of the countries associated
with the United States were deter
mined. This pooling arrangement
guarantees that full equipment would
be available to the United States in
1918"
Looking beyond 1918 the United
States will have no need to seek mil
itary equipment of any kind away
from home. The third recommended :
tion Of the mission to which the coun-
try is committed is for extension of
the American shipping program.
Under resolution adopted by the
inter-allied conference a unified use OF
ship tonnage was agreed upon which
would permit 1.-The liberating of the
greatest amount OF tonnage possible
for the transportation of American
troops" a policy to govern the use
OF neutral tonnage was agreed upon
Even as the nature OF this agree
ment which has bound all the re-
sources of more than half the worlc
into one force to defeat Germany wa.
being published definite action to-
ward making it good was i'm progress.
also in Paris. Assistant Secretary
Crosby of the treasury department
who remained in Europe as presiden
Of the allied council. met there toda!
with the financial representatives o
the other powers to discuss question:
OF credit.
The decision TO keep American
troops moving TO Europe in a stead
stream marks another advance in tn
governments war plans. Originally
was proposed to use all available ton