Martinsburg W Va evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1913-1920, 1918-04-06
Ill INNATE VICTORY
ALREADY ASSURED
With the u. S. In War But One
Year, Says Expert.
BY JOHN EDWIN NEVlN
Washington Manager !. N. S.

8
I Washington, April 6-The United
States will have been in the war one
year today. Elsewhere in these col
umns will be found the technical
record Of achievement II is not the
purpose of this dispatch to cite fig
lmrges and statistics exceIk as ex5
planatory Rather it is the desire of
the writer to tell Mary Jones, whose
boy is fighting in France with the
Rainbow Division; Esther Clark,
! whose. man to be is with Clarence
Edwards New England boys over
there" or Shane OlBrien, whose
husband wears the regular uniform
in France, that all goes well.
The American army and navy are
living up to their highest traditions
This can be taken exactly as it is
written. There will be victory be
fore the uniforms are taken off to
be laid away. The fighting men who
now are in the trenches, those in
the camps who are getting ready to
go there. the men who are coming
up with the next draft-and the next
and the next if need be-the 100000
and odd fighters of the navy all will
see to it that there is no compromise
peace that will simply bury the sword
for few years. That is the great,
lau compelling and convincing fact
that today stands out here in Wash
ington the hub of the national war
activities.
When Germany forced war with
the United States it found nation
unprepared There was no real war
machine. The navy--what there
was of twas ready, it is true But
the navy of April 6. 1917, and the
navy of today are two radically diff
ferent 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
was no real army The regular
branch was on the border, in Pana-
ma, Hawaii and the Philippines What
there was of it was good But there
was not even enough of it for de-
sensive purposes. OF iartillery we
had none Aircraft, such as there
was, was a joke Today the army
and navy of the United States are
a powerful, potent factor to be reck-
oned 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.
All this is encouraging, especially
so in view of the general criticism
of the war preparations in certain
quarters. There has been and is
much to criticize if one is that way
inclined. Much has been done that
should not have been done. Many
things have been left undone that
ought to have been done. No one
in official life will essay to deny
this But right On this connection
there is one great truth which means
much to the people of the country.
That is this:
THERE is NOT KNOWN TO
THE WRITER A SENGLE MISTAKE
TIiAS HAS BEEN REPEATED. IN
EVERY INSTANCE THE GOVERN
MENT HAS TAKEN ADVANTAGE
OF IT'S MISTAKES TO IMPROVE
IT'S PLANS AND TO SEE THAT
THEY DID NOT OCCUR AGAIN.
There is distinctly some satisfac-
ton in this In ev cry war hereto
fore in which this nation has en-
gagged mistake has been piled upon
mistake, and officials have refused
to take heed to the ir 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
frankly admit Willingness to change
his mind if shown that he was
wrong.
OF course, fhe greatest single
achievement of the war has been the
working out of the selective army
plan. Crowder's work in this con
nection has had far too little notice
and generally is overlooked for 9th.
er things more spectacular bat OF
far less worth. For almost year
now this veteran soldier has labor
ed night and day perfecting the ma
ehinery which feeds raw civilians
INTO one end of a hopper and brings
out at the other end the "army OF
democracy - tra ;paa eoldin.. ~