Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-04-02
ALLIES ARE STRIVING
TO MAKE BATTLE
DECISIVE OF war
England and France VIII Eat.
Less In Order To Get
Americans al Front
By Can D. Groat


Washington, April 2. - American
trade is being stripped to the bone to
provide tonnage for speeding troops
abroad.
Shipment of non-essentials is being
30 eurtailed, it is intinsted, that much
additional shipping is being obtained
from unexpected quarters. Already
troop transport has been materially in
creased over earlier months of this
year.
Substantial national army and ma
tional guard reinforcements of Gener-
al Pershing's army viii be on the fir
ing line before the hottest summer
weather sets in, it is declared.
America is responding steadily to
the call of France and Britain for
more troops All arms of the war gov
ernment are cooperating to keep the
transport lines unbroken during the
great western front crisis.
The announcement in London that
United States troops would be brigad-
ed with allied units, Officers here said,
will not affect most of the forces now
in France.
Pershing's men for the most part
are sufficiently trained to take up.
their part in the great battle. it is
stated.
If the fighting reaches the point,
however, where it will be necessary to
use every available man, military men
here say the plan announced by Lon
don no Doubt win be adopted. BY that
method the newer units moving toI
France can assume role before un-
dergoing a long period of training ov-
er there.
American officers here said almost
any American division could be thrown
into the fight without much further
training and give as good an account
of itself as the raw British units did
at the first Ypres battle. "But we
must consider that the commanders of
units must learn a great deal more
than the men," they added.
Consequently it would be an ad-
vantage to have our new units brigad-
cd with French or British so that our
commanding Officers could accom-
pany the allied commanders of bri- |
gades as observers, thus learning val
liable lessons in the handling of troops
in large masses.
shortly.
While no statement had been issued |
lere up to early today, the understand |
ng was that the men to be brigaded
With the allies would constitute scat /
cred units less seasoned than the bulk |
# the American forces They will have /
lad general training however, and pr b.
IDLY more of it than the British give |
heir men.
OF the American forces now in
france large percentage are auxiliary
roops, skilled workers, foresters, engin-
ers, etc. By devoting most of the trans
'ort space during the next few months.
argely to fighting men, there are some
fficers who believe the number of sol
Iiers that could be transported might
70 tripled.
At the same time the transport of
nen thoroughly trained and waiting in
antonments is being rushed to the last
egree. The voluntary censorship pre-
ents dealing in figures, but the gen
raj thought here is that the canton
lents viii be stripped of the first cali
len by August. 4
Their places will be filled by second K
raft men as rapidly as the canton
lents have space for them.
The German offensive, stalking Ger 4
lany's all on the outcome, has forced
he allies to strengthen their man power
apidly. Britain is ON the verge of new
leasures to enlarge her army hurriedly.
md, with America increasing her for
es considerably above original sched
les, it is manifest to military men that .
here is an effort on to make this west =
m struggle the last bigone.
They believe the war will probably Il
0 on another year or more beyond this t
attic, but with Germany stodd off or 4
eaten back, the victory win be with t
he allies. t