Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1918-11-02

To these pathetic pieadinas and mechanically
suppiications we have not turned a desfened
car. The heartless Huns. with their deadly
fangs dripping with human gore dragged us
into this msreiless war They forced us to
draw the sword of righteous retribution. and
God helping US. that sword will not be
sheathed until German Kaiser. Turkish Sui
tan and Austrian Emperor have been scourged
from their blod-soaked thrones (applause),
until their hordes of inhuman assassins have
been captured or conquered and the peace of
the world has been rs-cstablished upon a foun-
dstion enduring the everlasting hills.
(Applause)
tinhappiy. the voters of this country are
obliged to carry on a campaign with ballots
In America while their boys are carrying on
q campaign with bayoHets in France. In No
vember the people must elect a Congress
Without the unstinted legislative support of
that Congress the war can not he won. With
cut the support of that Congress. our Army
can not win single battle our Navy can not
gain a single victory. Without the support
OF that Congress cur soldiers and sailors can
not be armed. proyisioned. or equipped Their
dependent families can not be clothed OF
sheltered or fed. Therefore this years cleo.
ton is of extraordinary Importance to every
one interested in winning the war.
There should be no politics In the conduct
Of military campaign. But there be
10 improperly in our udbpitting TO the coun-
try the record made by a Denaocratic Presi-
dent. Demoeratic Congress. and Demo-
cratic cabinet in the management Of this a.
gantic enterprise. If the people do not sp-
provegth reeorts theyy-yill6 rebuke those whs
made IL. BY choosing new servants to repre-
sent them during the next two years. On the
other hand, if that record eonclusively shows
that our achievements In have not only
equaled the Wilson administrations accom-
plishnents in time OF peace but that they
have actually surpassed all human expects-
tions. then the voters with their characteristics
wisdom will make no ohsa ge, (Applause.) (.
As to what has been done, let recent history
speak to the point, and III the light of that
history let the people record their verdict st
the polls.
The Matehess Record Of Our Wartime
Achievements.
oRsApril 6. 1917. the day on which we en-
tsred the war. our Army, Including all Of itss
various Branches. consisted Of ls5,i47 officers
and men. By September 20, 1915 that Army
mad grown, as If by magic. until it had in 1t
3.062.5l3 officers and men. OF the latter
number we have thoroughly trained. fully
equipped and safely transported more than
100000 officers and men 10 the fighting front
IN France, over 5000 miles of ocean filed with
mines and teening with German submarines.
At the beginning of the war had 25T
forts, environments and training camps. We
now have 4ls We then had only seven field
and base hospitals; now have 3sS
The medical department of the Army had
In it 1926 officers and men; it has grown
until il Is now an establishment of 260,s84
officers and men.
BY the application of the latest and most
scientific methods of treating the sick and
the afflicted we have reduced the death rate
in Army camps to 10 men per thousand. the
lowest rate ever recorded by any nation in
any war. and rate of more than II less
deaths per thousand than occurred in our own
training camps during the Spanish-American
war.
We had 1856 officers and men in the Corps
of engineers. We now have 2s4,4o7 officers
and men in this department. and more than
2o5.o00 of them in France reconstructing
war-wrecked industrial plants. laying railroads
over which to transport troops and supplies,
and building bridges over which our yictori-
Gus armies of unnumbered thousands will
later march to the pursuit of the demoraized
and fleeing Huns.
When we entered the war our Navy had IN
all Of its various branches aggregate of
81 $50 officers and men; It now has in 1t
more than $4,000 officers and men. We had
but 304 ships aHoat we have 1900. and
under the direction of our efficient Secretary
Of the Navy others are being built faster than
they can be counted. to the supreme satisfac-
tion of our allies and the utter CONSERVATION
Of our foes Assisted by the British Navy we
have safely conveyed more than 1900 troop
and supply ships across the ocean.
On the day we entered the war air
service had in it l.i75 officers and men There
are more than 1913. 900 in II now. We then
had three aviation fields we now have %.
We had 2i0 training planes then;
have more than $500 planes of various kinds.
The foregoing naked figures and facts con-
cisely express the magnitude Of the marvellous
military program have carried out during
the first Il months have been at war
The mere raining Of our vast Army. fgura-
lively speaking in the twinkling of eye.
although an accomplishment without parallel
In history is. nevertheless but part of
titanic performance It is but a single act Of
a very long and complicated drama.
Everyone of the millions in our new Army
and everyone of the hundreds Of thousands In
our new Navy had to be clothed and sheltered
and fed. Everyone of them had to be fur
nissed equipment including everything from
the shoes on his feet 10 the hat heln>t on
his head including everything from the rude
tin crp from which he drinks his coffee to the
rifle with which he shoots his foe everything
from the razor with which he shaves TO the
bayonet with which he Stays the vicious Hun.
All these things. in hitherto undreamed Of
quantities, had TO be provided By Gov
ernineat for the comfort safety and effective
ness Of our boys as they EMERGED from the
pursuits Of peace proudly to take their places
IN the serried ranks of war.
+ There were next presented for solution Ia.
dlfaeuit problems Of transportation the mo
bilizas!on q industries: the speeding up Of