Arizona republican., 1918-03-28
Truth as a Tonic

The next offensive to engage our: attention will probably be that of the pussyfooters" against Gen. eral Leonard Wood who has returned from France laden with facts. The presentation of them does not make pleasant reading. It is calculated to jar out of fools paradise, pleasant contemplation of per- centages paper by which we measure our war like preparations.
 General Wood told the senate committee mli- tsry affairs that the Germans numerically perior in air and the ground. The events of the last six days have left doubt their numerical superiority the ground but had hoped that the allies had reganed superiority in the air if they had it. We told consistently that they had but disiliusioned last June when party of six American army officers returned from France and let us know that the Germans masters of the air.
 We have been in the ten months and cording to General Wood there is not an American gun American airplane on the western front. We have American soldiers there, something less than half million and they giving good count of themselves. But the American artillery is using French and British guns and French and Brit ish ammunition.
 General Woods observation the Liberty motor Is the prckng of another bubble When that was designed it pronounced the greatest motor in the world. When lately the completed product was turned out the publicity agents informed that had sur passed expectations. General Wood says nothing against it but recommends that it be used only in bombing planes and that the tried and proved mo- tors of the French and British be installed in our fighting planes.
 All these truths are unpleasant, but if they are taken they will act toncs. Tonics are nearly all ways disagreeable but sometimes they are necessary to keep us from sinking into serious declines One can if he chooses the other way relieve himself of bodily pain by copous draughts of syrups heavily tinctured with laudanum.
 General Wood renews his long-standing recom- mendation for universal military training and serv- ice, this time backed by the convincing argument of necessity.
 The United States needs an army of 5O0O00O It should have an army he says, of 2,5OO,OOo men in France It is clear to the reader of the daily dispatches that there are not nearly enough allied soldiers there, at any rate that week of the most terrible fighting in the worlds history has not developed them. There is somewhere said to be a misty mysterious and we hope a not mythical force called the Versailles councils Army of Maneuver" but it has yet appeared nowhere on the front We only Know that the British hurrying reinforce ments forward from Salisbury Plain and we suppose the Germans are likewise withdrawing men. Ger mans Austrians, Bugarians and Turks from less vital theaters of war, to Armageddon
 We cannot in day year add 100000 men to the American forces in France but we can add them as fast as we can. and we shall always know that they will be needed Many suppose why we cannot conceive that the developments in France will tend to shorten the war to bring the end quickly On the contrary they have so far pointed only to longer more stubborn war if the allies are to win, and they must win
 Sut II they should lose, then of America will need compulsory military training and service n,or. urgently than ever We will need an army of much more than o'ooO'ooo men and will have and main- tain such an army for years to come