The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1918-04-06

GION-106 fllFSI duulVeTS-
airy of the entrance of the United
States into the war finds the great
resources of the country just coming
into the struggle but rapidly being
prepared.
The achievements of the first year
are chiefly divided between the army
which has been supplying and train
ing fighting forces; the navy which
has been hunting the submarine and
conveying troops and supplies to
Europe; the shipping board which has
been building merchant marine and
the treasury which has been advanc-
ing credit to the Allies.
In all other departments of the
government there has been tremend-
Gus effort to bring all the force OF the
country's resources and power to the
aid of the actual fighting machine.
For military reasons it is not per-
missible to state the exact number OF
American troops in France with Cen
eral Pershing's expedition, but Secre-
tary Baker, in recent testimony before
the Senate Military Committee pre-
dicted half a million men would be
there early this year and that another
million would be ready to go during
the year.
American troops have taken up sew
eral positions on the fighting line in
France, have occupied a sector of their
own northwest of Toul, and have had
numerous encounters with the Ger
mans. Official statements from Brit
ish and German army headquarters
have shown that certain American
fighting forces were thrown into the
battle brought on by the great German
offensive this spring, the British war
office first reporting them as fighting
shoulder to shoulder with the British
and French troops in the vicinity OF
Roye.
By referring to the combined forces
of the regular army and national
guard a year ago, and comparing the
strength of the regular army now, the
National Guard mustered into Federal
service, and the men of the first draTt
in cantonments, it is apparent that the
total number of ready fighting men
has been increased from meagre two
hundred thousand to something like
million and a half, with about ten m1i-
lion men registered under the dra1t
still available for calls to the colors.
Military experts have estimated that
should the war be prolonged and II
become necessary for the United States
to assume the burden of carrying on
the conflict an army of five million
men would not be improbable. The
immense and sudden expansion OF the
army has not been without criticism
but, it is declared that was expected
in the conversion into a fighting force
of a nation traditionally welded to the
pursuits of peace.
The expansion of the naval forces
has been characterized in congress by
many as praiseworthy. The exact de-
tails, here too, are shrouded in sec
recy as a military measure, but 1t is
well known that an emergency war
building program has been pushed
with such rapidity, that the United
States is we'll on the way to a place
second only to Great Britain as a
naval force, and that in destroyers
proved and deadly weapon
of the submarine-the navy by next
year will have the greatest fleet on the
seven seas. Since the United States
went to war, the navy has placed con-
tracts for practically thousand YES
sells, and beside that, took charge OF
repairing the seized German and Aus
trian ships damaged by their crews
at the. orders of the German govern
ment.
The case Of the great liner Water
land, now the United States Snip
Leviathan, is fair example of the
efficiency and speed with which the
naval engineers conducted that work.
When the Germans finished their work
IF destruction the, Vaterland's COM
hiander remarked he would take his
hat off to the Americans who could
but the ship in shape in time to be OF
any service. ss Il.
Within six months from the tifne1
his words were spoken the Vaterland
Was n running order and since. the
navy has .announced, has carried num-
80. y aa.a... 4x-ox,n- md great