The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-05-16

OPINION OF EXPERT As giving the view of the allied niil.. l tary experts on this plan, high officer
 in the service of one of the powers at war with Germany today gave these opinions to the Associated Press: From the news received and from the knowledge of conditions as they were when recently left France I can not believe that the situation is so com pletely in hand to warrant any slack ening off in the rushing over of Ameri- can troops.
 Even should this supposition be Cor rect it would be a great military error to work on such a thesis. There has
 been no more insidious propaganda than that which tends to reduce popular opinion in the entente countries into a false sense of security. What is being written today about the Germans hav- ing used up all their reserves and hav- ing staked their all cn victory or de- feat has been written almost literally word for word at every crisis since the beginning Of the war. The result has often been to delay preparation and to procrastinate in the carrying out e measures which eventually were forced to be adopted.
 OTTAWA INCIDENT
 An incident such as the Ottawa in- cident is one that might be seized with avidity by the enemy to cause the slow ing up in the flow of American troops and to cause argument and feeling about 2 matter upon which there seems to be perfect accord I cannot see that the statement as published in Otta va in any way alters the plans for build ing up big independent American army as popularly understood here. It seems to me that it is absolutely essential that the officers and noncommissioned Of ficers now en route for France should be given war experience in order that they may form the nucleus upon winch the great American army will be built which is to take the field we hope, as an independent unit in the spring
 This arrangement would appear to satisfy both sides of the argument if the case admits any argument, because not only would the American army be expedited as an independent unit as shown above, but the supply of the American endorsements at the pres ent moment would be bound to take some of the burden off the shoulders of the British and French to say the least of it, and might possibly save situation should it arrive.
 NOTHING CERTAIN IN WAR
 Tn war there is nothing certain and large number of American troops actually over in France and ready to fight within the next few months would seem to me to be worth five times the number which would go to make up an army of the future as seems to be the desire of those respon- sible for the Ottawa statement Of one thing I feel convinced; that the prestige amongst the nations of the world gained by Americas spontane- ous offering of her troops to France and England in the first of the crisis will be one of the greatest things known o history and is of far more spiritual importance now than 50 vic tories next year.
 at Gettysburg is worth 25 WaterIoos. Thoughts and speeches in rhemselvey do not win wars, but had there been no speeches there would have been no Waterloos. It would be interesting to know what General Foch thinks upon the subject. as it would appear to us that that is the only thing that counts at this time
 The French, British andN Ameri- cans are out to win the war as quickly as possible, and it does not matter one little bit who does it as long as 1t is done and the time cannot be far distant when. possibly, French and British troops may be brigaded under American commandersn