The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1918-07-13
MARVELLOUS ACHIEVEMENT

(From Minneapolis Weekly Mirror.)
If there is a little hysteria present
in congress regarding the conduct of
the war; there is none in the admin
istration. Secretary Baker and Gen.
eral March, chief of staff, have got
things down to scientific basis and
the vast war machine which the
United States has built in Is months
out OF next to nothing seems to be
moving with smoothness and eff
clency which even the Germans them
selves could not surpass.
| When Senator Fall of New Mexico,
the same fire-eater who tried to bring
about war between the United States
ana Mexico two years ago, sought to
| nave the draft law amended 80 as to
| lower the age to IS and raise it to
as years, Secretary Baker and General
| March went before the military af-
| fairs committee of the senate and sub
| mitted some very interesting figures.
These figures showed that the admin
istration had things worked out on a
| scientific basis with due regard not
0AAAC ~ SAAO AuIlUcI VI cllS1Ul0S
CLASS 1, but to the shipping facilities
and the resources in food, clothing and
! other supplies needed by the army
! They further disclosed that the
army was five months ahead Of sche-
dule in troop movements, that $780,
600 men had already been shipped
abroad, and that if present hopes were
! realized, there would be 1,45O,OO0
American troops in France in August.
AS an indication of the many things
which have to be considered in wag-
ing the present. war, the most :cien-
| tific as well as the most tremendous
in the worlds history, it was shown
that the reason the troop shipments
had exceeded expectations was that
unusually good crops in England had
made it possible to employ much Bril-
! fish and French tonnage in the trans-
portation of troops which would other
wise necessarily have been employed in
the transportation of food supplies
for the populations of those countries.
BY July this British and French
! tonnage now used in taking American
troops to Europe will have to be d.
verified again to lood shipments, and
there is some question as to whether
the increase in the building Of Ameri-
can ships will be sufficient to make UP
the difference. Consequently the
schedule for the movement OF troops
after July is on a decreasing ratio.
! Besides this problem of transporta-
ton, there are many other problems
| to be considered and, in view of the
fact that under present plans the
United States will have 100000 men
under arms by August. the admins
tration did not think it necessary to
inaugurate the vast machinery and
go to the expense of classifying the
millions of men who would scome
under the extended draft age limits
until it was seen what the situation
would be some months hence: Also
1t was revealed that calculations upon
which the pending army bill was
framed have been exceeded and the
war department is now revising its
plans on an enlarged basis which will
be presented to congress within three
months. r.
In view Of all the administration
has accomplished in perfecting wal
preparations the criticism voiced by
Senator Fall that the war department
evidently, does not want any pre-.
paredness measures adopted" seems
very small and picayunish. 1t is like
many of the other criticisms of the
Wilson administration which have
been voiced: by men who knew moth.
ing Of what was going on.
OF course, in executing the tremend.
GUS task of putting this country on a
war basis, mistakes have been made
but, considering the immense Difficult.
ties which have been overcome in rails
ing and equipping an army Of 5000
600 men and building and manning
the ships to transport them across the
seas and to guard the lines of com.
munication, the achievement has beer
marvellous.