The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-04-06
JUST TAPPING
OUR RESOURCES
First Anniversary of Our
War Finds U. S. Beginning
to Weld Great Power
MILLION AND HALF
MEN UNDER ARMS
Navy Force of Men Is In
creased Five-Fold-Vast
Enterprises Afoot

Washington, u. G., April 1.-THE first
anniversary of the entrance of the Unit
ed States into the war finds the great re-
sources 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 training lighting
forces: the navy which has been hunting
the submarine and conveying troops and
supplies To Europe, the shipping board
which has been building merchant ma
rine and the treasury. which has been adj
vancing credits 10 the allies.
In all other departments of the gov
eminent there has been a tremendous ell
fort to bring all the force of the eoun
try's resources and power TO the aid of
the actual fighting machine.
For military reasons IL is not permis
sible TO state the exact number of Amer.
lean troops in France with General Per-
shing's expedition, but Secretary Baker,
in recent testimony before the Senate
military committee predicted hall mil
lion men would be there early this year
and that another million would be ready
TO 20 during the year
American troops have taken up sew
eral positions on the fighting line IN
France, have occupied sector OF their
own northwest of Toul, and have had
numerous encounters with the Germans.
Official statements from British and Ger
man 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 Aationa
Guard mustered into federal service, and
the men of the first draft in canton
ments, it is apparent that the total
number of ready lighting men has been
increased from a meagre 100000 to some
thing like 100000, with about 10000,
900 men registered under the draft still
available for calls to the colors.
Military experts have estimated that
should the war be prolonged and it be-
come necessary for the United States to
assume the burden OF carrying on the
conflict an army of 100000 men would
not be improbable The immense and
sudden expansion of the army has not
been without criticism, but, it Is de
clared this was expected in the CONVEX
sion into fighting force of nation ira
ditionaly welded TO the pursuits OF
peace.
The expansion of the naval forces has
been characterized in Congress by many !
as praiseworthy. The exact details, here |
too. are shrouded in secrecy Al a military |
measure, but il is we'll known that an |
war building program has
been pushed with such rapidity that the |
United States is well on the way to a
place second only 10 Great Britain al |
naval force. and that in destroyers alone
most proved and deadly weapon OF 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 contracts for practically |
a thousand vessels. and beside that took
charge OF repairing the seized German
and Austrian ships damaged by their
crews at the orders of the German gov
The case OF the great liner Naterland,
now the United States ship Leviathan, is
a fair example of the efficiency and speed
with which the naval engineers conduct
ed that work. When the Germans fin
shed their work of destruction the Vat.
arland's commander remarked he would
take his hat off to the Americans who
could put the ship in shape in time to be
Of any service.
Within six months from the time his
words were spoken the Naterland was in
order and since, the navy has
announced has carried numbers of Amer.
can troops and great quantities OF sup.
plies to the fighting lines in France.
BY taking the ships and men of the
,oast guard into its fleets, by the merg
NC OF naval volunteers and naval mill.
ia, and with the growth OF the marine
,orps, the navy has expanded its forces
practically five times since the country [
vent to war. {
In its immense task of conveying .
roops there have been some losses, not I
Ibly the Tuscania and the Antilles, but !
he losses of life have been fortunately 1
mall in comparison with the number of |
roops transported At the same time '
he American destroyers, working with i
he British in the submarine zone have
made themselves a terror to the under |
ca boats. How many of these craft a
hey have accounted for remains a mill 7
airy secret
The treasury, concerned with financing r