New-York tribune., 1918-07-04
The Record


lab.ished custom, the greatest democracy
on earth makes its yearly effort to be
conscious of itself, to esteem its own
works, and to consider it's significance in
The scheme of human affairs.
1t is the Fourth of July.
Hitherto we have kept this anniversary
in a spirit of proud and selfish isolation.
We have had until now almost nothing
to DO with the quarrels of the world.
Two years ago to-day we were officially
neutral toward the struggle between etii-
cient barbarism and democratic civiliza
ton in Europe. A year ago we were in
It, but still unadiusted to the tremendous
physical, political and moral implications
Of that fact. A year ago those who said
that by the end of another twelve months
we should have q million American SOL
diers overseas to fight were thought un-
balanced and visionary. 1T seemed to
many an impossibihty. Where were the
ships to send them in? Where were the
arms 10 arm them with? There was no
plan for doing it. The government was
still undecided whether our contribution
10 the war should be Of an industrial or
q military character
Yet it has been done On Tuesday the
President announced the fact.
1t is an achievement without parallel
Ii military annals.
1t is a record, the President thinks,
which must cause universal satisfac-
ton So it must.
1t will be celebrated to-day in Great
Britain.
1t will be celebrated to-day in France.
That million men have gone from
America to fight in the cause of freedom
is not only an extraordinary physical
feat It is momentous historical fact,
the consequences OF which no one can
adequately imagine.
So. on this day traditionally reserved
Fer that emotional purpose. shall the
American Eagle not let himself go?
The impulse in that direction is very
strong. We dare say there is good deal
of what nowadays we call propaganda
value" in spreading the thrill of national
achievement. The news of what has been
many. 1t is the requiem of the U-boat.
Nevertheless, we are constrained to say
that we are all more in danger Of over
rYaising our part than of failing to ap-
preciate it. We are in danger, besides. of
claiming too much. We shall try to
speak our reservations gently.
From the statement made by the Sec
Al L.,
the President published at the White
House Tuesday, the impression is easily
derived that WE have sent an ARMY OF
million men to fight on what Mr.. Baker
has called the frontier of democracy.
That is not exactly the case.
a million American soldiers have been
sent overseas. 1t is not fair to say that
we sent them. Mr.. Baker does not say
that we sent them. He says only tha,
they "have sailed from the ports Of this
country" But he makes no mention Of
the British assistance, without which the
performance would have been quite i'm
possible.
Nor is it exact to think that we have
sent an army of d million men. Mr.
Baker does not say that. He says only
that "more than one million American
soldiers" have gone. But, again, there
is nothing TO qualify the impression upon
the casual mind that what WE have
sent is an ARMY Of a million men
thereby confirming the Bryan idea OF
Americans springing out OF the confu-
sion of unpreparedness into sudden
and miraculous fighting machine.
The facts are that when the German
drive started the Allies called upos
America for men in great haste, many
more than we had been sendng-mer
above everything else; men above fooC
on ammunition. They would find the
ships to take them in, feed them if nee
essary, and undertake to complete their
training and equipment America re-
sponded. The men were Forthcoming
The British diverted ships from the car
riage of food and ammunition and load
ed them with men instead. Troops haC
priority over anything else. 1t was &
great risk; England might have to &c
hungry But the emergency was tragic
Six -tenths of all the American soldiers
that have gone went in April, May anC
June, at an average rate of 1000 day
and very little else was going at all
When it is imperatively necessary fo,
the British ships to return to the car.
rage of food, the rate at which mer
90 will suddenly fall.
We rccite the facts for the sake of