The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1919-01-02
A Story With A Moral

the direction Of the War Department.
there was an exhibition Of the guns,
tanks, tractors, war materials and war
appliances in general which the United
States has produced since its declars.
tion Of war with Germany in 1917.
The exhibit was made on the govern
ment ground al Aberdeen, and was
remarkable spectacle. Ranks OF big
guns, Finch and I6 inch, poured tons
oi proiec,iles over the range. There
was the new 3ton, 3 man type of
tanks, an American design, intended
to take the place OF the ton type,
which was in use at the close Of the
war
There was the war tractor, another
American production, powerful enough
to plow its way through rough ground
and through forests, breaking down
trees, smashing distractions, and dring
an S-inch gun every thirty seconds.
There were l4-inch trench mortors
and l6'inch mortors. 1, was an ex
position, or demonstration Of accomp.
lishment, to thrill the pride Of every
American, and to impose the lesson in
a magnificent way, Of our great ability
to do thing'.
1t was spectacle which pointed a
moral which DO American should want
to 'orget,
With tie official review Of al! these
great Preparations for The war, the an
nouncement is made in almost every
line OF the news story which reported
the scene at Aberdeen, that the
cour'rv Taf about ready 10 begin the
OUT rha, The tauss would begin
to be produced in q1an'i'irs in the
sprinl", nrd t.I me II u ,lul ard
effective u-tlus wa be ready
"ab JlIc T..
10 clHs' V rtg, ttc U lid States
was getting good AID ready to fight
sometime within six months after the
fight was over.
" }-e-~ .-,cr!Fi2y g sa,9tl,ar Ia
enrmg with guns, and crush them with
tanks end verwhsIm them with armed
tractors in June, 1919, in a war which
ended in November, 1918.
Attention can be called row to the
above fact without the semblance of
carping criticism, or in the spirit of
crying over spi,lld milk. The
ordnance department derc nstrated the
TACT by the Aberdeen review tha, in
spite Of all its haudicsps, ii was max
ing progress mCst effectively. The
reriew proved concIusively tta. The
United States can produce the ueces-
sary weapons 10 meet modstn warfare.
But none Of these things were pro-
duced in time to be used in the w;r
for which they were intended. The
Germans did not wait until June, 1919,
to force the war Of April, 1917 Guns
were needed when war was declared,
guns that would shoot when the enemy
was shooting at US.
Thanks to the fact that cur Allies
had the material to fight with when it
was necerssry to fight, and could lend
what We lacked, we we're enabled to
have a part, and conspicuous part,
too, in the var which we declar.d.
But we fought our war with borrowed
guns and borrowed material.
The United States lacked nothing
in the way Of spirit, Of loyalty, Of cour'
age, or ol devotion. It lacked nothing
in the way Of money OF OF resources.
It only lacked, in 1917 and in 1918,
the equipment which it would have
received in 1919 had the war not end
ed when il did.
The moral Of the story is too obvious
10 need Illumination. No American,
LEI it be repeated, will want the big
lessen which was impressed upon US
by the exhibition OF materials that
would have contributed so greatly to
The winning Of the war, If they had
been ready when they we're NEEDED. -
! K. c. Star
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