New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1919-02-14
HEAVY LOSSES
DUE TO POLITICS
PLAYED IN 1916
FAILURE TO PREPARE FOR
WAR AFTER SINKING OF
LUCITANIA WAS CAUSE OF
LARGE PART OF AMERI-
CAN LOSSES
Special to State Record.

VdSuiHs 'oHp TCU. lS.--m ore ana
more as the boys come home is The
country learning OF the terrible
casualties that featur ed the fighting
OF some of the divisions. Startling
tales Of the lack OF artillery and air
plane support for the infantry in the
biggest battles are coming to Fight
as the inside story of those engage
ments is made public. Already the
House of Representatives, at the
instance OF Congressman Campbell
OF Kansas, has before it a resout on
to investigate the circumstances sur.
rounding the tremendous losses sus-
tanned on the division composed OF
Kansas and Missour; regiments. Gov.
Allen of Kansas saw with his owa
eyes, while he was in France, the
men Of his State go into battle with
a fraction OF the artillery which
should have acted with them. Hun
dreds Of soldiers lost their lives as
4 result
But the utter lack of adequate
training Of thousands of men whea
they were sent into the first line is
coming as a revelation to Senators
and Members of Congress 1t was
known last summer, when the ship
ment of soldiers to France was at
its height. that large proportion of
| them had not received sufficient
train ng in this country. Inquiry
brought the reply that their military
instruction would be continued 10
Europe and completed before they
were called upon to fight. 1t now
transpires that many men were sent
IN, ra,,1o for cha f,nb
divis ons who had never learned
even to load and fire gun. Others
found themselves facing the Ell my
with a machine gun in their hands
to which they were entirely unac-
customed and which they had to
l.arn to operate before they could
defend themsel elves. In some cases
it is stated on authority that mea
have been placed in combat divisions
alter only three weeks OF training IN
the United States.
lhe result has been the martyr
dom of thousands OF brave boys whose
lives would have be.n spared had
they received the training and equip
ment that should have been given
them. The onslaught of the Ger
mans in the spring of last year upset
the calculations of our Army Of
fic ais, and made it necessary to send
men to France to help in stemming
the Hun tide, no matter the degree
of their training Circumstances were
against us then and we suffered ac-
cordingly. But what of the two
years before the United States was
drawn into the conflict, when every
body knew that we could not escape
being involved Then is when we
should have prepared for the ine-
vitable. Thousands of soldiers lives
have been the price we have paid
tor our unprepar edness for war.
What must be the thoughts OF
President Wilson when he looks
over the casualty lists Of some OF
the divisions in the Argonne often
sive. and reflects upon how many
OF those lives could have been saved
if we had been ready. After the
sinking Of the Lusitania he knew
that war could not be avoided He
knew that a word from him would
bring appropriations from Congress
that would have made the Nation
ready Instead we hear him as late
as February /, 1910, telling the pco-
pie that There are actually men in
America who are preaching war.
who are preaching the duty OF the
United States to do what it never
would before. seek ENHANCEMENT in
the controversies which have risen
on the other side OF the water
abandon its habitual and traditional
policy and deliberately engage in
the conflict which is now engulfing
the rest OF the world" Mr.. Wilson
had resolved then to make his ap-
peal f1r reelection on the ground
that he had kept us out OF war To
carry out his preachings he had de
termined not to allow step to be
taken ior the a. Iuate protection
Of the people ose leader he was
The price the Nation has paid for
the proud distinction OF having
Wilson in the White House has been
heavy in men and treasure. Never
before did a country have such
cruel and gigantic hoax inflicted
upon it, 1920 will show that the
voters have awakened to the truth