Daily Kennebec journal., 1925-08-03
Editorial Comment
Looking Back at the End Of the War

IN. Y. World)
The report of a Reichstag commit
tee upon the causes of Germany's
defeat can only underscore con-
clusions long since accepted. Ger
many lost her last hope of victory
when Ludendorff's final stroke In
July of 1918 carried him across the
Marne but failed to give MIN
Rheims. She lost her last hope OF
averting military defeat when the
August operations showed 1,5O0,O00
Americans in France, helping the
Allies push toward the Vesle and
preparing to wipe out the st. Mlhlel
salient.
1t was the prime miscalculation of
the German command, as the report
points out, that it failed to realize
how fast the United States might
pour troops into France. 1t cor
rectly predicted that the spring
fighting would show fewer than
100000 Americans there. Luden-
dorff loosed his thunderbolt at st.
Quentin on March 81, and on April
/ there were only 100000 Americans
abroad. But the stream became a
flood. On June l there were $4,000;
on July l there were $4,000; on
Aug. 1 there were 1,293,000, with
more arriving at the rate of 10000
day.
Looking back, the Reichstag COM
mittee may well emphasize not only
this extra ordinary increase" but
the effect of American numbers and
American energy on Allied morale.
Fresh, wen nGurished and with un-
broken ner es," our troops put new
heart into the battle line. The
Of hoir
couraged the British and French in
the forward thrust of Aug. 8. which
Ludendorff later called the black
day of the German Army. The
Reichstag does not condemn the
gamble of the high comand in its
March offensive. But If German
leaders had realized that the next
six months would bring one and
three quarter million Americans
overseas, they would have seen that
any gamble was hopeless.
Maine Doing Something
(Manchester Union)
One of the best publicity men,
best press agents in America har-
bors somewhere in the shades Of the
horse chestnuts, grey birches, silver
naples, and other trees that justify
the name 1.-The Pine Tree State"
What other State is in the news of
the Nation at present as is the
State of Maine? The papers that
come on the mahogany desk with
silver bands on which this is writ
ten. all have something to say about
Maine. One hardly guarantees that
the Arabic paper from Bagdad
which some admirer of the Union
sends relates what goes on in Maine,
but there is no way to prove that 1t
does not.
Maine does something all the time.
It hacks down bill boards. it joins
hands with Florida across the sea,
or across New Jersey and Mason
and DiXons line, it gets out of sea
Vater, dams the sea with only a
final m and no subsequent n, it an
nexes the North Pole and is reported
to be negotiating with Ecuador for
the Galapagos Islands. accented on
lap" it "favors" Massachusetts,
"unites" with New HAMPSHIRE and
as fake coal companies in Chicago in
the past used to operate under
Maine charters, no doubt it may
solve Chicago's trouble with the rest
of Illinois by making Chicago legally
part of Aroostook County and en-
titled to home rule.
That press agent up there in the
burr oaks and blue beaches of The
Pine Tree State is the best possessed
by any State. He has not yet re-
leased any stories about Maine hav-
ing her jewels stolen, taking daily
baths in milk, any interviews with
Maine saying she likes baked cod,
Dickens, pate de foie gras, and fox
II
the old time-honored actress stuff,
which excites the query why some
actress has not sought him out as
a press agent and the further query
whether there are any actresses any
more.
Maine talks of having the most
picturesque scenery, which we of
New Hampshire refuse to admit; the
most picturesque murders, which we
concede; the biggest yields of pota-
toes, sardines, canned corn; the
most sleigh rides in June, the most
bootleggers, best sailors and as
good CLAIMS as anywhere else.
So far, the Maine press agent has
confined himself to the truth. He
has not gotten UP impossible stories,
but has planned striking events, like
having soldiers chop down bill
boards. To be sure, he might have
done better even than that. He
might have had the Maine Fedora
tion of Woman's Clubs do it.
The latest good news story Is that
Maine is going to survey itself, look
itself over. While doing this, the
rest of the country will be gently in
vited to survey Maine surveying
itself. Maine will quite likely see
very little of Maine in doing this.
but the rest of the country will see
Maine while Maine Is doing this