"Uncle Sam" Rolls Up His sleeves.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15871, 10 April 1917, Page 6

"Uncle Sam" Rolls Up His sleeves.

If the United States Government was deliberate in making up its mind to enter ifito the war, it is showing no lack of promptitude or thoroughness now that the dio has been cast. Realising that tho vast financial resources of the country afford tho most readily available means of helping t6 win the war, the Administration intend to ask Congress for a vote of five billion dollars (about £1,000,000,000), of which it is proposed to lend to th e Entente three billion dollars (£600,000,000) at the same rate of interest as that which the United States Government has to pay the lenders of tho money. The remaihing £400,000,000 is to be spent for war purposes—raising and fitting out

armies, increasing the Navy, tho purchase of munitions, and so forth. The Minister of War that conscription is absolutely necessary, and the great enthusiasm which the war has evoked among the mass of tho American public gives ground for confidence tha-t if compulsory service is asked for by the Executive it will be cheerfully agreed to by the people. The great growth of prosperity in America and the increase in habits of luxury may have led many of us to think that 'the nation was sunk in indolence and sloth, caring for nothing but personal ease and material gain. Many of us thought the same thing of the British people until the tocsin of war sounded, and the nation woke up out of sleep and showed us that the supposed corruption and slackness of fibre affected only a very small section —that the British nation as a whole was virile, courageous, and patriotic. We believe 'that wo shall now find a similar revival in America —that the nation will slough off the morbid matter which was making its appearance on the surface of American society—and we shall find that the fighting spirit of the Americans so indomitable in the great American Civil War is as keen as ever. Ono thing which can be truthfully said of the United States is that tho country has never yet engaged in a war of pure aggression. It has now taken up arras for no other purpose than to assist in defending our modern civilisation against a nation which seems possessed |, of the innumerable devils let loose from '

Progress of the Y/ar. The messages from British Headquar--1 tors this morning Trill go far to Allay ' anxiety regarding the aviation situation. It is quite clear that the German reports of successes in the air are grossly overstated, and that both sides are losing heavily in the intense aerial activity which is a necessary feature of tho Allied advance. Sir Douglas Haig's account of tho air fighting is supplemented by a remarkable description by Mr Beach Thomas of the modern methods adopted in aerial ■warfare. This account, which is supported in its essential details by reports from other correspondents, clearly shows that the new British machines are in every respect as wonderful as those of the enemy and that the British aviators are equally skilful. It is quite evident that with the introduction of the small and wonderfully fast machines which are now being tised a new era has been entered upon in aerial warfare, and that the old typo of machino is nowadays of very little use. Tho British machines have been operating forty miles behind the firing-line, and have rendered invaluable service in photographing the land through which the next German retirement will take place. With the coming of fine weather tho Allied airmen are confident of gaining a s completo command of tho air as they obtained in last year's operations on tho Somme. In the meantime they have evidently assisted the artillery materially in recent operations which are expected to be a preliminary to a ' battle which will compel the enemy to either enter upon a further retreat or accept a decisive battle on his present lines. If the enemy falls back from the Hindenburg line, which, according to reports from German sources is already seriously compromised, it is quite on the cards that the already talked-of retirement to the Rhine may be nearer than most people are prepared to believe. The report that Marshal von Hindenburg is gravely dissatisfied with the German generalship indicate 3 weakness at what has hitherto been Germany's strongest point, and means that the plans of tho General Staff have badly miscarried. If that is the case tho situation on the "Western front is even - more favourable than we havo hitherto dared to hope.