Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star SATURDAY. JULY 6th. 1918. THE WEEK

Hokitika Guardian, 6 July 1918, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star SATURDAY. JULY 6th. 1918. THE WEEK

APiioi’os of America’s great eflort to help win the war tin- following particulars of the Fnited States Army preparing for the fray are of great interest. The strength of the United States Army on the eve of war was 137,000 officers and men. of whom 30,000 were stationed outside the United States. Available for service in the United States were also 132.000 officers and men of the National Guard. The whole manhood of the country was liable for service between the ages of 18 and 45. but only in the. United States. 'lhe expenditure in the last year before the war was £53,780,000. The census showed 20,000,000 men between the ages of 18 and 40, while about one million men every year attained the military age. President Wilson decided to avoid the mistakes committed in Great Britain, and introduced compulsory service at the very outset. A' Conscription Bill passed Congress on April 28th., 1917, by overwhelming majorities. The plans of tli ( ‘ American S* afT, provided for raising n First Army of 500,000 men by eon scription or •‘selective draft,” as it was called, increasing the Regular Army by voluntary recruiting to 287,000 men, and expanding the Militia, or National Guard, to 025,000 men, who were then to he incorporated in the Regular Army. When the First Army was completed, by conmulsiou, a second Army was to he raised, and so the process was to he continued until the United Stales had enormous armies in the field.

WtHT/K making these great preparations for the future, as the "United States armies could not appear in Europe ill any strength until 1918, the American Government took every possible measure to give immediate aid to the Allies. On June sth., last year the registration of men from 21. to 30 years of age through the country took place and was carried out without difficulty or disturbance. 'The pro-Germans, who had threatened trouble, caused none ; they were powerless to move the nation. In July the plans were revised, and the strength of the American forces which were to operate jn France in 1918 was raised to 1,000,000, the largest number it was then considered that could be armed, munitioned, and transported in time to be available. The National Guard was molrliscd and transferred from tile State Authorities* control to that- of •lie Federal Government-.

ArK.vN.TiMi? the American authorities decided to despatch a small advance force, to he known as the Expeditionary Force on the pattern of that little army which Great. Britain, sent to the Continent in August, 191-1. It was to sail with all possible speed under General Pershing. The plans for its mobilisation and movement were completed in Alay. On .Tune Bth., General Pershing and his staff landed at Liverpool and on June 28th the news was published that certain American fighting units were already in France. Tn August the announcement was made in the British press that the King had inspected certain American troops in Great Britain. All through the summer the movement of American troops to France continued. All information was witli-hold, to keep the enemy in the dark and prevent him from employing submarines against the American convoys. An attack was made on the first detachment of troops in June, but the subhmarines were driven off by American warships without doing any damage. The arrival of American troops in France was an advent of supreme importance, bringing as it did to the French people, who hau borne so terrific a burden in the three first years of the war, the assurance that henceforth their load would be lightened. The American soldiers impressed all. They had not the smartness of the British or French who had now been doing service under war conditions for so many months; they had to learn many of the new arts of war, among them grenade-throwing, hut- they were splendid, quick, intelligent men, and they assimilated their lessons with astounding speed.

Tiik United States Government recognised at once the im porta ice of aircraft in war, and one of its first measures was to provide for the construction of an onormuos aeroplane force, of 22.C00 machines, at a cost of £128,000,000. Congress sanctioned the programme on July 21. To build these machines would necessarily take much time, hut designs for them were supplied from Europe by the Allies, whose experience wfts thus placed at the service of the American Government. The works for building the aeroplanes had to he created or improvised out of motor-ear factories and the pilots had to ho trained. But no one doubted that, sooner or later their swarm of American aircraft would fill the air in France j and carry the war relentlessly into Germany. The producion of guns and shells was taken in hand by the Munitions Department with intense energy, and in July the announcement was made semi-offieially that the. country was ready to begin the work of equinping 2.000.000 men. This was in addition to the orders which were being exeeutived by American munition f:so-t-ories for the Allies, who had vast contracts Ktill hi process of execution, though Great Britain had become selfsupporting, and France was fast becoming such. In August- there were 500,000 men jn training, or as many ns could be sunnlied with nrms and equipment; 230,000 more men who had been selected by conscription wore called up to joiti their units on September Ist, !

Ztscz' tr.c-rt Amoxica’s effort has {trown with snowball effect. As tlie weeks and months went by the improved and still improving organisation gave larger facilities for war preparations. in March last, when the Germans began their greatest offensive in the endeavour to forestall the effort of the 17nitod States, the conditions were such that a more urgent appeal was made, to America, and the result is disclosed in this week’s cable news. The troops from America are pouring in at an unexpected rate. A year ago it was designed that there should be a million American troops in Franco this year. With blit half the year gone, the number is exceeded already. Last month alone over a cjuarter of a million men wore sent across the Atlantic Conjoined with the other superior ef forts America is making to win tin war, the feat is a truly remarkable one With all the great records for bit things accredited to America, the Unit od States has never done anything big ger in the way of practical effort This month will show a record no lcs remarkable, especially in the ship-built ing way, for America is -putting up * record, she will perhaps have a difficulty herself in excelling. Altogethei the American effort is superb, and i; the best guarantee of all ns to the man nor in which lhe war is to end

Events on tin' western front, as on the other battle fronts have boon largely of the nature of marking time. In Mesopotamia, Palestine and the Balkans, it has been evidently a week of great quietude. Tn Italy the opposing armies are still adjusting themselves as a result of the Austrian retreat. " The Italians are content to hold the foe at bay, while the latter is reorganising, including the high command to which a German general is being appointed. The Americans have been the most active on the West, then the French, anil finally the British. Probably the Americans did not omit to celebrate the 4th July, for daily now wo have been hearing of their success following well prepared initiatives. The French continue to display their accustomed gallantry, while the British work has been confined chiefly to aviation work, the intrepid airmen raining showers of bombs upon enemy points of military importance. The Hamel capture is also to the credit of the British. The German great offensive is being foreshadowed, and of course actively prepared for. There is a hint that it will he in the northern sector menacing the Channel ports, hut the main objective is still a well kept secret. The torpodoeing of the Canadian hospital ship during the week is a spur to the Allied forces to go oil with the task of making the fiends responsible for these great crimes against humanity, and the lesson of this event is well expressed by .Mr'Bonar Law who adjures the people to go oti with the. war without a waste of discussion so that reaching the goal, crimes so despicable, can be dealt with authoritatively. This involves hard and dark days yet to come, but the. gain for the world is worth the sacrifice and the toll. The war must go on to a. victorious end.

Tiri: technical classes it was resolved upon to start this week will soon be in running order. The gentlemen associated with the management are determined to give tli course a good trial, even at the risk of some financial deficiency. Some of the classes arc proving weak in membership, hut if is hoped with the opportunity given, the attendance will soon be satisfetaory. The other day it was deplored that the engineering class was not better patronised, and we are glad to hear that this opening is not to he dropped without a further effort to fill the class. Two very capable gentlemen enthusiastic about the matter have expressed their willingness to take charge of the class, if a minimum of six students can be obtained. Here, then, is an opening rich in promise for our young men. Instruction in mechanical engineering in these days when machinery is coming so much to the fore is of the highest value. With motor-cars, motor machinery, and the increased application of electrical power there are. numerous branches of the engineering trade for which a valued foundation can be laid at a technical class dealing with mechanical engineering. The opening is one which should not he missed, and wo shall he surprised indeed if such a golden opportunity is lost. The classes to he opened next week wo trust will prove the forerunner of our important educational advancement for the district, and lead up in the not distant future to establish merit of a well equipped technical school in the town for the benefit of the whole countryside.