Working and Fighting

Levin Daily Chronicle, 7 May 1918, Page 1

Working and Fighting

THE AMERICAN SPIRIT.

A higli opinion of the way in which tlie Americans were throwing themselves into the work of war preparations was expressed by Mr W. Crowls, a recent visitor to Wellington, in an interview with a "Post' reporter. Mr Crowlc's business takes him to America each year, and he has just completed ft tour of the United Statea .Canada, Japan, China and Korea. In America Mr Crowle travelled chiefly by motor, so that he might the better observe the country; and his impressions are interesting. He visited live large camps which had been built at a great cost in a very short period. Over a million recruits had already been drafted, but Mr Crowlc heard no complaints, nor a single meeting against conscription, though very many businesses had lost large numbers of their employees almost at once. In munitions development work there was the same activity. At Dayton, Ohio, for example, a new factory, just completed and the largest one-floor building in the world had boon voluntarily handed to the Government to be used in the manufacture of aeroplanes. With incredible speed the whole area had been transformed for the purpose—farmhouses removed, hills levelled, and railways constructed. The fact was that America was going to be as thorough in the war as in other things. She had not come in until the time was ripe. Some people considered that a declaration of war should have been made when the Lusitania was sunk, but President Wilson realised that because of the cosmopolitan nature of the population he had to wait for the psychological moment. Now that moment had arrived, America would bo in to the end. One heard some statements that America would fight it out, even if Great Britain withdrew. That was "hot air," but America would work in accordance with Great Britain's plans, and, Mr Crowle believed would accept a peace approved by Britain. Troops were being shipped to Europe rapidly. Mr Crowle saw the Vaterland returning from her fifth trip, and it was reported in November that there were already half a million Americans in France. Of course, that figure was only guesswork, but it was evident that transportation was proceeding apace.