The Daily News. FRIDAY, MARCH 1. AMERICA'S HELP.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 March 1918, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, MARCH 1. AMERICA'S HELP.

Some idea may be formed of the marvellous resources which the United States is utilising for war purposes by to-day's cable news. Everything connected with America is on a large scale, so that whenwe are told that she is working out a colossal programme of shipbuilding, the statement conveys the impression that the biggest work of its kind ever attempted in the world's history is now being carried out. The details are only summarised, but they are sufficient to show how completely engrossed is Hid American Government on making its part in the war worthy of the great nation it represents. No ordinary shipyards could satisfy the requirements for this Vast enterprise, arid it is thoroughly characteristic of the authorities to have taken a -.hole island for the purpose of making the most gigantic shipbuilding quarters that the world has ever seen. That action, however, is only a detail of the scheme, the mainspring of which i 3 the manufacture of standardised parts which will be assembled and put together at this island yard. The advantage of tilts method is obvious, for it ena-bles every factory to be engaged in turning out the various parts, which, when fiiit together, will take the form of new ships for commerce and for war purposes. Some conception of the vastness of the scale of these operations can be obtained from the fact that the island in question is to contain twenty thousand people, and that a thousand factories will be employed In manufacturing the parts destined to create new ships at the rate of a merchantman every day. It is expected that during the present year this island yard will turn 'out fifty ships of eight thousands tons, and though it seems incredible that such tremendous results are possible, yet there is no reason to doubt that every effort will be made to carry out the programme, and, if possible, to exceed the estimated output. The American nation is on its mettle, and can be relied upon to beat all previous records. The money, the men, the material and the organising brains are all there, besides the determination to win the war. The same spirit which is actuating our American cousins in solving the shipping problem is also evident in connection with military matters. Efforts are still being made in Germany to persuade the people that America's participation cannot affect the military situation. A recent ...ui-official comment on a recent statement by tlie United States Secretary for War declared that America could not put more than 500,000 men into the European battlefields, because "a large part of the army must remain behind for the protection of the frontiers, the coasts, and the colonies." Incidentally this analysis of America's potential strength prdmised "the decision on the western front this spring," and argued that the shipping difficulty alone would prevent any appreciable activity by America. In the statement which the Germans described as "a gigantic bluff," Mr. Baker showed that on December 31 America had mobilised 110,850 officers and 1,428,050 men, which an army of "substantial size" idy for active service in France. He ha: '"ce explained tha' phrase to mean 500 men. That fo ''as taken over a s. .n of the front, ..ad has already had gome weeks' experience in trench i

warfare, as daily casualty lists m the American papers testify. it is now estimated that as 'a result of a reclassification of the register, 1,000,000 fit men will be added to Class I—men1 —men without dor pendents—and that the addition of men reaching the age of 21 years will proyide 700,000 recruits annually. Thus, so far as the overseas army is concerned, there is no anxiety about man-power, and measures are being taken to repair as rapidly as possible defects in the organisation for the equipment of the men entering the training camps. Mr. .Baker has already stated that supplies of evenkind are assured for all ihn men that can be transported to Fiance this year. It is well known that the feverish anxiety of the German staff to strike a decisive blow on the western front was due to America's military preparations, and the vicious feeling that consequently exists amongst the Huns against the Americans is exemplified by the sudden shelling of the Americans with poison gas shells. That is the Hun spirit of fripht-fulnei-s over which they rejoice when others are the victims, but when »e----prisals are carried out they arc the first to decry and squirm under the treatment. This gassing business will certainly harden the hearts of the Americans, and stir them up to deeds of daring, besides providing an enormous supply of even more deadly vapors than the Germans can obtain. The unfolding and development of America's means of helping the Allies in this great .war has afforded many surprises, while each step taken is indicative of her colossal power and fixed determination to put an end to the world's menace.