Chapter V (6)

The enemy's position thus made the north bank untenable and
orders were given to retire to the south bank under cover of the
darkness. At 9:30 P. M. the French, in accordance with these
plans, retired to the south bank and blew up a stone bridge.
The American machine gun companies during the retirement poured
a galling fire from the flanks into the areas evacuated by the
retiring troops.

The enemy was now shelling the south bank more heavily and the
enemy machine-gun fire was multiplied. The commander of Company A
was forced to change the position of his guns in order to secure
a better field of fire. With the light Hotchkiss pieces on their
shoulders he led his men into a wood further down the river. Here
they were spotted by enemy observers and thirty high explosive
shells crashed into the wood. The shelling ceased and the guns
went into their positions.

The French were still retiring at 10:30 P. M. It was pitch dark,
except for shell bursts and the streaky flame stabs from the
machine guns on both sides--the Americans were in the wood and
along the south bank of the river, the Germans on the crest of the
hill on the other side.

Suddenly there was an immense detonation. It was the big bridge
blowing up. Then there came out of the darkness across the river,
as the firing lulled, the ghostly chant of the advancing enemy.
It was one of those German mass attacks, where men, shoulder to
shoulder, singing in guttural tones the praise of Germany and the
Kaiser, blindly walk into death like fanatics.

The sort of creaky, shuffling sound their boots made as they
trotted into the open road came across the river like the wailing
of lost souls, converged toward the bridge and was heard by these
young Americans, who strained their eyes across the river to
get what machine-gun men call "the target." But it was in pitch
darkness, and there was only the sound to tell them there were
plenty of "targets." Every little black devil of a machine gun
tore loose with hellfire. The Americans behind them, who saw their
first glimpse of war about thirty hours before, fed in bullets
as fast as human hands could work. And the bullets caught their
"targets" on the opposite side.

The "target" came on again and again, but nothing could live in
that leaden hail. The enemy waves melted in the darkness.

Now come the even more thrilling experiences of the little band
of Americans under Lieutenant Bissell who had been cut off and
surrounded by the enemy across the river. Even experienced
soldiers could not be blamed if they had surrendered there.

At the beginning of the German mass attack a few French colonial
soldiers, also cut off by the blown-up bridge, made the Lieutenant
understand that then it was every man for himself. The north bank
was becoming a seething mass of Germans. All other forces had
retired across the river. Bullets were registering on every foot
of the space approaching the bridges.

The Germans chant to keep up the courage of the advancing masses.
They sometimes yell to disconcert their enemies. With this ghostly
chanting drawing nearer to the Lieutenant and his men and the
weird yells of the Germans occasionally splitting the night, there
was no thought of surrender. Their orders were to retreat by the
main bridge, and orders were orders.

SERIOUS PREDICAMENT

Picking up both guns, each man carrying his allotted piece in
manoeuvres, the party of thirteen started along the river for
the main bridge. Reaching the vicinity of the approach, they
discovered their plight. The enemy was almost upon them. Still
carrying their guns, they jumped down, taking cover under the
stone parapets at the river's edge. Thus they worked their way
down to the iron bridge, though the Germans on the very parapet
above were marching into a hail of American machine guns from the
south bank.

B Company did not know that a detachment had not escaped. The
German attack remained at its height, and the enemy, despite its
losses, kept sweeping toward the iron bridge. Bissell and his men
attempted to cross under their own fire. Three were immediately
wounded. They retired, picking up their wounded.

The Lieutenant knew that B Company's guns were across the bridge,
and he approached as near as he dared and yelled repeatedly. B
Company's officers finished the story, which was narrated and
corroborated by the Lieutenant and others at the rest camp today.

The first B Company knew that Americans were opposite was when
they heard a voice calling "Cobey! Cobey!" Cobey was the other
Lieutenant.

This time the German attack melted. B Company's guns ceased fire
long enough for Cobey to cross the bridge and lead the Lieutenant
and the men to safety. Throughout the remainder of the night the
enemy vented his rage by heavy shelling. The next day, June 2, the
heavy shelling continued. The enemy had picked up his dead and
wounded across the river under cover of darkness and could be seen
occasionally flitting from house to house.

Sniping was continuous between the French and Germans. Machine
guns were silent during the day in order not to give away their
positions. Nightfall was so quiet that the Americans were not able
to understand such warfare. They thought all war was noisy.

However, at 9 o'clock at night the enemy made a fierce rush for
the iron bridge. Fifteen minutes of heavy machine-gun firing
squelched the attack and the shelling was resumed. The heavy
bombardment continued.

"GOT" WHOLE PLATOON

On June 3 the Sergeant in charge of one of our platoons at the
iron bridge saw a German platoon of about fifty men forming on
top of a hill. They made a beautiful target, according to the
Sergeant's story today. He and his companions believe he got them
all.

The enemy brought more artillery up by night and began a terrific
shelling to culminate in what appeared to be an attempted attack.
The French artillery sprinkled the opposite bank of the river with
a barrage which the "novice" American fighters called beautiful.
They thought it was less than a hundred yards away, and stood up
to watch it, and there wasn't any attack.

The French engineers on this night laid a charge under the iron
bridge while the American guns laid down a leaden protective
barrage. When the charge was detonated the Germans rushed forward
from the house to ascertain the cause of the explosion. It was
here that a prearranged petrol flare lit up the vicinity like day,
and again American machine gunners had what they insist on calling
"targets."

"I was impressed by many things," a company's Captain said. "First
of all, the coolness of every man, and especially of a young
Georgia theological student who had been drafted, who on the third
day complained because the boche shells kept mussing up his gun
position. Second, the attitude of those wonderful French colonial
troops with us. They gave us inspiration. They said we gave
them inspiration; so it was a fifty-fifty exchange. Third, that
beautiful French barrage and our wonderful 'targets.'"

Capture of Belleau Wood

Brilliant Exploit of American Troops Northwest of Château-Thierry

_The American troops achieved their most important exploit on June 6, 7, and 8 in the region northwest of Château-Thierry. Here they drove back the Germans for nearly two miles along a front of several miles, took from them the important Belleau Wood, captured over 1,000 prisoners, successfully resisted and seriously demoralized two crack divisions of Prussians which had been picked especially to punish them, and effectively blocked a desperate attempt of the Germans to break through the line, an attempt which, if successful, would have given them an open road toward Paris and created a situation of extreme peril to the Allies. Edwin L. James, a correspondent of_ THE NEW YORK TIMES, _described this achievement as follows:_

[COPYRIGHTED]

There was considerable wonderment among French and American officers last week when it was discovered that the crack 5th Guard and 28th German Divisions were in front of us. It was generally believed then that the Germans planned no immediate attempt to advance northwest of Château-Thierry, and there was much speculation as to why Hindenburg had sent these troops there. This is now explained by a captured German officer's statement, and is substantiated by documents found on him. He said these two divisions already were on their way to the rear for a four weeks' rest, to take part in another offensive, when suddenly they were ordered to go at once to the front northwest of Château-Thierry, "in order to prevent at all costs the Americans being able to achieve success."

This showed the anxiety of the German High Command regarding the effect that an American success would have on the German Army and the populace, and of the great desirability of preventing such a happening.

UNDERESTIMATED OUR EFFORT

When I visited the headquarters of this French army today [June 14] a sheet of paper was handed to me on which was written a report of information gained from the examination of a large number of prisoners from the 28th German Division. The report said:

American assistance, which was underestimated in Germany because
they doubted its value and its opportunity worries the German High
Command more than it will admit. The officers themselves recognize
that, among other causes, it is the principal reason for which
Germany hastens to try to end the war and impose peace. They
believe that if we succeed in holding on for the rest of this
year the German cause will be lost. But they say that until the
end of the year they will allow us no respite in their effort to
break our morale and our will to conquer. They hope that fear of
devastations and the terror caused in Paris, as well as continuing
attacks of the German Army, determined to end the war, will get
the best of our resistance before American aid will become truly
effective.

All agree that the war is reaching the supreme crisis at this
moment. They all declare that the offensives will be renewed and
prolonged in view of this decision until the German forces are
exhausted.

In addition, the prisoners did not conceal their great surprise at
the training and quickness that the Americans have shown against
them, nor at the good work accomplished by the artillery, which
for three days engaged them, cutting off all food supplies and all
reinforcements and causing them very heavy losses--practically all
of the officers and twenty-five of the men were killed or wounded
in a single infantry company and twelve in a machine-gun section,
of which the full quota was seventeen men.

Especially important is this report coming from the French Army, not because the Americans would emphasize such statements by prisoners, but because of the probability that the Germans might be rather praiseworthy of Americans when questioned by our officers with a view to getting better treatment as prisoners of war. There is no question that this document speaks the truth.

A letter written by a German officer and found on his body said:

"The Americans are so courageous that they do not allow themselves to be made prisoners." Another letter written by a German private called the Americans "devilhounds."

GERMANY FEARS AMERICA

Germany fears America, and that fear is growing. At first the High Command told their officers and the officers told the soldiers that the Americans could not get to France because the U-boats would stop them. Then the German fighters began to find Americans appearing against them here and there, and finally at many points. Then the officers told the German soldiers the Americans would not fight. Now the German soldiers know the Americans can and will fight; and more and more of them are learning it every day. There is no lack of evidence that the German populace fears America's power in the war, and no question that the German High Command is seriously perturbed at the results when the real news of the Americans' fighting gets back to the people.

In no spirit of boastfulness it may be said that American fighters, with a proper amount of training, are the best fighters in France today. The soldiers of other armies of necessity are tired after nearly four years of fighting, but the Americans are fresh, fresh in spirit and physique. Other soldiers hope that Germany will be beaten; the American soldiers know that Germany will be beaten. And Germany knows that Germany will be beaten unless she wins in the next four months. That is her only chance, and she will play it for what it is worth. Everything is to be thrown into that effort. There will be ruthlessness, there will be frightfulness.

The four days' victorious fight for possession of the important Bois de Belleau, northwest of Château-Thierry, resulted in the capture, besides the prisoners mentioned, of two German field guns, 77s, and thirty machine guns, besides some small mortars. This was the first capture of German artillery by Americans. I believe that when the history of the war is written the Americans' capture of the Bois de Belleau will be ranked among the neatest pieces of military work of the conflict.

Five days ago, [June 9,] after the capture of the town of Bouresches, the Americans started the task of taking away the Bois de Belleau from the Germans. In the rush at Bouresches they had been unable to secure the rocky strongholds in the woods, and passed on, leaving many nests of machine guns there, which afterward kept up a harassing fire. The Americans several times made big raids into the woods, clearing out part of the Germans, but the next day the Germans would reappear with a harassing fire. Despite strong artillery work, the Germans seemed able to stay there.

On Sunday, the 9th, a rain of extra heavy artillery fire began on the woods. This kept up all Sunday night and Monday. On Monday night the fire was redoubled and the woods literally raked with lines of shellfire.

At about 3 o'clock Monday morning the marines started, as soon as the artillery fire was stopped, to go through those woods. At the nearer edge of the woods, devastated by our shellfire, they encountered little opposition. A little further on the Germans made a small stand, but were completely routed; that is, those who were not killed. By this time the marines were fairly started on their way. They swept forward, clearing out machine gun nests with rifle fire, bayonets, and hand grenades.

WORK OF MARINES

The Germans started in headlong flight when the Americans seized two machine guns and turned them on the Germans with terrific effect. The Germans soon tired of this, and those nearest the Americans began surrendering. In the meantime the marines kept up the chase.

While this was going on the Americans almost surrounded the woods, and the Germans, fleeing from some of the Americans, ran into the machine gun and rifle fire of the others. Then those left rushed headlong the other way to surrender. In a short time the gallant marines had got to the other side of the woods, and immediately, with the aid of the engineers, started the construction of a strong position.

Prisoners counted that day numbered more than 300. It was found that they belonged to the crack 5th German Guard Division, which includes the Queen Elizabeth Regiment. There had been 1,200 Germans in the woods. With the exception of the prisoners nearly all the rest were slain.

The prisoners said they were glad of the chance to surrender and get out of the woods, because the American artillery fire for three days had cut off their food and other supplies and they had lived in a hell on earth. The Germans seemed deeply impressed by the fury of the American attack. One of the captured officers, when asked what he thought of the Americans as fighters, answered that the artillery was crazy and the infantry drunk. A little German private, taking up his master's thought, pointed to three tousled but smiling marines, and said: "Vin rouge, vin blanc, beaucoup vin." He meant he thought the Americans must be intoxicated, to fight as they did for that wood.

Our boys took especial delight in corralling the machine guns. These guns had been very well placed behind trees and in rocky caves and well supplied with ammunition. The Americans had practiced on a German machine gun previously captured, and knew just how to use them against the "Heinies." The captured guns were cleverly camouflaged and were almost overlooked by the Americans. The mortars had been used to throw gas shells from the heights into the woods upon the Americans.

GERMAN MORALE LOW

There was the greatest surprise among American officers at the evident low morale among members of the 5th Guard Division, thought to be one of the Kaiser's very best.

The Germans had tried their best to get the Americans out of the wood and to hold the valuable position. They had sent attack after attack there, always failing to gain complete free possession, but making things very unpleasant for our men. It was after four days of this that the marines got on their hind legs and went after the Germans.

An American General tonight characterized the capture of Belleau Wood as the most important thing the Americans at the front had yet accomplished. Its possession straightens our line, taking away from the German his protected wedge into our positions, and gives an excellent starting point for further operations.

Two hours after the Americans started through the wood the Germans launched their heavy attack to regain Bouresches. A dark and cloudy night had aided their preparations for the rush, but the Americans, expecting something of the sort, had the northern side of the town lined with machine guns, and had artillery all trained on the railroad embankment over which the Germans had to come. The Americans seem to have excellent tab on the German movements, and when, at 5 o'clock, the Germans came over, they met a terrific machine gun fire, while a heavy barrage which was put right behind the attacking party and gradually lowered on it not only cut off reinforcement for it but killed many in it. The slaughter of Germans in this attack was the heaviest the Americans have yet been able to inflict. Our men, in excellent positions at the edge of the town, suffered almost no losses. In this operation we took fifty prisoners, including one officer.

United States Troops in London

First Units of Our New Army Reviewed by
King George Amid Dense Throngs

A regiment of the new army of the United States from Camp Gordon, Georgia, 2,700 strong, marched through London May 11, 1918, and was reviewed by the King; Colonel Whitman was in command. Each soldier received a facsimile copy of the following letter from the King:

The London Times, in describing the occasion, referred to the attitude of the British public as follows:

All along the way people gathered thickly. There were dense
crowds in the neighborhood of Charing Cross, in the Mall, around
the Victoria Memorial, and in Grosvenor Gardens. Rarely has the
Stars and Stripes been so conspicuous in London; the flag flew
from public and private buildings. It was waved here and there by
spectators. It was worn in many buttonholes. London Americans set
the fashion of bringing flags small enough to carry and big enough
to add emphasis to a personal demonstration. Some English people
followed their example, and others were heard wishing that they
had "brought their American flags from home." Street hawkers of
buttonhole favors had learned the phrase "Old Glory," and shouted
it familiarly.

But the real lesson of the day came from the crowd everywhere.
It taught those critics who have complained that during the war
London has forgotten how to cheer, that London still remembers.
The people cheered the American troops, they cheered the Guards,
they had a special shout for wounded sailors and soldiers; and by
no means did they forget to cheer the King. Occasionally, however,
there were silences which seemed to speak of an understanding of
the mission of this array of martial youth; of the sacrifice that
mingled with the glory of devotion; perhaps also of the history
that Britain and America have begun to make in union.

The bearing of the American troops was described in the following passage:

It is worth noting that when the colors passed many men received
them with bared heads, and that "Off with your hats!" was heard
now and then in admonition from a civilian. Considering that the
custom of so honoring the colors of British regiments is still
far from universal, this may be accepted by Americans as a rather
notable tribute.

Three things were striking in these Americans--their youth, their
seriousness, and their modesty. The first quality is easily
conceded to America; we all think of her as young. Those of her
sons whom London scrutinized so keenly came under arms only last
Summer. They are officered chiefly by men who then passed through
the Officers' Training Corps, though the commanding officer and the
Lieutenant Colonel belong to the old regular army. They might,
therefore, be expected to deserve the name of boys, by which
they were affectionately called. But it was their presentation
of the idea of youth, of the quintessence of youth, which struck
the spectator. Nor was it modified by the suggestion of dead
earnestness which accompanied it and might seem to clash with it.
The qualities in combination distinguished the American battalions
from any young English regiment, which strikes the observer as
at once older and more light-hearted. Not that there was really
any lack of hilarity about the Americans in their hours of ease.
The one who sang a comic song in front of the barracks before
parade had a joyful heart, and was certainly a cause of joy to
the Londoners who stood listening to him. As for the men's modest
demeanor, it ought to dispose of the notion that the Americans
cherish any intention "to show us how things should be done"--if
that suggestion is not long since dead.

Physically, the regiment was marked by well-set shoulders, bronzed
faces, and general fitness. It looked sinewy, and went along
with a fine swing. A few men were pointed out for their unusual
height. Spectators on the outskirts of the crowd had an excellent
opportunity of appraising these giants. Otherwise the standard of
stature was level.

The pride of Americans in the troops--and there were many
Americans, naval, military, and civil, among the onlookers--was
easy to see. Before the embassy it reached its highest
manifestation. The building was decorated with flags, like most
of the houses in Grosvenor Gardens. The American Ambassador (Mr.
Page) took the salute outside the embassy. In his company were
Admiral Sims, Commander Babcock, and Lieut. Col. Slocum. Mrs. Page
was an interested spectator in the balcony above. Here the bands
played "Pack Up Your Troubles" and "John Brown's Body." A reminder
of American history and of the foundations of the United States
was introduced when several veterans of the civil war joined the
procession.

No Limit to Size of America's Army

More Than 700,000 Additional Young Men Registered
Under the Draft Law

On the recommendation of the Secretary of War, who appeared before the House Committee on Military Affairs on May 23, the committee agreed to give President Wilson authority to raise an army of practically unlimited size. The text of the provision to be incorporated in the Army bill was adopted unanimously. The committee had originally been in favor of limiting the size of the army to 5,000,000.

On June 5 male residents of the United States who had reached the age of 21 years since that date in 1917 were required to register under the amended selective draft law. Nearly complete reports to the Provost Marshal General's office showed that 744,865 men complied with the law. This was 266,724 below the Census Bureau estimate, but as more than 200,000 did not register because they had already enlisted in the army, navy, or Marine Corps, the military authorities found the result entirely satisfactory.

So-called "work or fight" regulations were issued by the Provost Marshal General on June 3. All citizens were called upon to report to the nearest local board all men of military age who should be in the idler or nonproductive classification after July 1, 1918. The local boards were given authority to summon any man who may be idle or nonproductively employed within its territory.

With the double purpose of increasing the number of men available for military service and of insuring fairer administration of the selective service law, Provost Marshal General Crowder on June 7 instituted a reinvestigation of the draft classification lists throughout the nation. General Crowder believed that by "slacker marriages" and underground claims to exemption on the ground of industrial or agricultural work registrants had escaped service, and that in some districts the local boards had interpreted the regulations too strictly. It was expected that more than 500,000 men would be brought by the reclassification into Class 1, which was being rapidly exhausted.

Another move toward the full utilization of the nation's man power was made on May 24 when the Secretary of War sent to Congress the draft of a bill authorizing the raising of the maximum age limit for voluntary enlistment in the army from 40 to 55 years. Between these ages there were probably 7,500,000 men, and thousands of them have applied to the War Department to be allowed to serve. The department planned to assign men over 40 years to noncombatant service, which calls for a very large proportion of men for every combatant at the front.

The War Department on June 6 permitted publication of reports to the Acting Chief of Ordnance (Brig. Gen. C. C. Williams) showing that since the United States declared war 1,568,661 rifles had been produced for the army. This total was made up of 1,140,595 modified Enfields, 1917 model; 176,796 Springfields, 1903 model, and 251,270 Russian rifles. The last named are used for training purposes and to equip home guards. There were also the equivalent of 100,000 Enfields and 100,000 Springfields made up in spare parts. With the rifles already in hand when war was declared, and allowing for the fact that only one-half of the soldiers in an army carry rifles, the Ordnance Department had enough rifles for an army of about 2,000,000 men, after making allowance for one year's wastage.

The organization of five new regiments and nineteen battalions of Railway Engineers, to be used in addition to the regiments already working in France, was announced by the War Department on June 6. The work was carried out by the staff of the Director General of Military Railways, Samuel M. Felton, in conjunction with the Engineer Corps. This brought the number of Americans engaged in railroad construction and operation in France up to 50,000.

A total of $160,000,000 has been spent on railway materials alone, not including supplies provided and used by the Engineer Corps proper. Director General Felton, describing the growth in personnel and the increase in the size of the task confronting his staff, beginning with the organization of the first railway regiment, said that early in 1917 the Chief of Engineers decided to organize a railway operating regiment. Mr. Felton, who had acted as his railway adviser in 1916, was asked to take charge of the work. Six railroads having headquarters in Chicago were called on to recruit one company each. The regiment formed the nucleus of the present railway organization. While it was being formed, the United States entered the war. One of the first requests transmitted to this Government by the French Mission was for assistance in strengthening the French railway systems to meet the increasing war strain. This request was made in April, 1917, and early in May Mr. Felton was called to Washington to organize nine railway regiments, including the Chicago regiment.

War Finance in Canada

Income Tax Begins at $1,000--New Taxes on Luxuries

The new Canadian taxes in the budget for the fiscal year 1918-19 show marked increases, especially in income taxes. Exemption in the case of unmarried persons is reduced from $1,500 to $1,000, and for married persons from $3,000 to $2,000, the rate being 2 per cent. from $1,000 to $1,500 in the case of the unmarried and the same amount from $2,000 to $3,000 in the case of the married. The present rate of supertax is continued upon incomes up to $50,000, and above that there is a gradual increase, reaching 50 per cent. on incomes over $1,000,000. In addition there will be a war surtax upon incomes over $6,000, running from 5 per cent. on incomes between $6,000 and $10,000 and 25 per cent. on incomes over $200,000. It has also been decided to grant an exemption of $200 per child. The total war tax on incomes over $1,000,000 reaches 77 per cent.

The tax on tobacco is increased from 10 to 20 cents per pound; on cigars from $5 to $6 per 1,000; on cigarettes from $3 to $6 per 1,000; on foreign raw leaf tobacco from 28 to 40 cents per pound, and on foreign leaf tobacco stemmed from 42 to 60 cents per pound. It has also been decided to place a tax of 10 cents per pound on tea, and it is proposed to increase the duty on coffee to 5 cents for British coffee and to 7 cents for the general tariff. There will be a tax of 8 cents per pack on playing cards and a specific rate customs duty of 5 cents per lineal foot on moving-picture films. A special war excise tax of 10 per cent. is to be imposed upon the selling value of motor cars, jewelry, gramophones, phonographs, mechanical pianos; imported into or manufactured in Canada.

The Minister of Finance stated that $258,000,000 was the revenue for the year ended March 31, 1918, with civil expenditures of $173,000,000. The increase in interest and pensions for the coming year was estimated at $25,000,000. The Finance Minister stated that the war expenditures of the last year approximated $345,000,000, of which $167,000,000 had been spent in Canada. Up to March 31 the total outlay on the war was approximately $878,000,000, which included all expenditures at home and abroad. During the last two years they had applied $113,000,000 toward war expenditures, in addition to expenditures on interest and pensions. The net debt of Canada was now approximately $1,200,000,000.

He pointed out that trade was annually increasing, and that exports were now much greater than imports. The total trade had increased since 1913 from $1,000,000,000 to $2,500,000,000 last year, the balance of trade in favor of Canada being $625,000,000. Exports to Great Britain totaled $860,000,000, while imports were only $81,000,000. On the other hand, the balance of trade against Canada with the United States was $350,000,000.

Referring to immigration, the Minister of Finance said that, in spite of the war, over 200,000 people had entered Canada in the last three years, largely farmers from the United States. He anticipated large immigration into Canada shortly after the end of the war.

* * * * *

War Record of the United States

An Official Summary of American Activities
During the First Year of Belligerency.

By CHARLES POPE CALDWELL

_Member of Congress from New York_

[DELIVERED IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, MAY 22, 1918]

At the outset, let me say frankly that we have made mistakes--yes, grievous mistakes--and had our foresight been as keen as the afterthought of our critics we might have accomplished more. But, notwithstanding these mistakes and omissions, America has done her share--indeed, more than her share--for she has done many times more than any of our allies suspected that she was capable of doing and more than the greatest enthusiast in America hoped she could do. She has confirmed our friends and confounded our enemies. Or, let me put it in another way: America has raised and equipped a bigger army in shorter time and now holds a greater section of the fighting front, transporting her forces 3,000 miles across an infested sea, in ten months, than England was capable of doing in twelve months across the English Channel of less than thirty miles. We began with less, went further, and arrived with more in shorter time. Yet their motive was necessity and ours only desire.

When war was declared in April, 1917, the standing army of the United States consisted of 136,000 officers and men, many of whom were in the foreign service, and the National Guard consisted of 164,000 officers and men, many of whom were too old for active service, and a large part of them physically unfit to perform the duty for which they had volunteered. Our experts told us that it would take two years to raise an army of 1,000,000 men and five years to train the commissioned personnel. It has now been about one year since the first legislation was passed authorizing the increase of our army for war purposes. The strength of our military forces is now as follows:

ARMY STRENGTH, MAY, 1918

Officers. Men.
Regular army 10,295 504,677
Reserve Corps 79,038 78,560
National Guard 16,906 411,952
National Army 33,894 510,963
On special and technical duty 8,195
Drafted in April 150,000
Drafted in May 233,742
------- -------
Total 148,328 1,889,894

Grand total, 2,038,222 officers and men.

So we have today an army of more than 2,000,000, of which 500,000 have already been shipped to France and 1,000,000 more have had the necessary training to fit them for foreign service. These are now waiting for the boats to carry them over. Our critics now complain that we have not done more, yet we have done in one year twice as much as they thought we could do in two years.

When war was declared, each of our allies sent commissions to America to advise us what to do and to assist us wherever possible in our preparation. The English told us that they did not need men, but they did need money and supplies; the Italians that they did not need men, but that they did need material and money; the Russians that they did not need men or material, but did need money and ammunition; the French told us that they needed raw material and money, and asked that a small expeditionary force be sent to hearten their people and as an earnest of our intention of seeing the war through.

Under this tutelage and squaring our conduct with the requests of our friends, it was thought by many to be inadvisable to attempt to raise an army of more than 1,000,000 men. Congress was therefore requested to pass military legislation limiting the army to the 136,000 regulars, the 164,000 National Guardsmen, and 500,000 drafted men, with authority to call an additional 500,000 in case they should be needed. Under the legislation that Congress passed, in spite of the recommendation from the Allies, we have already raised more than 2,000,000 men, and early in the year 1919 will have 3,000,000 men in the army. We have lately taken the "lid off" so that the President may have as big an army as necessity requires and our man power permits. Notwithstanding the fact that the appropriation measure now pending before the House is drawn with the view of supporting an army of only 3,000,000 men, I am confident that before many months deficiency appropriations will be necessary. The army is growing so rapidly and its needs are so urgent that the efforts heretofore made will be small in comparison with those of the next twelve months. We will probably have between 4,000,000 and 5,000,000 men before the end of the next fiscal year.

TWENTY MILLION FIGHTING MEN

When we were considering legislation in the Spring of 1917, it was thought that our largest task would be getting men. Experience has shown that this is easy of accomplishment, made so by reason of the fact that we have left open the door for a reasonable amount of volunteers in the National Guard and regular army and passed a draft law under which all men of military age may readily be mobilized. The justness and fairness of the scheme as worked out by the Provost Marshal General have obtained the earnest co-operation and enthusiastic support of our people as a whole.

As I have said, our military law has been amended giving the President authority to call additional increments of men from time to time as needed. It has also been amended to permit him to register and classify all men that reach the age of 21 years. We now have 2,000,000 men in the army. The men between the ages of 21 and 31 years in 1917 have been classified, and there remains in Class 1 approximately 2,000,000 men physically fit not called. The class of 1918, which will be registered this Summer, will add another million, making a grand total of 5,000,000, without calling Classes 2, 3, 4, or 5, containing nearly 6,000,000, and without calling the boys from 18 to 21--3,000,000 more. If the war lasts until 1924 there will be added 6,000,000 more men. The potential man power of America for a seven-year war, therefore, may be conservatively estimated at 20,000,000 fighting men of recognized military age. This out of a population of 125,000,000.

Not because I think that all of our man power will be needed, but in order that we may get a view of the task that is in front of us and understand the necessity for the large army we are calling and the huge expenditures we are making, let me recall these facts.

THE ENEMY'S STRENGTH

The Central Powers at the outbreak of the war had a population of 142,250,000, in round numbers, of which 26,310,000 were males between the ages of 18 and 44, and if 70 per cent. of them were available for military service their man power would be approximately 18,360,000. Since the Russian fiasco Germany has occupied a territory greater in area than both Germany and Austria, in which there live upward of 51,000,000 people. And if the reports that we get are to be believed, the Kaiser has compelled the boys between 18 and 21 in this occupied territory to enter the German training camps, and he hopes in a short time to have them on the western front, thus augmenting his man power to approximately 21,000,000 fighting men.

This is the job we have on our hands. The newspapers tell us that the Kaiser has only 2,000,000 or 3,000,000 soldiers, but it would be wise for the members of this House in passing legislation affecting the conduct of the war to keep in mind the figures that I have just indicated. To meet this Great Britain--the British Isles, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand--France, Italy, and the United States have a combined population from which they can draw 30,000,000 or 40,000,000, and in addition to these numbers there is an enormous reservoir from which to draw further man power in the colonies and possessions of the Allies and the twenty-three smaller countries now allied with us in the war. To show something of the relative strength of the contending forces I will read the following capitulation, which is believed to be substantially accurate and has been compiled after very careful inquiry from the best sources available:

MAN POWER OF CENTRAL POWERS COMPARED WITH THAT OF THE ALLIES

A. B. C.
Est'd avail.
Estimated for mil.
Males 18-44 serv. of all
Population inclusive, kinds--70%
1914. 1914. of B.
CENTRAL POWERS
Austria-H'ary 51,000,000 9,360,000 6,500,000
Bulgaria 4,750,000 800,000 560,000
Germany
(Continental) 68,000,000 12,850,000 9,000,000
Ottoman Empire 18,500,000 3,300,000 2,300,000
---------- ---------- ---------
Total 142,250,000 26,310,000 18,360,000

ASSOCIATED GOVERNMENTS
Australia 5,000,000 850,000 595,000
Canada 7,500,000 1,275,000 892,500
France 39,000,000 6,630,000 4,640,000
Gt. Britain 46,000,000 7,820,000 5,474,000
India 320,000,000 54,400,000 37,800,000
Italy 36,000,000 6,120,000 4,284,000
Japan 54,000,000 8,180,000 1,390,000
New Zealand 1,200,000 204,000 142,800
Portugal 6,000,000 1,020,000 714,000
Serbia 2,800,000 476,000 333,200
South Africa 6,000,000 1,020,000 714,000
United States 100,000,000 17,000,000 11,900,000
----------- ---------- ----------
Total 623,500,000 104,995,000 68,879,500

The casualties resulting in death, permanent injury, or incapacity in the German Army have amounted to admittedly about 3,000,000 men during the four years of war, or approximately the same number as have been supplied by the young men who have reached military age during the same period. From this statement it would appear that from the point of man power Germany is no worse off today than when she started the war. The weakening of the German forces is represented, however, by the lack of nourishment for her workers, her women and children, and the discharges which must necessarily follow the reaching of advanced age by the old men called to the colors, both of which will be felt more keenly as time goes on, as well as the disease which must necessarily accompany conditions such as the war has produced. America will not begin to discharge her men on account of advanced age for twenty years. In other words, the man power of America will get stronger and the man power of the enemy must get weaker for the next twenty years, if, by any chance, the war should last that long. We have nothing to fear from this source.

DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED

The first war difficulty encountered came when we looked for shelter for the vast army being assembled. Much to the surprise of every one, it was soon discovered that there was not cloth enough in the world to put tents over an army the size of the one we were organizing, and there were not mills and machinery enough to make it. Therefore wooden cantonments were constructed. We built thirty-two cantonments with a floor space of 640,000,000 square feet, with the necessary water, sewers, lighting plants, storehouses, ice plants, hospitals, and recreation centres to take care of 1,280,000 men, in which undertaking there was used in ten weeks' time more human labor than went into the building of the Panama Canal. Besides these, we have constructed aviation fields, ordnance schools, and training schools for officers--herculean tasks in themselves. We have also put up at the ports of embarkation, and throughout the country, supply depots, and storage warehouses with a combined floor space of 24,220,000 square feet for the army, in addition to what the navy has done in that respect, and have constructed the enormous buildings erected for administrative purposes in Washington and elsewhere. Verily, your Uncle Samuel is a modern Aladdin, who, when he wants a thing devoutly, rubs the lamp of American patriotism and the genius of America produces overnight all that he requires.

When we entered the war we had practically no surplus clothing for our army, our reserve supply having been used up in the Mexican expedition. Our allies were using practically the full output of all of our mills capable of producing cloth of the character used for uniforms. To take over these factories would have discommoded our allies. We met the difficulty by a change of the machinery in carpet factories, ducking mills, and kindred industries, and have been able to, during the last year, make Summer and Winter clothing enough for 2,000,000 men, and have a reserve supply of every article of wear for our soldiers sufficient to take care of the authorized increase.

TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT

England trained her first million a whole year in citizens' clothes and top hats, with walking sticks for guns, because she could not do otherwise, and this in spite of the fact that she was the greatest textile manufacturing country in the world and had all America to help her. Notwithstanding this shortage, our first 1,500,000 men were trained in uniforms and taught the manual of arms with a rifle. When England went into the war she had shortly before adopted a new type of gun, but her factories were not equipped to supply it. She abandoned her new type of gun, and has fought the war thus far with an admittedly inferior type of rifle, a large portion of which were made on order in the United States.

There went up a hue and cry that America adopt a foreign type of rifle, notwithstanding the facts that the rifle is the most necessary weapon of warfare, and we had the Springfield rifle in substantial quantity, admittedly the best rifle then being used in the world, shooting the most powerful and efficient ammunition ever prepared. In the face of this criticism, we adhered to our own weapon, adopting a modified and rechambered Enfield, which differs from a Springfield in such a small way that it is not worthy of discussion, now known as the United States rifle, model of 1917, resulting in some delay but now being produced in sufficient quantity.

When General Joffre made the request for a small expeditionary force, the critics of the Administration demanded what they thought was the impossible--i.e., that we ship to France during the first year 50,000 to 100,000 men. During the first ten days of May we shipped 90,000. Within one year after the first shipment America will have an army of 1,000,000 men in France, with their necessary arms, equipment, and supplies. It will be the best-fed, the best-clothed, the best-paid army of its size that the world has ever known, speaking the same language, worshipping the same God, and following the same flag. Its personnel will have the quickest perceptions of any soldiers in the world, and will have been trained under modern conditions, surrounded by the best moral influences, with the lowest percentage of disease, and will be nerved by the highest motives that actuate men.

Victory for our cause is therefore certain.

Italy's Third Year of War

Other Anniversaries, With Official Greetings Exchanged
by the Allies and the United States

The third anniversary of Italy's entry into the war was the occasion of an address by Prime Minister Orlando, delivered in the Augusteum at Rome on May 24, in which, in reaffirming the unity of the Allies, he said:

For this unity, so solemnly consecrated again today, I express in
the name of Italy my deep gratitude to all. To England, which
could not send a more noble or more agreeable messenger than your
Royal Highness, who brings to us a message reaffirming friendship
with our country, a friendship which was shown at a time which was
painful to us, and which has been strengthened by the intimacy of
affection in the days of grief still more than in those of joy. To
France, to our great sister toward whom with a feeling of renewed
admiration our hearts are turned. To the United States, to this
young people, powerful in its strength and already rich in glory
owing to the wisdom of its leader and the numerous virtues of
its men. To the peoples conquered by the enemy because of their
smallness, for which reason their heroic sacrifice and admirable
bravery are all the more apparent. To those nations from the
Baltic to the Adriatic which the common enemy has oppressed. To
the oppressed nations in the interior and on the frontiers of
enemy States which heroically rise in rebellion with the cry "Long
Live the Entente!"

In the royal box were the Prince of Wales and Prince Peter of Montenegro. The vast audience contained the official representatives of all the allied powers and the United States, and the leaders of all political and social groups of Italy, with representatives from all the important cities. The Prince of Wales in his address said:

I come to you to assure you of the constant friendship and sincere
affection of the British people for your nation, whose enlightened
and precious sympathy is a proof of the creative unity of arms
which nothing can again dissolve. In the city of Rome, the ancient
capital of the world, the source of social order and justice, I
proudly proclaim my conviction that the great object for which
our two nations are fighting against the forces of reaction is
inevitably destined to triumph, owing to the union of which our
meeting this evening is symbolic.

The King of Italy addressed the following Order of the Day to the army and navy:

Soldiers on land and sea! The fourth year of war, which began
today, finds you full of pride for the hard trials you have
faced, and which, with admirable courage, you have overcome. In
face of your firm decision to resist to the utmost the enemy was
obliged to call a halt, and in daring and magnificent actions you
have many a time shown him the indomitable spirit and resolute
will to conquer with which you are animated. This priceless
energy, revivified by the faith which your country has in you,
is strengthened still further by the anxiety with which your
oppressed and despoiled brothers await your coming.

Soldiers on land and sea! With the sacred image of a country
entirely freed from the enemy imprinted in the very depths of your
hearts, together with the ideals of justice and civilization which
our war has adopted as its aims, I will accompany you in your
future struggles, certain that the reward for the tireless energy
which you, in common with our valiant allies, have shown will not
be delayed much longer.

President Wilson sent the following message to the Italian people, after it had been read by Secretary Lansing at a Washington celebration of Italy's anniversary:

I am sure that I am speaking for the people of the United States
in sending to the Italian people warm fraternal greetings
upon this, the anniversary of the entrance of Italy into this
great war, in which there is being fought out once for all
the irrepressible conflict between free self-government and
the dictation of force. The people of the United States have
looked with profound interest and sympathy upon the efforts
and sacrifices of the Italian people, are deeply and sincerely
interested in the present and future security of Italy, and
are glad to find themselves associated with a people to whom
they are bound by so many personal and intimate ties in a
struggle whose object is liberation, freedom, the rights of
men and nations to live their own lives and determine their
own fortunes, the rights of the weak, as well as the strong,
and the maintenance of justice by the irresistible force of
free nations leagued together in the defense of mankind. With
ever-increasing resolution and force we shall continue to stand
together in this sacred common cause. America salutes the
gallant Kingdom of Italy, and bids her Godspeed.

France's Tribute to Great Britain

Great Britain's "Empire Day" was celebrated May 24 throughout France. In Paris there was an imposing demonstration at the Sorbonne, at which were present the President of the republic, Ministers, Ambassadors, and Deputies. President Deschanel of the Chamber in speaking of "the prodigy of Great Britain's effort" said:

This people of seamen and merchants came forward as volunteers in
crowds; in the Spring of 1915 there were 2,400,000, and at the end
of the same year 3,000,000. In May, 1916, King George announced
that 5,000,000 men had been raised by voluntary recruitment.
But this did not suffice. Parliament voted compulsory service,
the greatest victory that the people ever gained over itself, a
triumph of duty and conscience, the pledge of that victory which
we shall win together over the enemy.

When Germany over a year ago proclaimed unrestricted submarine
warfare, she announced, too, England's capitulation at short
notice. Instead of that hundreds of thousands of Americans are
crossing the seas as allies. Germany has united France and England
not for the present struggle but forever.

Before the war there was in a Calais belfry a Flemish peal of
bells. On the clock dial two knights armed with lances--Henry
VIII., King of England, and Francis I., King of France. Every time
the hour struck they exchanged lance thrusts--one at 1 o'clock,
three at 3 o'clock, and twelve at midday. A German shell hit the
knights and ended the fight forever. It is the only German shell
which ever showed esprit, remarked a French wit.

Georges Leygues, Minister of Marine, who spoke in the name of the French Government, said that, thanks to the maritime supremacy of Great Britain, the Entente had the mastery of the sea and could look to the future without concern. Reviewing the work that the navies silently accomplished, he mentioned that in the course of last month they had sunk more submarines than the Germans were building. They protected the transports which in April disembarked on the coasts of France more than 400,000 soldiers.

"In the past," he continued, "mastery of the sea was always a powerful means of conquest. At present it forms in addition a powerful guarantee with which none other is comparable. The enemy knows that he will retain neither in the east, nor in the west, nor in the south the territories which he momentarily occupies, and he knows, moreover, that he will not wrest from us the mastery of the sea. That being so, the issue of the war is certain, and the navies take their place in the gratitude of the Entente alongside of its incomparable armies."

America's First Anniversary in France