100 years ago in The Saratogian
Monday, April 22, 1918
With the world war at a crucial stage, The Saratogian calls for a larger U.S. army and more Liberty Bond sales at home.
Today’s war news looks good for American troops in Europe. One story reports that American forces retook ground lost to German units over the weekend “Latest reports show that the Americans, although out-numbered, valiantly withstood the onslaught of three waves of storm troops,” a wire-service correspondent writes.
In another front-page column, United Press military analyst J. W. T. Mason writes that American troops “have fought at Seicheprey their first real battle of the war, and have come through the engagement with victory.”
The Saratogian’s own summary reads, “Fritz Gets Satisfying Taste of Sammies’ Mettle.”
As a whole, however, the Germans still have the initiative, pressing a large-scale attack that began a month ago. “We know now what the military experts have told us all along,” an editorial acknowledges, “that it is no easy war, that Germany is still amazingly strong, that our allies have all they can do merely to hold the enemy, and that no small force of ours will suffice to turn that tide.”
The editors concur with a growing consensus that the army needs to expand to at least 5,000,000 men if the U.S. , France and Great Britain are to turn the tide against the Germans. “We have faith that the wavering line of flesh and blood on which the world’s eyes are fixed will not break. But we cannot expect to see that line roll back toward the Rhine until we ourselves are there in strength commensurate with the size of the struggle.
“We cannot beat Germany and save civilization with our present force in France, brave as it is. We cannot do it with a million fighters. Possibly we cannot do it with two millions, or three. We must take no chances.”
The U.S. is funding the war effort in part through the sale of Liberty Bonds that can be redeemed with interest in peacetime. The Third Liberty Loan campaign, with a $3,000,000,000 goal, hasn’t lived up to expectations so far.
“There is no lack of patriotism,” an editorial insists, “The nation is more loyal and more unanimous today than ever before in its history…. But too many of our people have not yet grasped the fact that there is a supreme necessity for speed in every phase of war preparation.
“Many a citizen who has bitterly criticized the government or the manufacturers or the war-industry workers for their slowness has not yet subscribed for his Liberty Bonds or has not yet subscribed all he could.”