NOT BLED WHITE.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8014, 11 April 1918, Page 1

NOT BLED WHITE.

THE FRENCH NATION. ITS ARMY AT HIGH POINT IN EFFICIENCY. France is not “bled white,” she is not disturbed by the necessity of supplying United States troops with artillery for training’, and General Pershing’ is fairly content with the way things are going’ with American soldiers abroad, according; to Charles li’. Crane, who recently told these tilings to President Wilson and Secretary of War Baker.

Mr Crane was in France and Engnlad through the fall and the early part of the winter. He jflient much time on the British and French fronts, saw a good deal of the American forces, and had long talks with Pershing. He told a little of all this in tlie course of an interview in Washington the other day. “Just before leaving France,” lie said, “I asked General Pershing if there was any message he wanted me to bring to President Wilson and Mr Baker. His exact words in reply to that question were: ‘You can tell the President and Secretary Baker that I am very content, with no serious complaint to make about anything. I am especially happy about my relations with our Allies. They put everything at my disposal and I feel entirely free to select what 1 deem to be of service.’ ”

It was called to the attention of Mr Crane that this hit of optimism from the General commanding the America!. troops abroad did not seem to til into the gloom of the moment at Washington. This was on the day that Senator Chamberlain was replying to the rebuke of the President.

“Everywhere I have been,” replied Mr Crane, “both abroad and at home, 1 have found that; the centre of the blackest pessimism lias been a political centre. With the British the lowest note I struck was in the House of Commons. The spirit improved with every foot of progress Ihal I made in going away from the British Parliament to the British troops in the trenches. I was right on their front for a week observing th'! British methods of modern warfan 1 and could find no justification among the soldiers for the pessimism i i the House, of Commons. I was In inendously impressed by the good nature and the steadiness of the English Army in the face of the ferocious German machine. It made me proud to he an Anglo-Saxon. “At the French front, also, I found a splendid morale and wonderful preparation for every contingency that I might not have expected f.i find after listening to some of the

gloomy politicians in Paris. It was the British contrast repeated in France—the lowest note of pessimism at the political centre, and the cheerfulness and effectiveness where men are fighting and dying. It was all the same, whether you journey from the House of Commons to the British front or from the Chamber of Deputies to the French front; the atmosphere improves with every step of the v. ay. America is no exception. 1 know that Pershing and his men in Fiance have no such feeling about the war and American participation in it and about their own condition and supplies as is being expressed today in the City of Washington by the politicians and the pessimists. “It was my good fortune to reach the French front at about the time of a most brilliant attack by the latest meliods. It was a complete demonstration of the military genius of the French, of the clear thinking of officers and men, and of the thoroughness of their preparation. We are singularly fortunate in having our American Army coming along at the lime when the French have worked out a method of attack and defence that, brings great results with very slight losses in men. “1 was assured by old friends in France and by competent observers that the French Army is at the highest point yet attained in spirit and morale, and that it was being thoroughly hacked up by the French people. France is not hied while, as the saying goes. I was told that I must understand that and make it clear to the people in the United Stales, no matter what; the politicians might he doing or saying in Paris.

“ You see, it in the same way everywhere—England, France, America. No matter what the military situation may lie, the politicians will not stop their game, especially when there is a Congressional election coming on. “The game should be stopped temporarily at least in the United States right now for the sake of co-operation with the President. The pursuit of the Prussian is a very different thing from the pursuit of peace, and to turn 11i is country sharply around from one to the other of course cannot he done without a good deal of friction and waste. But the only way to succeed in the undertaking is by a pi*oeoas of co-openttion with tin* President to the last degree, by a willingness to follow the man whose voicpHs heard further through the wrmkT than any other human voice Juts ever been heard before. To lwtVe the he»t equipped and the niogt ellielent lighting army in the world, and to have it in time to do our part we have only to lie guided by the President and to keep ourselves from being deluded by prejudice or pessimism or political self-seeking,”