MOVING FORWARD

Healthful criticism reaps the reward of superior effectiveness in the direction of the war. The passing of time permits the organization which alone can assure success. The last two months have seen a combination of these two factors which means ultimate victory for our arms.

There are important signs that the vast confusion and many mistakes of the early months of our participation in the war have been replaced by the efficiency of a more orderly administration. The shipping industry is moving forward and is now turning out vessels at a rapid rate. A fair investigation assures a proper reconstruction of aircraft production. We now have 700,000 men in France, with prospects of a million by July, and a million and a half by December. The latest draft move will effectively divert labor into productive channels. Our finances are good and our people have learned something of the spirit of sacrifice. The whole nation is recovering from the hysteria and feverish but often misdirected energy of the last year.

Not a little of our war activity leaves much to be desired. Many complain of politics; graft has at times been rife; inefficiency has characterized and will continue to characterize many branches of our military machine. On the whole, however, our horizon is brightening as we are finding our war-time stride. The prospects of the coming year point to a great weight in America's participation in the world struggle.