America confounded the soepties by coming into-the war. She has
left them speechless by. adopting. conscription forthwith, and not aftea a long, delay, as in Lincoln's time. Last Saturday both Houses of Congress by overwhelming majorities placed the Regular Army and-the National Guard on a war footing, and authorized.the President to raise half-a-million. men -by draft, and; then another half-a-million. The Senate fixed the age-limits for conscription va twenty-one and twenty-seven, and the House: preferred the wider range from twenty-one to forty.. This. difference has to be reconciled, but the measure is certain to become law. It now seems probable that America will send a small expeditionary force to France at an early date; perhaps with Mr: Roosevelt as Brigadier. As Marshal Joffre said the other day, France would welcome an American- force with heartfelt-enthusiasm ; and the staidest.EngliSh- man will want to 'throw up his 'hat when he sees his-American kinsmen,- rifle-in inert marching-through our streets on-their way
to the battlefield. We earnestly trust that the technical difficulties wilLbe overcome or set aside, for the tonic effect of the appearance of the American troops in Europe will be of incalculable value to the Allies.
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