PREFACE
My purpose in this book has been to condense into a brief account just those things that the ordinary man or woman wants to know about how we prepared for and waged our share in the world war. I have tried to picture the large outlines of achievement, to present the important facts, and to show how it was all inspired and rushed forward by the flaming spirit of the people. Volumes will be required, and will of course be written, to tell comprehensively and in detail the complete story of America’s many-sided effort in the prosecution of the war. But I have sought, rather, to make such a book as would meet the needs of the every-day reader by disregarding details and weaving into the panorama of our war adventure only the essential facts of each phase of war effort and the spirit by which it was all unceasingly animated.
In such a volume, it seemed to me, there was no place for account of the controversies that have raged over almost every step of progress, nor for mention of criticisms or investigations or even of the mistakes that delayed by a few weeks or a few months the reaching of the peak of achievement in this or that particular. All of them, doubtless, will be chronicled in those many volumes that will tell the story of America’s participation in the war comprehensively and in detail. Otherwise, they will all be forgotten in six months. It is achievement that counts, andthis book aims only to be a record of things that were done.
But it is in no boastful spirit and with no vainglorious purpose that “What America Did” is presented. There is no one of the millions who shared in that doing but knows and is glad to say that beside what Britain, or France, or Italy did or Belgium suffered America can only stand with bent head and reverent heart. It is much to be desired that a similar record, presenting outlines and essential facts within a space possible for the reading of the average busy person, of the achievements and sacrifices of each of these nations should be prepared for our own and for coming generations. For the sum total of their testimony would so utterly disprove the old, old lie that a democracy can not be efficient and so summarily cast it into outer darkness that men would never again say it or believe it as long as time lasts. If this little volume is privileged to do its share toward proving that “the highest and best form of efficiency is the spontaneous coöperation of a free people” I shall feel it an honor to have done the work of assembling and presenting its evidence.
To those many officials and temporary assistants of the Government—they are far too many to mention separately—who have given me their cordial and painstaking coöperation in my effort to make all the facts and figures and statements of this work accurate and authoritative I wish to acknowledge my very great indebtedness. Without their constant and most courteous help the book would have been impossible.
Florence Finch Kelly.New York City,May, 1919.