Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-05-14
The Spectator Orators"

1.-THE SPECTATOR who corners the
food Of the nation in time Of war is
. traitor and should be dealt with
a. such. The farmer averaged $3.50
for his wheat last year. Look at the
price today."-carI Vrooman, assistant
secretary Of agriculture.
Who is getting the consumers dol
lar?
Are farmers to be heckled and herd
ed into producing two blades this year
where one was grown last year, in or
der that the same traitors" may
double their profits?
Is the government helpless aor in
league?
Are we wholly within the power of
commercialism and greed?
Is the war to be capitalized as
bonanza for the few?
Prevailing high prices are an outrage
and crime will the government. now
ail-powerful under a status of war,
daily and dawdle to permit further
fea,hering of nests and perfection OF
political intrigues?
We are sickened by the daily and
growing evidence of hesitation In
every step except SURROUNDING OF
the donkeys load of political GAIN
Departments, by caliope methods, are
press agcnting the country for more
crops. for spectators to pile up and
throttle the country and our allies
upon, and for the rum trust to turn
into poison for further Supplying and
demoralizing the people.
1t will be we'll for the success of
Americas share in the present war If
Congress takes counsel of experience
and refuses to permit continuance or
the daliying policy which hurled the
United States into the conflict utterly
unprepared in a military sense WHAT
ever degree of preparedness now ex-
lists has been in spite Of. rather than
by the aid of. the executive branch of
the government.
President Wilson Is not now and
neyer has been a leader in matters OF
vital importance to the nation. He
not merely Jagged two years behind
advocates Of preparedness but exert
ed all the restraining influence in his
power until an aroused public opinion
forced him from his position. He de-
rided the leaders in the preparedness
movement at time when even silent
He retained at the head of the navy a
man least fitted for the place. He
forced from the head of the war de-
partment a man whose combination of
foresight, intellectual honesty and
courage Of conviction amply fitted him
for that important post. The chair
man Of the Senate military committee
worked two years on a plan for univ
ersal training, without receiving any
encouragement from the White House.
Thousands of earnest patriots gave
freely of time and money for such pre-
paredness work as that conducted at
IattSDurg, WIN no WOfC OF commend
alton from the President.
Military supplies in the form of
arms, ammunition. tents, clothing,
blankets, hospital supplies, etc. have
not been accumulated. High schools,
colleges and private organizations
were not encouraged to take special
interest In military drill. after the war
with Germany had been declared.
All these elementary essentials have
been neglected.
The only particular in which this
country is prepared today is in the
matter Of national wealth and credit,
and this has been forced upon US by
the dire necessities of the Allies, who
have been compelled to buy our prod
ucts ut unprecedented prices At the
beginning of the war we were not only
debtor nation but were rapidly sink
ing deeper into debt to the other ma
tons of the earth, due largely to the
economic policies established by the
Wilson administration. We are a cred
itor nation today through no sound
economic policies but through force of
Giro umstances.
As Ambassador Gerard said on his
return from Europe, recently, this ma
ton has permitted nearly three years
Of the war to pass without making
any progress whatever toward i'm
proved preparedness. That statement
was a well-merited rebuke to the mar,