The weekly soliphone., 1917-07-19
FALSE CRITICISM.

so-called German American" writ ing with reference to the recent Lib erty loan, said:
 ''The integrity of those in charge of our government is, of course, be- yond the remotest shadow of sus- picion. There will be no scandal here, such as has disgraced some responsible officials in other coun- tries during the war-the most heinOus of all disgraces. But there are bound to be mistakes in an en- terprise of this colossal magnitude and difficulty. It is the duty of each of us in such case, quietly and courteously to bring the facts to the attention of the official re- sponsible for the respective depart ment. I feel convinced that such representations made in proper spirit and an appropriate manner, will meet with sympathetic re- ception and receive adequate atten- tion, but if-cOntrary to eXpecta- tlOn--JHeTe SHOulu De HO plOpet lc sponse or action in due course, then it becomes our patriotic duty i to disclose the facts publicly and fearlessly, provided, of course, that we are quite certain that they are facts and not merely surmises or suspicious or exaggerated reports.
 Continuing he says:
 "To say and to do the most pop uAar thing is not always the most patriotic thing. Utterances or ac- tions which meet with condemna- tion and resentment at the moment may turn out and be recognized in the course of time as having been of genuine service to the common , wealth"
 A great deal of wholesome thought is contained in MT Kahn's statement regarding the utter i'm possibility of administering the huge problems of the war without grievous errors. No single individ- ual and no association of individ- uals have sufficient comprehensive ness to grasp even the most salient features of the conflict. Scientific and military problems are shifting daily, and things that were effective yesterday may be regarded with contempt today. The intellect of the greatest thinkers of the age in all the nations of the earth is con centrated upon the task of provid-. ing instruments of destruction and defense; new ideas of transportation and mobilization are being evolved; improved theories of pitting ma chinery against man-power are be- ing tried out and perfected, and in "a thousand different ways the wheels within the wheels are turn ing in man directions. The Presi- dent of the United States and the assistants he has gathered about him cannot possibly be prepared at all times to say with an unvarying degree of positiveness that policy adopted today will be worth it's cost tomorrow. We will, perhaps, spend millions-perhaps billions in money for experiments worth less than nothing. Critics will cry loudly that such expenditure is graft or wantOn waste, and highly honorable officials will be. charged with dishonest intentions. These charges, in great majority of cases, will be made by men who are attempting to capitalize the conflict for personal and financial . gain, and they will cry graft! = graft!' in an attempt to direct at tention froms their own operations. The President will be charged with having entered into unholy al dances with the plutocrats of wealth, cabinet members will be charged with conniving to bleed the treasury and enrich their rel atives and themselves; false mo tives will be ascribed to the na- tion's foremost statesmen, and the lawmaking bodies will be accused of many scandalous operations in the face of which ordinary thievery and rascality will be looked upon as virtuous
 Yet in spite of the cynics, the hypocrites, the traitors and the psalm singers, activities upon the part of the American nation will go forward. Millions will be suuandered, and robbers will be made rich because they will concen- trate their entire energy to the task of coining dollars at time when men with large responsibili- ties are preserving national inde- pendence The big rich will be made richer through no, fault of the government; the poor Will be made poorer and the fields of bat tie will run red with the blood of men who have no particular inter .ds est in Europes troubles and the # American grievance. These things