Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-05-31
FRELINGHUYsEN IN THE SENATE

FRELlNGtU u 1SEN IN If1E SE4NA1 u
New Jersey may be proud of having
Joseph S. Frelinghuysen in the Unit
ed States Senate. He is a big, red
blooded American with undoubted
courage. We feel confident that the
country will applaud his great
speech in demanding investigation in
the horror of killing women nurses
by the bursting of government pro-
vided ammunition upon United
States vessel. Here is a part of his
vigorous, patriotic address, sensible
and practical:
"In presenting this resolution l
wish to disavow any other than pa
triotic purpose born of my desire TO
serve my country and protect her
sons and daughters" he said. But
there is one fundamental fact which
I propose to emphasize with all the
mower at my command. This is not
one-party war. This is not the Presl-
dents war. This is not the war OF
the War Department or of the Navy
Department. There are many agen-
ties. but only one principal-the Unit
ed States of America.
"This is a war of the American
people, and every American citizen is
called upon, or will be called upon,
to render the highest degree of SER
vice of which he or she is capable, to-
ward a successful issue of this SUI
preme struggle.
Such being the case, every citizen
of the Republic has the right to know
and that right l sustain-every
phase of national development along
the line of offensive or defensive SER
vice. unless such publicity is reason
ably certain to prejudice the success
of our arms.
"Of the many remarkable express
sions to which the Chief Magistrate
of the nation-a past master IN the
art of word painting-has given ut
terance, none has SO strongly COM
mended itself to me as 'pitiless pub
licity'. Upon more than one occasion
the President has reiterated his be-
lief in that doctrine. in the enuncia-
ton of which he awakened a respon-
sive echo in every American heart.
81 appreciate the importance. the
absolute necessity, Of conceallng from
the enemy certain facts appertaining
to the movement of our land and nav
al forces and therefore the withhold
ing from general circulation of news
which might prejudice our cause.
But l denounce that mawkish and
stupid doctrine that the people of
America must be kept in total ignor-
upon the preparation for war and the
prosecution of it when every loyal
citizen of the nation, with his breast
ablaze with patriotic ardor, is await
ing, alert, vigilant and eXpectant, for
some item OF news which will keep
his soul on fire and his enthusiasm
up to the highest possible pitch.
During the first year of this great
world war the British nation mud
died along, ineffective, nonprogress-
sive, demoralize, always on the de-
fensive. Today she is the dominant
power among the continental nations.
and, with the material aid of Ameri-
ca, will eventually save humanity and
civilization from the despotism which
the mad monarch Of Central Europe
seeks to superimpose upon the world.
And how has she brought about
this remarkable transformation? b.
nothing save the 'pitiless publicity
of the great newspapers controlled
by Lord Northcliffe, which, almost
unaided and against the protests of
thousands of reactionary Englishmen
overturned cabinets, evolved order
from chaos and placed the destinies
of the British nation and of the civil
lized world in the keeping of the
greatest of modern Europeans, Lloyd
George.
I'VE have right to expect that the
element of accident shall be reduced
to minimum, to a negligible quanti-
ty. We surely have a right to de-
mand that none of our brave young
men shall suffer death at the hands
of their comrades, or as a result of
defective equipment placed at their
disposal"
rr,l,o