Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24
LET US HAVE ABLE MEN

-HE Philadelphia North Amer
lean, in the course of lengthy
Il editorial on the Congressional
investigation of the Governments
failure to prosecute the war prompt
ly and efficiently, says that while
public men and newspapers have
known the facts for months rather
than risk giving comfort to the enc
my or embarrassing the Government
all have avoided exploiting the con-
ditions" and the newspaper believes
that the policy of reticence in criti-
cism and avoidance of disquieting
disclosures will be continued by the
press in the interests of National
safety. However" observes the
North American, the revelations
made by Congressional inquiry fur
nish a legitimate subject of COM
ment."
1t is in this spirit that the news
papers have been publishing IN full
the results of the various Inquiries
now under way at Washington. che
SUBJECT HIS bttH NpBlOtiShNN
out partisan bias or party perjudice.
lie would be unworthy the name of
American who would use the present
National crisis for the purpose of
making political capital. We are
neither Republicans nor Democrats
Just now, but Americans, and as
people have placed the prosecution
of war beyond any petty feelings or
ambitions. All we hold dear is at
stake.
Perhaps we have kept quiet too
long, but few months ago, be-
fore the Liberty Loans were iioated
and before the administration had
time in which to show its ability,
would have been too early to speak.
When the country was entering a
fight for its very life was no time for
any of us to be too critical. Fault
finding would have been unjustifed
when the President was calling for
whole-hearted support But now we
are in different position. The
American people have demonstrated
beyond doubt that they stand solid
ly back of the President in his war
aims. They have oversubscribed two
Liberty Loans and are prepared to
do so again and again. They have
given generously to the Red Cross,
the Y. NJ. C. A. and the knights of
Columbus war work. They stand as
partners with the Government in the
prosecution of the war. They have
given the Government their billions
and they have right to know how
the money is being spent. They
have not been niggardly in their
giving and they do not mean to be
niggardly in their accounting. But
for the sake of the men who must
bear the brunt of the fighting, for
the sake of the life of the Nation it
self, indeed, they do want to know
that every penny and every effort is
working twenty-four hours n DAY
one hundred per cent. efficiency fol
the prompt and energetic conduct
of the war. They have right to
this knowledge and nothing less will
satisfy them.
When Secretary of War Baker
was in Harrisburg n big audience
cheered him to the echo when he eX-
planned away the gun shortage in a
few eloquent sentences that do not
square themselves with the testimony
of men who tell us that the Amer
lean troops in France are depending
upon French guns and that our men
in the camps are drilling with broom
sticks. 1t will not do to leave the
people under such misapprehensions,
whether or not the author of them
meant to deceive or not.
Complacency has marked every
pspeech the Secretary of War has
made. Everything was going more
than well. The Government was ac-
complishing wonders. Lots Of rifles,
plenty of cannon and machine guns,
lots of clothing, Liberty trucks by
the thousands, aircraft by the scores
of thousands-everythi in unlim-
tied quantities, no ground for oom-
| plaint anywhere! No wonder his
audiences began to revise their first
doubtful estimates of the man! No
wonder they cheered him to the
echo! No wonder, now that they are
undeceived, they are indignant!
The Government has done lot
since the war began. 1t was and is
confronted with the biggest task In
the world and it went about the Job
J heroically. But it requires both he