The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-12-28
CAMOUFLAGING BLUNDERS


effectualy shaken by anything short of the hapest impact
o public sapprova The voluntary censorship backed by
sincere desire give the government ample time to demon
STRAIT it's competency and by fair recognition of the tire
mendous responsibilities it has assumed has barred know
ledge from the public and from the press Opinion has
mot been formed therefore, although have advanced
nearly ten months into period To every patriotic
man. whether he writes reads the duty of criticism and
protest at such time this is actually disasteful Never
heess when backed by facts and made urgent by crcum
ances it cannot be shiked For months criticism has been
withheld and doubt has been resolved in favor Of the
government This has been carried to point where
thence and restraint have become wrongs to the who
to fight land and for the country and they
longer be honestly INDUCED in Advantage has been taken
and is being taken of this good will provide immunity for
hluders and apoogss Of the administration reward it
partisan accusations of parsanm by appeals to ostrich
optimism, and by solemn adjurations against hysteria
The chief journalistic apologst of the administration,
the New York World for example, with comment
the thus far made and the In
editorial entitled ''No Time for Hysteria." Taking advan
tage of minor incidents of the congressional inquiries such
silly isolated complaints against George Creels salary the
cost of floating the second Liberty loan the alleged exist
cnce of social distinctions in the army the World covers the
important disclosures with clumsy camouage of this sor
although it the French government which in
sisted that United States use artillery
Representative Mccormick rushes home to say that the
French have artillery spare and that must make
1000 cannon at once.''
sardonic humor this only be fully appreciated
by Fencman of getting ready as best
he may take his place the French front Will the
Portable gentleman the World office explain to why the
government insstd upon French guns for Ameri
roops Possibly he knows in his bomb proof office
Park Row better than Castenau and Pean what the allies
need and what they spare Possibly the truth will pierce
his snug shell proof headquarters that if the French
ement wanted troops to have French artillery and
machine guns because they would have had they
hadnt had what belonged to allies.
On that point the apoogst proceeds follows Be
that may what has happened in Washington is that
congress [scl suddenly discovered
gagged in great and that the quite simple
CT placid peace When the comparatively modest ord
nance department of the United States has to be
panded almost overnight to German proportions there is con-
fusion of counsel and delay in reaching condition of 100
cent. efficiency.
We like the remark gabout congress. Possibly if the
World were nearer the firing line in France the apoogst
artillery officer of the in Ameri
c marking time four months after the arrival of his
ten months after the declaration Of war; because they
without artillery and equipment for training purposes, he
would be conscious of his own humor If con-
has ardily walked up to what what of
secretary who another apoogist remarks has JUST
fed the confidence of his friends and well wishers by begin
nng'' ten months after began and only after
tiona dscosures) the long needed and indispensable
organization of the department.!
As for the 'smodest ordnance department. does the
partisan apoogst consider that its modesty requires abso
lutte nacon in the supply of machine guns VIGOROUSLY
posed before the naction which did not end
until two months after actual entrance into the WARP
This is modesty likely to be appreciated Park
Row than at General Pershng's headquarters.
No apoogist explain away the blunders of this
est department. But the spirit shown by great
metropolitan daily in the face of the facts of ne2cusabe
lay exposed thus far by inquiries shows very
the for such and challenge
official compacency which the of the unsats
factory dangerous conditions in branches of
war preparation
The World hints at partisanism Nothing could be
unscrupuousy partisan than it's dsngenuous appeal
against hystera that nonexistent competency in
the ordnance bureau.
There is need for partsanism. But the partsansn
incompetence There is need for
tisans American soldier whom have appointed
90 face the greatest military force in the world and
defeat it. There need for parsans of victory which will
be by evasve apoogss in steam heated
three thousand miles of the German
Executives.