El Nuevo mexicano., 1918-01-24

time when partisan strife is nearly suicidal
The reply Of Senator Lodge was restrain,
ed and c~ommepdabie. 1t is absolutely true
that Republicans have voted for the big war
measures; II IL equally true that Demo-
Gratis have taken a prominent part in the
griling Of officials in the war inquiries. No
reasonable man will deny that the Repub-
licans have made an effort not 10 lei their
political prejudice run away with them in
the time of grayest national responsibility
and danger. Among the greatest offenders
when America was passing through the first
crucial moment Of getting into the war were
Democrats, including, needless to say, Sem
ator Stone Of Missouri. His SO recent con-
version to A~maricapism In the senate makes
him Of all men most unfit to break out In .
violent denunciation Of alleged agents OF
the kaiser"
As to Colonel Roosevelt, anyone who at
tacks his patriotism makes himself q laugh
ing stock, The only thing Roosevelt has
ever suffered from has been excessive pa
triotism; or to put II more accurately, his
patriotism has frequently run away with
his Judgment. The record, however, will
show both approval Of and pledges of CO.
operation with the President by Roosevelt
since the nation went to war. SO far as
that goes. Mr.. Stone should have confined
himself to Republicans in Congress- or at
least to these and those connected with the
Republican political organization, He gets
on a precarious footing when he starts out
to censor the utterances Of Americans at
large whose nationalism Is so intense and SO
far above suspicion as that Of Theodore
Roosevelt In this connection it might be
said that II Is far better, morever,, to have
the kaiser underrate our preparations for
war than to overrate them and the man who
goes to extremes in attacking what he be-
lieves to be inefficiency Is less dangerous
than he who seeks to gloss 1t over and ex-
aggerate our war readiness. But aside from
that this country Is not prepared 10 receive
lectures on patriotism from any man who
fought against the greatest expression of
national spirit ever made by the United
States-even granting for arguments sake
every charge made by Senator Stone.
It is hard to conclude otherwise than that
that the gentleman from Missouri has made
an ass Of himself. 1t is needless to add that
an equal lack Of wisdom will be shown by
Republicans who aid him in his lurid at
tempt to stir up political bitterness in Con-
Igress and the nation. sfns
We have placed a man at the helm to steer
the ship through this war. We have got to
make the best Of him. And we should be
allowed to c~riticise him to the limit so long
as we are not doing it because he is q
Democrat or TO mix political medicine. The
house is on fire and now is no time to stop
amid the flames and quarrel about who is
soing to get the credit for putting Nem out.
II we think the administration 4 putting
kinks in the hose it is our duty toky So
but. to help unkink and not seekp make
the kinks worse in order to get The fire
chiefs goat,
Stones outbreak is after ALI a warning
and a grim one to men of all parties.
Senator Lodges attitude is one that may
safely be emulated by men Of all parties
when he says:
I'VE all owe to the President the support
we can give him and we've given II. But
out first allegiance is to the country and
the cause. AS we see things going wrong,
we shall call attention of the country to
them II we can. We shall vote on powers
and moneys to the President but IL money
is wasted and powers ineffectively used we
would be traitors If we sat silent and let
the country drift into disaster because some
body calls it reasonable"
T."