South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-02-24

United States to France; whole boat-Ioads of
them?
1t was about the time the Rainbow division
went over The idea conveyed was that our men
were being killed "over there" or dying of dis
ease, the transports were being sunk,
thing, and that the government suppreSsing
the news, though sending the collins intent
upon giving the boys Christian burial
1t was calculated to hinder the draft; to make
mothers and fathers, and sisters, and others, in
Guiding our boys themselves nervous over the
war; set the "clackers" to 'clacking;'' anything
to destroy the public morale.
Well that morsel Of policeman effectiveness
-"giving aid and comfort to the enemy''-to
the extent that it served its logical purpose;
it now develops, was very much "made in Ameri-
Ca" and by no less an important parsonage than
a former president of the United States with next
president aspirations.
Theodore Roosevelt did all he could to encour-
age American mothers and fathers and make the
work of the administration easy by telling the
country In of his pretensively patriotic but
really partisan-pOltical harangues, that Sec'y
Baker was shipping plenty of collins to our SOL
diers IN France, but guns to defend themselves;
no rifles, cannon, machine guns" Just an
other typical Roosevelt lie.
1t was enough! It didn't need any German
SPIES or Intentionally policeman propagandists
to do the rest. Ali it needed was the "clacking"
CAB Of Americans while looking for an excuse not
to buy Liberty bonds or subscribe to the Red
Cross, or the Y Nj. c. A. war fund; or for those
who didn't want to go to war, wanted to save
someone else from going.
The coffin story came in the same breath with
that other RooSevetian disparagement with refer
ence to camp condition at Fl. Sheridan, Camp
Grant, and others; shoes, uniforms, no
nurses, doctors, half fed, wooden guns The
soldiers were being terribly abused.
Of course, the ex-president was patriotic not
intent on spreading pro-German propaganda;
just critcising the war administration at Washing
ton IN the hope, apparently, that good might
come to him from it, politically.
He didn't to give aid and comfort to
the enemy'-only to himself.
WHAT has become of l. RS favorite coffin
w story; about many collins and no guns
Well, God still moves In mysterious ways" and
man named Chamberlain from out in Oregon
wants to be elected to the senate with Roosevelt
ian help out on the slope, seems to have decided
that he'd that assistance by proving that this
supposedly German-made propaganda had real
foundation In fact.
Congress undertook to investigate. There was
an explosion IN New York; then another in Wash
ngton. The facts came out and they explain why
the sage of Oyster Bay, after ringing the white
house door bell, scooted down the street without
waiting for his answer, and left the capital as
quietly he had gone there noisily
Up 'the hill" something seems to have hap
pened that went to his head We next learn of
him at Roosevelt hospital, New York nursing a
gathering.
Quite true Sec'y Baker had sent men to France
greatly exceeding the number Of guns and amount
of ammunition sent over, but collins, and this
excess, why?
Was it Incompetence" Was it 'inefici-
ency?" Was it Stupidity" Had Everything
fallen down?' Had the administration sent de-
fenseless, unarmed men to the trenches lover
there" to be knocked the head by the Prus-
slams, without weapons of defense?
Out of a clear sky, not Pres't Wilson, not Sec'y
Baker, but Gen. Joffre, with Secy Baker as
spokesman, branded the whole propaganda, as