Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1918-03-28
HURRY, HURRY, HURRY"

| again anu again, not IN weakness
but in knowledge of realities. i
has been. Hurry. hurry, hurry"
! Today the terrible meaning o.
that appeal must have come home
to every man and woman in Amer.
lea. 1t must have come home even
to Washington.
So long ago as last summer the
consequences of spreading anarchy
and Bolshevism in Russia began to
be foreseen in France and England
II there was any doubt of what these
consequences would be in the ives,
that doubt disappeared with the
blow at Italy. Since that time the
armies drawn from the east have
been gathering in the west. like
dark storm clouds promising devas.
tation. Our allies watched anxious.
ly and worked furiously and prayed
for the new strength of America
Hurry" they called to us. hurry,
hurry"
During those months anxiety was
growing in this country, but it did
not penetrate the narrowing circle
of power and responsibility at Wash
ington. Bureaucrats in the war de-
partment were experimenting to
better the weapons with which our
allies were holding back the COM
mon foe. While factories stood idle
our experts worked on plans for q
perfect machine gun, for field
piece better than the famous "seven-
ty five" of France, for a perfect air.
craft motor. While our coal mines
were working at half capacity and
transportation was available. DR..
Garfield and Mr.. Baker were winning
their moral victory over the mine
operators and preparing the paral-
ysfsa nofF railroads and manufacture
which eliminated in the fuel order.
While strikes sprang like incendiary
fires in district after district. COM
missions of settlement were running
here and there like distracted buck
let brigades. A confusion of priority
orders was blocking the rights OF
way with loaded cars. In the war
organization xious executives
struggled in network of cross pur-
poses. The darkness deepened. Eff
ficient men despaired. The appeal
to hurry came insistently while the
submarine took It's toll and the Ger
man armies massed against the
western line.
Only in the little circle about the
president were there serenity and
satisfaction. In January the sec
rotary Of war faced the earnest in
terrogation and protests Of the SEN
ate military affairs committee with
calm assurance, deepening to re-
proach. The president famed into
anger. Americas effort was enor-
nous, we were told. The war de-
partment had accomplished wonders.
There was no justification for crit
icism, no need for change. The
president was DIN debate with the
sardonic spokesman of Germany and
Austria. But the German armies
over Russia and massing their re-
newed power in the west. We were
putting forth ideals while the enemy
were piling up shells.
In Europe today another great
victory is thrilling the hearts of war
like Germany and darkening the
hopes OF the defenders of democ-
racy. In America today we know
that the high sounding forecasts of
our aircraft plans are not fulfilled
and are not for months to be full
filled. We know that our allies
strength and morale have been en-
dangered by our inability to keep
the food supply we pledged. We
know that our shipping program,
the keystone of our cause. is far be-
hind. One year after our entrance
into the war. America has not &C
complished what our allies hoped
from us nor what the great resources
of this country made possible.
No clatter OF ostrich optimism and
blind partisanism can drown the
guns in France.
At Washington the criticism
which the administration and its
thick and thin supporters would
have silenced months ago has been
steadily enforced by events. 1t has
forced action. Action by the COM
PLEASANT Mr.. Baker. action even by
the president. The demand for re-
organization and coordination is
the German victory is the message
of our allies for months past-"hur-
ry, hurry, hurry" The armies OF
triumphant Germany will not wait
while the American president over
comes his personal predictions and
proceeds by reluctant concessions
and grudging compromises to put
the machinery of American power
in working order. The president has
appealed to Germany. and to Aus
tria and to Russia and the world.
The German guns have answered
him. 1t is time for him to turn to
America and to our own good
strength.
1t is time for the president to turn
for a moment at least from his great
strength to face his own weakness
and the weakness of his government.
It Is time for him to look Beyond the
little coterie of his intimates and &C
cept the aid of the strong men who
stand ready to serve their country
and areable to serve 1t In the organ
ization OF its powers. 1t is time for
the president to rid himself OF the
personalism which has marked his
administrative policy and to realize
that the defender of representative
democracy cannot adopt the method
of the autocrat. 1t is time for the
president to be rid of the proved
weaklings of his appointment and to
cease evasion and obstruction OF
measures to concentrate and order
the enormous forces which congress
and the nation have so freely placed
in his hands.-Chicago Tribune.
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