Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-21
CR|T|C|SES RECORD
Of MAJORITY PARTY.
Representative GiIIett Con-
trasts War Attitude of Re-
+! pubIicans and Democrats.
VOTES IN HOUSE CITED

Representative Gillett of Massachu-
setts. acting republican leader, in a
speech in the House today attacked
the war record of the democratic ma
jority, contrasting it with that of the
republican minority.
He said the election of republican
House this year would bring no en-
couragemcnt to the kaiser, "for he
knows who have been his fiereest foes
and who he had most reason to fear"
Speaker Clark. Democratic Leader
Eitchin and Chairman Dent of the
House military committee were sin
gied out for comment on their attl-
tude and activities, and Chairman
Ferris of the democratic congressional
campaign committee was accused OF
unfair criticism of the republican rec
ord for campaig gn purposes.
Queries Propounded.
Would the support of the war have
been any less vigorous if a republican
had been Speaker instead OF our
honored Champ Clark. who opposed
the declaration of war and went out
of his way to defeat the draft?' asked
Mr.. Gillett.
Would the sinews of war have been
any less amply or more sectlonally
provided if n republican had been at
the head of the ways and means COM
mittee instead of Mr.. kitchin. who
also voted against the war and against
the draft?
Would necessary war legislation
have been retarded any more IT at
s,,,, y-.ay1Y V(0 \
had been chairman of the military
committee instead of Mr.. Dent, from
whose hands the administration pro-
gram of the draft had to be taken and
carried through by republican?
And so ] might proceed with the
other committees.
First to Give Partisan Tinge."
Mr. Gillett said he believed that Mr..
Ferris was the first to stain the col
umns of the Record with n partisan
tinge. from which they had SO long
been free He added that the speech
was intended as campaign doeu-
nent, like others, for distribution under
Mr.. Ferris frank.
Mr.. Ferris recent allusiop that the
last two democratic Congresses ap-
propriated more money for the Army
and Navy than the preceding two
republican congresses, declared Mr..
Gillett. SHOWS that some in the dem
ocratic party recognize public opinion
too well to dare say, with Mr.. Creel,
that they thank God we were not
prepared when the war broke out.
And letters are being systematical-
ly sent out by the same democratic
chairman" he added. pressing the
same argument and trying to monop-
olze. as democratic asset. the pa
triotic war spirit which now inspires
the nation"
Contrast of Records.
Referring to preparedness Mr.. Gil
lett asserted that during the fifteen
Years before this war it was the main
body of the republican party and its
leaders which vigorously favored
preparation. and it was the main body
of the democratic party and its lead
He said last winter there were four
seats in the house vacated by demo-
Gratis. ..who had returned to private
life for motives of Self-lntereSt III
orGer to increase their pecuniary in
comeS." while four vacant repubtican
seats were those of men who went
"to serve their country-not at office
desks. but in the fighting ranks.
The statement of the Ma tionai Sc
rurity League selecting eight meas
ures of the last two Congresses. which
il regarded most vital to the war. was
pointed to by Mr.. Giilett as showing
that seven men voted wrong on all
, eight measures. 'Of these seven he
said. six were democrats and one re-
publican. Forty-seven men voted
right on all eight measures. and OF
them four were democrats and forty
three were republicans.
Report of Impartial Committee.
IT do not maintain that the test
was in all respects just one. but it
! was made by an impartial non-parti-
san committee. and is one of the sig
nificant straws which shows that the
claim of superior foresight made by
the democratic chairman is rldlcu-
lously unfounded'
The next Congress. Mr.. Gillett con-
cluded. will have to face the postwar
problems, and because of industrial
centers being in the northern states.
he argued republican Congress
would better solve these than
democratic House composed of many
southern members.
$500, @AI