New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-09-22
Republican House Leader
Says His Party Has
Backed Up Wilson
Champ Clark's Fight
On Draft Is Cited
Kitchin, Dent and Ferris
Also Attacked; Speech
Marks Campaign Start

WASHINGTON, Sept, d. Represen-
tative Gillett. OF Massachusetts,, acting
Republican leader. in a speech in the
House to-day, attacked the war record
o1 the Democratic majority, contrast
ing with It that Of the Republican MI
oority. He said the election of "a Re-
publican House this year would bring
no encouragement to the Kaiser, "foG
he knows who have been his fercest
foes and whom he had most reason to
fear
Speaker Clark, Democratic Leader
kitchin and Chairman Dent Of the
House Military Committee we're
singled ont for comment Oh their at
titude and activities. and Chairman
Ferris of the Democratic Congress
sional campaign committee vas &C
cused of unfair criticism of the Re
publican record for campaign purposes.
Cites Clark's Attitude
Would the support of the war have
been any less vigorous il a Republican
had been Speaker instead of our hon
ored 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 Sectionally pro-
vided if Republican had been at the
head of the Ways and Means Commit
tee instead of Mr.. kitchin, who also
voted against the war and against the
draft Would necessary war legisla-
ton have been retarded any more if at
that momentous juncture a Republican
had been chairman of the Military
Committee instead of MIR. Dent, from
whose hands the Administration pro-
gramme of the draft had to be taken
and carried through by Republican ?
And so I might proceed with the other
committees"
MIR. Gillett said he. believed that Mr..
Ferris twas the first to stain the col
umns of The Congressional Record
with a partisan tinge from which they
had so long been free" He added that
the speech was intended as campaign
document like others for distribution
under Mr.. Ferris's frank
Mr.. Ferris's recent alusion that TIE
last two Democratic Congresses APP
propriated more money for the army
and navy than the preceding two Re-
publican Congresses, declared Mr. Gill
lett. shows that some in the Demo
cratic party recognize public opinion
100 well to dare say with Mr.. Creei
that they thank God we were not pre-
pared when the war broke OUT
Ferris Called Unfair
And letters are being systematically
sent out by the same Democratic chair
man." he added, "pressing the same ar
gument and trying to monopolize as 81
Democratic asset the patriotic war
spirit which now inspires the nation"
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, ard it was the main BODY
of the Democratic party and its lead
ers which denounced and defeated It.
He said last winter there were four
seats in the House vacated by Demo
Gratis "who had returned to private life
for motives of sclf-interest in order to
increase their pecuniary income" while
four vacant Republican seats were
those of men who went to "serve their
country, not at Office desks, but in the
fighting ranks"
Test Votes Are Quoted
The statement Of the National Sc
curity League, selecting eight meas
ures of the last two Congresses which
1t regarded most vital to the war. was
pointed TO by Mr.. Gillett as showing
that seven men voted wrong on ali
eight measures.
"Of these seven," he said. six were
Democrats and one Republican.
Forty-seven men voted right on al!
eight measures, and of them four were
Democrats and forty-three were Re
pubhcans, l do not maintain that the
test was IN all respects a Just one. but
II was made by an impartial non-par-
tjsan committee, and is one Of the sig
nlticant straws which shows that the
claim of superior foresight made by
IKE Democratic chairman is ridiculous-
~ unfOunded."
The next Congress, Mr.. Gillett con-
Guided, will have to face the postwar
problems, and because of industria |
centres being in the Northern states
he argued Republican Congress could
better solve these than a Democratic
house composed of many Southern
members. Mr.. Gillett's declaration that
the three men who were most promi-
nent as evangels of preparedness were
Colonel Roosevelt, General Wood and
the late Representative Gardner, all
Republicans, was greeted with applause
from the Republican side.
Under Republican control, he said.
Congress would have willingly con
ferred all necessary war powers and
passed all war measures, but that it
would not have been under the control
of the Administrations
As Mr., Gillett concluded the Repub-
i!can members arose to applaud and
cheer.