Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-07-19
TAFT CALLS ON :
COUNTRY FOR A
PARTY CONGRESS
Every Act Must Be For War,
Former President Tells
Republicans

Saratoga, n. Y, July ia call
by William Howard Taft to the coun-
try to elect this fall a Republican
Congress. which he declared would
stimulate the Democratic President
by offering constructive criticism of
the ADMINISTRATORS action and in
action, and, by legislation, enlarge
the nations military preparations,
was issued by the former President,
addressing the unofficial Republican
state convention here to-day.
Reiterating his advocacy of an
army of 100000 men, Mr.. Taft told
the delegates that now is the time
10 raise the great forces needed to
win the war. With a Democratic
Congress, waiting the Presidents
lead, rather than co-ordinating with
the executive, he said, this will not
be accomplished with the prompt
ness which is imperative.
Whiie conceding the masterful
aplllty of the President in stating the
country's aim in the war. Mr.. Taft
asserted that the Administration has
not had the same success in forming
practlcal war policies. He criti-
clSed also the tendency of the Ad-
mlnistration Ito allow party consid-
eratlons too much sway in its an
polntments tc important tasks" and
declared that politics has not been
ADJOURNED" as indicated by what he
termed Presidential interference in
tne party affairs of Wisconsin and
Michigan.
Every Act For War
The former President said. in
part:
Everything we do now and every
thing we say must help win the war.
Ihe President has said Politics is
adjourned He is certainly right.
IN so far as politics is to be used fosr
personal ends or party triumph. But
popular government even in war,
must be carried on by parties. Party
spirit must of course be suppressed
where 1T hampers or embarrasses.
Onthe other hand, party organiza-
tion of public opinion may be the
pest way to secure needed govern
ment action. That is the present
case. The Nation needs the Repub-
lican party to give popular express
sion to an affirmative aggressive war
policy. It's success at the polls in
November will spur the Administra-
ton to adopt one. A Republican
congress will enact legislation to
initiate and carry it on.
The present Administration is to
remain in nower two years and a
half. By that time, even though
the war continues, our then military
strength must leave no doubt of the
result. We are not now concerned
with the national election of 1920.
That may take care of itself. Its
outcome will depend upon circun-
stances which one can not now fore
see. Our present task, as patriots
and Republicans, is to help the pres
ent Administration organize the DO
tential force of this country into a
knockout blow to William of Hohen-
zollern and his compliant German
people.
What can we fairly say of the
preparations for the war by the Ad-
mlnlstratiou? We must admit that
10 change a peace-loving Democracy
IKE ours into a nation which shall
make an effective modern war on
huge scale is no easy task There
must be waste of money, effort and
time in such a transaction, Much
mas been done by the Administrat-
uon and we'll done. We should not
minimize in any degree the credit
due to it for our Conscription Law,
1t was indispensable to carrying on
this war. 1t was democratic in its
principle and effective in its opera
ton. 1t could not have passed but
for the efforts of the President and
the Republican minority.
Delay Should Teach Lessons
our achievements in war prepa-
ration may properly be claimed for
the credit of the Administration.
whose patriotism and earnest devo-
tion to its geat moral war aims no
W.
dwell upon the unfortunate DELAYS
in the manufacture of rifles, machine
guns, artillery, ships and air plans
or the costly blunders of the Coal
Administration. They should be
used as lessons.
"It may be fairly said that the
Administration has allowed party
considerations, which the crisis
should have entirely neutralized, to
rule too much in its appointments to
important tasks. Moreover, for a
year 1T deprived itself and the coun-
try of the services of those geniuses
of business organization whose
achievements have in the past ad-
vanced the material resources of this
country to their present command
ing power. When men of this kind
were first called to the aid of the
administration, they were given ad-
Visory functions, and no actual con-
troll. Slowly the Administration has
been forced to use them. The prin-
ciple at first obtained that men of
success in any field of private busi-
ness were not to be trusted with real
authority in war production. This
made the qualification for such posts
in many cases a lack of experience
in the field in which the appointees
were to act.
Must COnfute the Hun
The Presidents messages and AL
dresses have been great in declaring
our moral aims in the War. 'rhey
have shown clearly the oisinterested
attitude of the American nation.
They have grandly promised that
hand, the wickedness. of our foe.
They have grandly promised what
we must not stay our hand. until
we win. They have confuted the
pretenses of our enemies. and stiffen-
ed the morale of our Allies.
I'm framing practical policies for
carrying out our high purposes.
however, the Administration has not
achieved the same success. There
is always a halt and a hesitation in
adopting the necessary course final
ly entered upon.
While we were mediating by
message in the field of open diplom-
acy, with the German and Austrian
peoples, our transportation of troops
was slow and in small numbers and
seemed to vln6icate the view of those
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