South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-10-26
American Ptesrden
C. o. P. "PRO-WAR" BUT
" "ANTI-ADmINISTRATION"
AND MENACE TO WAR
POLITICS OF NATIONS.
BY JOHN HENRY ZUVER.
Editor The News-Times.

10 the people Of the United
states. IF you approve of my
leadership and wish me TO continue
your unembarrassed spokesman az
home and abroad express
yourselves uHmistakabIy 20 that ef-
feet by returning a democratic ma
jOrity 10 both the senate and the
house"
That h about the best evidence I'm
the world as TO who is supporting
the war administration, and who Is
opposing it; who Is enabling the
president TO serve, and who l. en-
barrassing him, bounding &C his heels
like 50 many hungry dogs.
Republican dOpcsters, and politi-
cally crack-brained special CORE
spOndents and commentators for the
local republican organ, 20 the con-
trary Notwithstanding, the president,
who i there on the ground. and
knows, seems 10 be pretty well sat
isfied that even with an occasional
democrat going wrong. Il Is still the
democrats and not the republicans
that have given him his major sup
port, and infinitely 50.
HE president Is fair. He docs
not accuse the minority I'm con-
gross of being pro-Ger1nan- They
are only extraordinarily prO-republi-
can. ~ much so that they become
prO-German I'm effect, though not 30
minded.
In other words, the republicans
are not american first" but "re-
publican first" this not in the Ian
guagc Of the president, but I'm the
language of their conduct. He puts
IL this way:
The leaders Of the minority In the
present congress have unquestiOnabIy
been prO-war, but they have been anti
administration. At almost every turn,
since We entered the war, they have
sOught TO take the choice OF policy and
the conduct OF the war out Of my hands
and put it under the control of instru-
nlentalities or their own choosing. This
II no time either for divided counsel or
for divided leadership. Unity of
mnnd l. a. necessary now in civil ac-
tion as 10 is upon the field Of battle n
the control OF the house and senate
should he taken away from the party
now In power, an opposing majority
could assume control Of legislation and
obIige all action tn be taken amidst
contest and obstruction
You know. Mr.. Reader. and every
American knows. the correctness of
that picture; infinitely trucr to life
and logic than a Raphael or Michael
angelo could have painted IL with
brush and model.
u is no time for that brand Of pa
triotism, or even partisanship. BY
supporting the president In the con-
~ Nara p ltf-rNrr
might have Obviated the present
situation. but I'm their super
partisanship they have not seen fit
To- do so-and thc infamy of their
anii-administratiOn has spread to- all
lands.
THAT is tho crime OF IL all. II is
i no different now than IL was i'm
the COS nor I'm 1898. Solidarity he
fore the world is essential TO our
highest success.
imposition upon the president Of
"a congress made up of party hat
has proven its disIOyalty To him be-
fore the world. would mean TO the
world rcpudiatiOn by his own
people. and the position OF the
American president. row spOk csna n
for aH the allied powers, would De
accordingly weakened.
The president himself speaks
thus:
The return OF republican majority
To either house of congress would
moreover. certainly be interpreted on
the other side OF the water a repudi-
alton of my leadership. SpolesIneu Of
the republican party nTr urging YOU 60
elect "a republican congress In order TO
back up and support thc president, but
even IL they should in this way inn
pose upcn some Credulou~ voters on
this side Of the water. they would inn
pose on mo- oue the other side. It
L. well understood there well
here that the republican leaders desire
not SO much &C. support thc president
a. 90 control him. The peoples of the
allied countries with whom We are
associated against Germany are quite
familiar with the significance Of elec-
tlons They would unG it very difdcult
go believe that thc voters 90 the United
states had chosen 60 support their
president by rlrcting 90 the congress a
majority controlled Toy those who are
not in fact in sympathy with the at
titude and action of the admini~tra-
tiou.
That is world politics II is in
tcnatiOnal politics. but IL il also
international statesman>hip Won't
Nou. Afr. Reader, regard the election
Of republican senate and house as
rcpudiation OF the president. mis-
policies. and his conduct OF the war?
We'll. III YOU iO. how can YOU cN-
poet our friends or even our foes
in Europe u regard Il otherwise?
INDEED, cN-Prcs't Taft, for the
/ shame of him, makes the unpa-
triotiC boast i'm recent issue Of the
Outlook. as quoted 10y the local re-
publican organ. that rcpudiatiOn of
the president before our allies and
our foes il the republican aim
Evidently. after all hc J. bccom-
ing quite a assiiiCd as his predcCCs-
SOFT. oOScNclt-pOintiug 60 pro-
German Wisconsin and its election
OF IcnroOt: the nomination Of the
..Corr1Iptionist' NcNVbcrrl in Nlichi-
gan. and what has happened I'm
tsrock-rfblrcd'' republican Maine