New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-10-30
ACCUSES REPUBLICANS
OF OPENING OLD SORES
Cummings Declares Oppon-
ents Are Making Appeal
to SectiOnaIism.
Especial to The Herald)

Washington, Oct. 3O.-The follow
ing statement was authorized last
night by Homer S. Cummings of
Connecticut, acting chairman of the
democratic national committee:
"Capitalizing the casualty list ap-
pears to be the last activity of re-
publican leaders. The republican ma
tlonal committee is out with a state
ment to the effect that II northern
and eastern states have lost almost
live times as many soldiers in France
as the 2 southern states. I quote
story from the New York Tribune
using the files of the Tribune in the
New York public library as basis
Tor the compilation. The republican
national committee last week COM
pleted a list of war casualties by
states. The task took one mans time
for / 3 days and the completion of the
work possesses unusual interest by
reason of the fact that Senator Harry
5. New of Indiana, who asked at the
war department a few days ago for
information of exactly this sort, was
told that the department did not have
it. The story goes on to recite that IL
northern states, Connecticut, Illinois.
indiana Iowa, Massachusetts, Mich
1gan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Mis-
souri,, have suffered a total of 29,SS5
casualties. Since May it says that
IL southern states, Alabama, Arkan-
sas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana,
Maryland, Mississippi, North Caro-
lima South Carolina, Tennessee, Tex
as and Virginia, suffered losses
amounting to 6,671 men.
mo effort was made to show the
comparative populations of the south
ern and northern groups in which
there is a vast disparity. Neither
was an attempt made to show the
percentage of southern and northern
troops that have gene overseas and
into action. Further it IS impossible
to ascertain whether a higher per-
centag9 of the northern boys who go
to the front are killed nr whether the
percentage Of southerners is higher.
The republican national committee
merely set forth that more northern
than southern boys have been lost.
''This sort of sectional appeal will
make no votes and will constitute no
reason why voters should prefer re-
publican candidates. 1t is unworthy
of consideration. Similar tactics
adopted by the republican organiza-
ton have been applied to business
matters incident to the war. Efforts
have been made by republican lead
erS to show that more money has
been spent in the south than in the
north. Such a charge is of course
absurd. More camps were located in
the south than in the north because
the climate permitted more intensive
training in open air through the
winter months but contracts award
ed to the northern states far out
balance those let in the south, be-
cause the north contained more great
industrial centers. The absurdity of
such republican statements is illus
| trated in navy department figures
For example, the same IL southern
states referred to in the republican
| casualty claims received approx
mately $89,000,000 in contracts. The
same II northern states received
awards exceeding $6S6,00O,000. No
| democrat, however. has been so fool
| 1sh as to endeavor to use this fact as
q campaign argument.
| I'VE have abstained from sectional
| quarrels and we believe republican
| leaders will be Justly rebuked at the
| polls for their efforts to reopen the
| wounds resulting from our Internal
| dlfferences so years ago. There is
now no north, no south, hut a united
| country. Sons of the south, north,
! east and west are fighting and dying
| together for the Stars and Stripes. L
| regret exceedingly that the republi-
| can national committee thought it
| necessary for partisan reasons to at
| tempt to revive sectionalism at such
l a time