The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-22
THE BIRMINGHAM AGEHERAID, TUESDAY, JANUARY 22 1918

might be made the subject of criticism of the administration.
 "I do not mean that administrative er- TOTS should be concealed from our people. i Of course mistakes have been made by the government-doubtless many, and grave mistakes In the circumstances that was inevitable. but is it necessary for us to stand on. housetop and pro- claim these mistakes with loud voice to the whole world?H
 1 Considering everything, Mir Stone as serted that the achievements of this Con- gress and the administration "signalized a degree of marked success without par alIel in the worlds history"
 The time for Haunting them is past. !" ! he continued This is the time for uni versal national sympathy and solidarity. 1 My appeal now is to my colleagues on 1 this side to stand firmly against influ- 1 ences calculated to mislead us, and l ap- peal to my colleagues on the other side of this chamber to thrust back the evil dent rising tide of partisanship. The republican leaders purpose, he reiterated, is to elect a Congress out of harmony with the President.
 What would happen to the Wilson administration if the republican party should have control of the next Con- 1 gress?' he asked "If I were to adopt the use of Billy Sunday classics the President would have hell of a time 7 In concluding, the Missouri Senator presented statistics Of what he termed were partisan appointments of state war committees. He gave the statistics to show, he asserted, tha, democratic gov ernors had been no partisan in their ap- pointments while republican governors had not
 That fight is now on. Let no man deceive himself about that. If there be one who does not see this, he is blind. Rising out of this cloud Is l the abhorrent figure of a political hag stirring the cauldron of domestic par tisanship to disturb even in this hour of national peril, the sympathetic unity of the American people. That presents | a great problem of national moment at 1 this time.
 Senator Stone declared that the resolu- tions calling for the numerous congress sional investigations into the conduct Of the war came almost exclusively from the republican side. He quoted from recent published interviews of Senator Penrose and Chairman Wilcox to sus- tain his charges that the republicans are playing politics. He based his accusation mainly, however, upon the editorials written by Colonel Roosevelt for the Kansas City Star.
 STYLES ROOSEVELT MENACE uoW lHlTOuuCe my star witness, Theodore Roosevelt himself, whom characterize as the most seditious man ot consequence in America he said.
 The heart of this man is aflame with ambition and he runs amuck. "On my responsibility as a senator, charge that since our entrance Into the war, Roosevelt has been a menace and obstruction to the successful prosecu- tion of the war. His chief thought has not heep heln ho the weiShty problems it has had to solve, but always his chief thought has been of Roosevelt.
 Almost every day this man speaks in bitter and contemptuous disparagement of the President and of the majority members of Congress.
 Every week for long time he has been and still is publishing under con tract for money consideration-think of It, for money-villainous screeds in the Kansas City Star, which paper has a wide circulation in several states attack ing the President and the government"
 TRIBUTE TO ROOT
 Senator Stone dealt with published criticisms of the admin stration for not making use of the capabilities of re- publleans prominent in public life, such as Colonel Roosevelt. General Leonard Wood, former Senator Root, former Pres ident Taft, and Charles E. Hughes. He pointed out that MT. Root had been sent to Russia on an important mission and that former Chairman Wilcox of the republican national committee had just been called to assist the director general of railroads.
 Senator Stone paid high tribute to Mir. Root but said he did not regard his former distinguished colleague ..as a sort of love. sitting on Olympus"
 After speaking of the abilities of some others named, Senator Stone added:
 MT. Taft and Mir. Hughes. I pass in respectful silence"
 General Wood had been called repeat edly to great responsibilities. the sena- tor said, adding that the substance of the criticism in that case had been fail ure to call him to supreme command of military forces
 General Pershing is his equal.r inc senator said, ''and republican as well as Wood" "
 TAPS AND POUNDS DESK
 With characteristic gestures Senator Stone emphasized his points In shrilI falsetto he declared the republicans were shrewd. He tapped his desk with his fingers in milder emphasis, and then pounded it vigorously.
 senator Penrose and Republican Leader Gallinger took notes as he pro-
 
 Lodge whispered in conference, and the Massachusetts senator also took notes on the address. It was apparent that the republicans were preparing to make some speeches also
 As he began presenting his "witnesses', senator Stone named Senator Penrose ana glanced from his reading to .he Fennsylvania senator who apparet!y calm and undisturbed, gazed intentlv at the speaker and fingered booklet while sitting at ease.
 senator Penrose interrupted Senator stones statement of partisanship ap- polntlng state explosives inspectors.
 All the references made to me are literally true,' said Penrose, and I am astounded at my own moderation. But does the senator mean to state that partisan. dyed-in- they wool, notorious democrats were not appointed explosive inspectors in all of the IS states?''
 T do not know; I hope that the sena tor IS not mistaken. Senator Stone re- torted and proceeded with his address.
 PENROSE ASKS QUESTIONS
 When Senator Stone declared Colonel roosevelt apparently could say things, which less important persons might say only by subjecting themselves to arrest. Senator Penrose interrupted with words tumbling out, demanding:
 Does the senator advance the ex traordinary doctrine that every citizen hasn't the right to say what he thinks or MT. Wilson without going to iail? Does he say that citizens haven't the risht to say that Mir. Wilson surrounds nlmseIf with persons so incompetent that the war programme has haan car;