Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1918-09-28
Ownership a Question For the
People TO Decide Says
McAdoo.
Director General of Roads Claims
Seizure Necessary to Win
the War.
Concerted Move of Big Press and
Interests For Private
Control.
PAYS TRIBUTE TO OUR ARMY.

The Courier-Journal and others
of the big daily press are pleading
editorialy that the railroads should
be turned back to private owner
ship, while the working and labor
ing classes believe that Govern
ment control was successful, and in
this connection William G.. McAdoo,
former Secretary of the Treasury
and Director General of the Rail-
roads, says that 1t is a question for
the people to decide. In an address
delivered at New York this week
Mr.. McAdoo said:
LET a majority of the people
decide once and for all whether we
are to have Government or private
ownership of railroads and other
public utilities. l personally do not
care whether we have Government
or private ownership. Let a ma
jority of the voters decide that
question. I am not afraid OF the
decision of majority of the
American people at any time. !
shall always think we'll of the peo-
pie even II they sdid return a
Republican Congress at the last
election. Though 1 am a Democrat
In politics 1 am an American first
and always. / do say, however,
that had not the Government taken
over the railroads and the trans
portation of guns, clothing and
supplies for our boys who so gal
lanty won the battle for liberty and
civilization, we could not have
ended this frightful war as quickly
as we did. Uncle Sam commanded,
Forward until the Kaiser is licked!
We obeyed the command by selling
upon every means of complying
with it.
81 am not going to tell you what
to do with the railroads. But you
and I know as we never did just
what our flag and national anthem
mean and how the sight of the one
and the music of the other thrills
us as never before. Both were
made more glorious by the deeds
of such men as Lieut. Col. Whit
tlesey who, when the Huns called
upon him to surrender roared Go
to hell All honor to him and the
other brave boys who fought to
exalt this nation as never before in
~ 4istory. / am amused at the
kaiser's lack OF education. Had he
visited this country during one of
our political campaigns he would
have learned how we can fight
election. He has learned that when
attacked by a foreigner we fight to-
gether as one against him.
Aau.s \ =
the means that backed the valor
of our boys who fooled and beat
the Kaiser. They subscribed with
lavish sacrifice to the Liberty
loans. They raised the billions
asked for and more. They knew
what we were fighting for as well
as did the boys who fought and
died. The seelctive draft democrat
tiled Cur army. 1t furnished green
troops that were superior to the /
veterans of the Kaiser. There are |
no aristocrats In America today. |
We are all democrats. And the |
army comprised the best fighting |
democrats on earth.
zone of the best features of the |
war was the establishment of SOL |
1iers' and sailors insurance. The |
men who took out this said, Now
that the wife and the Riddles are
provided for. can fight for Uncle |
Sam like helli' To the credit Of |
Uncle Sam be it said that we have
n the Treasury Department
1913, 900, 100000 worth of insurance
or our soldiers and sailors. The
average is about $4,000. And IL
cost each man only $40 for each
10000, and guaranteed families
against starvation. There is no
onger danger of pension scandals.
Had there not been money back of
he boys who fought we could not
lave licked the Kaiser so soon."
Following Mr.. McAdoo's address
ieut. Col. Whittlesley, hero of the
Lost Battalion of Argonne Forest"
poke of the American soldier boys
nd paid tribute to the Irish I
egiment of New York, the Fight
ng Sixty-ninth, and Rev. Father
ialligan, a chaplain. Col. Whites
ey said:
Americans who did the real
ghting won't come back hating the
Germans. Some of them would
hare their cigarettes with the
laiser should they meet him on the !,
Dad. They fought for an ideal.
hey read William James and his
oem. They went into battle to
light wrongs. They did not fight ;,
DR. the dollar. They did not fight :
ierely for adventure. They did
OF fight as do the Bolshevikl. They I,
Id fight for the liberation of the :
'orld and for humanity. All were
outrageous. Chaplain Halligan
bowed that when he risked his life n
} bury one of our boys. The Six a
y-ninth Regiment, the Rainbow a
ivision. of which l was proud to
e an officer. fought for civilization, o
Iorality and the right"
X. OF @. AS SANTA CLAUS. y