Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-12-01

In the Baltimore Sun, one of the
sobercst and most conservative Of
American newspapers. appears n SEN
sationai signed statement by Frank IL
Kent. its managing editor. II pur-
ports To picture the far inside Of con-
dnions IN the upper and inner circles
OF the allies in Europe. The sun Is
thick and-thin supporter OF the ad-
ministration. y year or two ago there
was general report that 1t was the
carefully every day. Mr.: Kent may be
giving to the public the Presidents
explanation of his Journey to the other
side, following closely after the pup-
lished complaints OF the official rctt-
cence on that subject. He evidently
has been in very close tonrh
overseas or here Intimate with the in
tercoursc between our representatives
abroad and the White House. lie says
he knows OF two strongly worded
cables sent to The President FROM
Paris urging the vital necessity OF
his presence Managing editors Of
newspapers like the sun do not write
over their own signatures assertions
Of that kind unless they have exact
Knowledge. Nor do they break con-
Gdcnce. Somebody who knew of those
messages told Mir. Kent and authorized
him To say that they had been sent.
They must have been 40 intensely con
iiGential that few persons knew Of
them and nobody not in the very high
est authority would have dared author
I.e publication Of the fact that they
had been sent 1t is further evident
mission. To have the facts made public
went consent to have published with
them other assertions. decidedly start
ling. which also appear over Mr. Ecnt's
name. To newspaper men there is in
trinsic and convincing evidence that an
abstract Of the statement was pre-
Pared to be sent o on, in ADVANCE 70
indicate that the statement * an in
direct. unofficial answer by President
Wilson for the American public to tho
challenge to explain why he is going
abroad.
Mr. Kent says sharp discords have
developed among our allies in III" hour
of victory, and quotes Arthur Balfour
viii be "a rough and tumble affair"
lie recites as criticisms of each other
By tho allies the following:
The French complain that the Eng
lSh lost fTicntfuily and unnecessarily
BY hidebound adherence to British mil
ita-y precedent and by long failure 70
sa% the French lacked promptncss and
system. and that q dangerous mutiry
III their army was checked only Dy tho
arrival OF the Americans. in response
to frantic Hurry, Iiurrv.' calls. Ro;h
say tho Portuguese failed absolutely as
nrst-line troops. and that u large part
OF the alian army could not have been
kept III line unless the American Red
Cross he'd sent special hcnefactions 10
the families Of the soldiers All con
ccde he decisive value Of tho help
sent from America and the prowess Of
oar men. but add that our delay MAS so
protraCted that catastrophe was bare
" avoided and cruel losses were caused.
The Americans. on their side. arc say
ing that Pcrshiny and not Foch COM
PEELED the finally successful offensive
HAT fcrshing was force! TO use strong
and offensive language. including pro-
family. to induce that action. and only
his stubborn and harsh insistence
brought permission to use his men as
separate divisions with responsibility
and opportunity of their own. instead