The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-10-14
SUBJ 'SMELLERS" INTO
WAR EXPENDITURES IN
STATE OF QU|ESCENCE

-popularly known as the
republican "smellers" delved in
to the problem Of how, and why a
democratic administration won the
greatest war Of history. Bands Of
sub"Smellers" have journeycd to the
Pacific coast, to camps and cantonments
and to France in a search for campaign
material for the G. o. p.
And what is the official result? The
probability that most of the sub.com.
mittee win not turn in their reports
to Chairman W. j. Graham of Illinois
for six months. That would be March,
o. about three months before the hold
ing of the republican convention. There
to little likelihood, however, that the
democratic leaders will permit any
such delay. 40 far as their protests
can carry Consequently much Of the
information win likely come out in
debate on the floor Of the house long
before that time.
The country stll recalls the defeat
administered to the subcommittee ON
foreign expenditures at Paris in their
attempt to smell" General Pcrshing
on the day before he sailed for Ameri
ca 1t is unjust to attribute this defeat
to all the sub "smellers." as the demo
cratic member Henry -. Flood Of Nir
ginia had no part in the affair; the
chairman Royal 9. Johnson, Of South
Dakota, and his republican colleague
Oscar +. Bland Of Indiana, monopolIl
ing that feature.
Johnson and Bland arrived In Paris
4
2S called on General Pershing for in
formation to be given the following
cay. They were well aware at the
time Of their arrival of the approx
mate date Of the American command
crs date of departure, and later knew
that Aug 80 had been fixed as the
time.
When they called upon the general
at his headquarters the members OF
the committee were informed by Cen
cral Pershng that all his documents
records, etc. were either at Brcst or
or in the hold Of the "Leviathan," ana
that he did not want to make any
important statement without being
able to refer to them. That did not
satisfy Representative Bland who m
sisted upon examining" the soldier
That settled it for Pershing and ne
flatlY refused to answer, saying ne
would be available ON his return to the
United states, when, with his records
in hand, he would be glad to reply TO
all questions. For this he was de
nounced in cablegrams by johnson and
Bland for overriding congressional au
thorlty, etc
As in the cases Of the other sun
committees the French explorers lalI
ed to uncover camping material ana
their methods have excited the de
rision and denunciation of several oil
their own party organs, As kepreseh
tive Flood "a congressman OF many
terms, put it; There was nothing III
the evidence that would appeal to any
reasoning mind as justification Tor the
criticism by the republican members
Of the subcommittee
Representative Bland IN the various
statements b" has gwen out since
his arrival in the United STATES
drew particular attention to the
disposal Of property for S4OOOoo,
600. which he valued at Sl'UOVoo ooO'
He neglected to state that much of tins |
property cost the United states noti .
ing, having been c'ptured tfom lir
Germans. A commission consisting oI
ex-senator Hollis of New Hampshire |
Gen. Charles @. Dawnes of Chicago. |
and eN-Judge Parker Of Texas, valued |
this property at one billion dollars .
OF this amount $2oO,OOO,OOO worth was
1 4t..t. d.