South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-06-27
FORMER SPEAKER
RUBS c. D. P. MACS
Champ Clark Takes Fall Out
OF Chronic FauIt-FinderS
in House.
b. JOHN j. CARSON

WASHINGTON. June EFT is
seldom nowadays that a republican
member Of the national house Of
representative makes any motion
without attempting some sort OF re-
lection on the democratic admins
traton. The passing Of a resolu-
ton for a special committee 20 in
festigate American war expenditure
was an example Champ Clark OF
Missouri. former speaker and Dem
ocratic floor leader. tired OF the con-
slant nagging and. amid applause
from both sides OF the chamber ex-
pressed himself recently.
We all went into this war 20 win
ir and I am going 70 take just a
minute 20 tell YOU what I think
about this whole business" said he.
To viii be constantly bObbing up in
this congress as 10 what happened
and what did not happen. 7 want
% say incidentally that I am grow
ing exceedingly weary Of so many
gentlemen devoting so much time 20
nagging and criticising. whether
they know what they are talking
about or not, and If they do not
quit It I am going 10 get enough
time some day 20 dress off the
whole crowd of naggers.
The truth is that we got into a
stupendous job in that war. and IL
was sprung suddenly. 1 do not be
heve that per cent OF the people
IN the United States believed that
We were going 10 get into that war
until we were in IT, They kept hop
ing that we would be able To keep
ont Of IT, and We did everything
that the Germans thought we could
not do. and IL they had believed we
could do IT they never would have
dragged US in. That was 10 raise "a
great army. drill il and send il
across the sea in time 20 help give
them "a whaling That is what was
the matter with them. and if I
were 10 live 1000 Years and studied
about II all the time 1 would never
be able to find out why they did not
know that. If we wanted 10, we
could raise an army Of $4,000. 900
men and put them in the neld. and
that. practically. our material re-
sources are illimita BILE
Was Worlds Biggest Job.
"A vast amount OF money was
spent We spent the greatest sum
that was ever spent by any nation
since the world began--iO or so
LilHons-and we had TO do every
thing at once. We were all as
green as gourds about war. ] tell
YOU what ] believe will be found out
when this is al investigated. and
that is that there was some extrava-
eance. "a good deal Of il. growing
out Of the hurry with which we did
things and the size OF the undertake
ing and that incompetents were
found here and there.
There were q good many profit
GERS and I wish that every one was
in the penitentiary. and 1 do not
care whether he is a big or little
fellow ! would not be at all SUR
prised II somewhere alonE the line
they found some absolute dishones-
~. some plain stealing-not much.
but some, by underlings 1t has
been that way IN every war we
ever had War furnished opportu-
nifty for al sorts OF gouging and
prodteerine. Nevertheless. taken
altogether. our achievement in con-
Quoting the war IS splendid. magni-
Gcent. glorious.
1T was that way in the Civil
war: IL was that way even in the
brief war with Spain. Those Of us
who were here then know that the
very same complaints were made.
and some Of them were asccrtained
10 be true What we want. and ]
suppose what YOU republicans want.
is a fair deal IN this examination.
but my suggestion is that every
body quit nagging and criticizing
and lampoouing until we ascertain
the truth as the result OF this inves-
ugation which we are undertaking
and which is going 90 cost a good
deal OF money
Mistakes Were Inevitable
II take IL for granted that near
Iy everybody in the war desired 10
do his duty faithfully and we'll.
Some OF them did not know how.
some Of them had TO learn how. and
some OF them never did any good
Take such a vast army as We had