Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1919-10-03
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SPRUCE PROBE
AND POLITICS

(Evening Telegram, Portland)
An old time subscriber of the Tel
egram who also reads the Journal,
and has followed the reports of the
spruce investigation, asks us to ex-
plain why the Democratic organ puts
the soft pedal on the disclosures of
extravaganza, Incompetence and graft
while The Telegram, treating the very
same disclosures, uses the loud pedal.
He wants to know why two reports Of
the same public hearing should differ
so widely in the presentation of the
disclosed facts.
To be perfectly frank the spruce
investigation, il Oie s,nSe. has de-
veloped into a phase of party politics.
the Republican party, as represented
in congress, has set out to. expose
the criminal waste, and the Democratic
party, as represented in congress and
using every means at its command to
conceal one of the most diSgraceful
failures in connection with Am 'rica's
share IN til war. The Democratic par
ty was driven into the position Of
having to protect crookedness, for the
reason that the truth, when it came to
be known, would necessarily reflect
On tho war administration, which was
100 Per cent partisan Democratic, and
would injure the party seriously in
the campaign next year.
In order to comprehend the parti-
SIN character of the present probe,
we must go back to May, 1918, when
President Wilson appointed Judge
Charles E. Hughes as special investi-
gator of aircraft activities. Hughes
co-operated with the department or
justice. His report, made August 81,
disclosed the fact that more than
S6OO,OO0O0O HAD been expended by
the aircraft bureau without produc-
ing a single servicable airplane. On
the strength of the Hughes report,
several men were indicted. But
part OF the Hughes report was never
published. 1t was suppl essed by the
attorny general, not for partisan
reasons, but as q matter of public
policy.
AT that time-thirteen months ago
the weight of American men and
metal, and the exalted fighting Amer
lean spirit were making themselves
felt against the Hindenburg line. The
universal opinion in this country was
that the utmost we could hope for was
to drive the Huns back to the Rhine,
and finish the war this year. Cas-
ualty lists grew longer daily. To
sustain the American morale at home
was of first importance. That part
Of the Hughes report which was sup
pressed would have tremendously
weakened the mor2le of the country,
therefore there was good reason to
suppress it until the armi5tice was
/ signed.
But that reason ceased to exist No
vember II, 1918. Still the war ad-
ADMINISTRATION would not ALLOW the re-
port to be brought into the light Of
day. Now Republican congress is
engaged in investigating anew the
scandals which the Hughes probe un-
covered. AS a party policy, the DEM
ocratic administration and Democra-
tic members of congress wish to con-
ceal the damnable facts which consti-
tute the greatest disgrace that has ever
come upon the American government
When the whole truth comes to be
known, as 1T doubtless soon will, the
spruce production in the Pacific
Northwest will be found to be the
small end" of incompetence, colossal
waste, autocratic and most inefficient
bureaucracy, which permeated the
aircraft division clear across the
country and over the ocean to France
where airplanes produced ON this sid
but utterly unfit for service wer<
burned by army orders in order to des
troy the evidence. In these oircum
stances, it is not to be wondered al
that the Republican congress stands
in the light of prosecuting attorney
and the Democrats in congress and I
) faithful party press in the light O
attorneys for the defense. '