Evening star., 1920-06-28

Americans. irrespective OF party,
should begin to praise the achieve
ments of our country rather than to
criticise them? Surely a just and
righteous sense of national pride
should protect us from the in
sensate assaults of mere partisans. We
| fought great war. for a great cause,
| and we had leadership that carried
America to greater heights of honor
and power and glory than she has
| ever known before in her entire his
tory If the American flag must be
| lowered. it will be hauled down in
republican convention and not IN
, democratic convention.
Republicans Seek
To Shame and Smirch.
1t is this shining record of tremen-
dous achievement that republica
managers and the Chicago platform
seek to shame and besmirch. Various
congressional committees. which for
called smelling committees were
appointed for the purpose of ascer-
tanning whether or not there was any
graft in the conduct of the great
war. Over eighty investigations have
been made, over two million dollars
have been wasted and the one result
has been to prove that it was the
cleanest war ever fought in the MS
tory of civilization.
Through the hands of democratic
ADMINISTRATION, lHCIS nave
more than forty billions or dollars,
and the finger of scorn does not point
to one single democratic official In all
America 1t is record never pe1ore
made by any political party In any
country that ever conducted war.
If republican leaders are not able
to rejoice with us in this American
triumph, they should have the grace
to remain silent. for it does not lie |
in the mouths of those who conducted
the Spanish American war TO inuuis
in the luxury of criticism. what was
there in this war to compare with the
typhoid infested camps and the paper
soled shoe controversy OF 1898 nat
was there in this war to compare 10
the embalmed beef scandal of the !
Sns American war? Despite all
their Investigations, not one slngie
democratic official has either been IN
dicted or accused or even suspec'eos
and the only dignitary in America, OF
any outstanding pohticai sis ninSa ne
who is moving in the direction OF the
nanitent;ary. is Truman Newberry of !
Michigan. ,h,;o.,
party to conduct partisan inVesu
cation of the war. to critlcise tne
of the Senate and to wreck the pros
pect of world peace. rests upon
bare majority of one, secui eu
through the tainted senatorial vote
from Michigan. ,o ca
The republican party became SO
fyed in its incorrigib1e habit of con-
ducting Investigations that 1t nnmls
turned to the fruitful task OF lhvee
tigating itself. For the nrst liHle
since they entered upon this program
they discovered fraud and graft ana
gross and inexcusable expenditures
The revelations disclose the 1ac,'
long understood by the initiated
that the meeting at Chicago was % moe
a convention but an auction. ~.
highest bidder, however, did not get
the prize. The publicity which over
took the proceedings frustrated Inc !
initial purpose. In more senses tnah
one. the recent Chicago convention
has left the democratic party as the
sole custodian of the honor OF 'he
country. ;,;.
There are men so small in spirit. |
So pitifully -cramped in soul. tnat
they suggest that the war cost 700
much The republican platform
echoes this complaint. 1t was, IN
most wasteful thing in the Woriu.
But is money to be measured agalns.
the blood of American soldiers!
Would it not be better to spend
never exploded than to have one
American boy on the firing line
minus an essential cartridge! was ~
not better to prepare for long war
and make it short than TO preparee
for a short war and make II long
When criticism is made of the ex-
pense of war, let US not forget tnat
we bought with 1t the freedom ano
the safety of the civilization Of the
world. -
Democracy Is Never
Prepared for War.
Again, they say that we were not
prepared for war. In a strict mill
tary sense, democracy is never
prepared for war; but America made
ready in a way that was far more
effective than by maintaining. at
enormous cost. great armaments,
which neither party ever advocated
and which our people would never
approve.
alone. They are fought by nations.
1t is a measuring of the economic
strength of nations. The front line
trench is no stronger than the forces
which lie behind the trench. The line
of communication reaches back to
every village. farm, counting house,
factory and home. America pre-
pared by making the economic life OF
the country sound.
What would have been our situa+
tion If, prior to the outbreak of the
war, we had not prepared so that our
farmers were able to feed the armies
our situation if labor had not been
willing to follow the leadership of
| the President? What would have
| been the situation if we had not es-
| tablished currency system which
made it possible for us to finance the
war? What would have been the sit
uation if the republican party had
n