New-York tribune., 1920-06-29
ultimately made our country the great
est creditor nation of the world.
Wartime LEGISLATION

ultimately made our country the great
est creditor nation of the world.
Wartime Legislation
"And then the great war came on:
Ultimately, by the logical steps of
necessity, our peace-loving nation was
drawn into the conflict. The neces ssary
war legislation was quickly supplied.
"A War FINANCE Corporation was
created. War risk insurance was pro
vided. Shipbuilding laws reesttablished
The office of Alien Property Custodian
was created. A War Industries Board
was established War Trade Board
was created. Food and fuel regula-
tions were formulated. Vast loans
were successfully foated. Vocational
training was provided. A national
Council of Defense was created. In
dustry was successfully modified.
almost over night the factories of
! the nation were made part OF the war
machine, and the miraculous revival of
the shipping industry filled the ocean
lanes with our transports.
"Our fleet laid the North Sea mine
barrage. We sent fighting craft to
every sea and brought new courage and
inventive genius to the crucial fight
against the U-boat.
"In transporting our troops to
France we never lost a man in ship
conveyed by the American navy.
Zone of the first decisions was be-
selective draft. Many patriotic citizens
strongly deprecated conscription and
dreaded its possibilities. The Admin
istration, however, placed it's influence
behind the measure, secured its pas
sage and made possible the winning of
| the war.
Selection of Army Officers
"Partisanship was put aside in the
selection of General Pershng as lead
er of our forces, and no military COM
mander in history was ever given a
freer hand or more unfagging sup
port. The policy of selecting officers
through training camps avoided the
use of political favorites and guar
anteed competent leadership for the
youth of the land Ten million men
were registered within three months
from the declaration of war and thirty
two camp cities, complete in every
municipal detail, were built in ninety
days.
y 'In France we had to construct our
own docks, railroad lines, storage
dcpots, hospitals and ordnance bases
We had to cut down the forests for
our barracks. In June, two months
after the declaration Of war. our fight
ing men were in France; in October
Americans were on the firing line; lr
scarcely more than year we hac
100000 men in France, had whipped
!, the enemy at Belleau Wood, beater
= them back at Chateau Thierry, wipe,
!. out the ST. Mihiel salient and delivered
the terrific hammer blow at Sedal
that virtually ended the war.
i LESS than two years ago Genera
Haig, with the bluntness Of a soldier
said: The British Army is fighting
with its back to the WALL Lloy(
George was crying: 1t is a race be
e tween Wilson and Hindenburg,' an
4 France clung like a drowning man t.
the Rock of Verdun, turning agonize,
eyes toward America. And Amerc
+ came. We challenge the critics Of tn
. Administration to point out how, with
" in the limits of human possibility, tn
e war could have been won NOR
e promptly or with less loss of America
II lives.
~ ~ ''It was not by mere chance that thes
~ ~ things were accomplished. To readjus
- the processes of peace so as to serI
% the activities of war required leade
~ ship of uneXampled skill. Petty crit
"a cism of minor defects and individu
oHcialS may LOT tlme attract Supe
fetal attention, but the signfcal
things, the great outstanding fac
plead eloquently for the Democrat
d cause.
~ Let no one misunderstood us. The
" great affairs were carried forward u
az der the stimulus Of American patrio
ne ne ism, supported by the courage and II
ne spirit Of our people All this is free
H. H. and gladly acknowledged, but sure
ha
MT the calculated criticism and the pr
r. meditated calumnies of the opposite
~ we are entitled to call attention to Il
n fact that all Of these things we
On On accomplished under the leadership
10 a great Democrat and a great Dem
od cratic Administration. We have
&C apologies to make-not one. We a
cy proud Of our great navy; we are pro
as Of our splendid army; we are proud
~ the power of our country and the ma
ne ner in which that power has been use
e. we are proud of the work that Ameri
,o' has done in the world; we are proud
ss- sss the heroism of American men q
os women; and we are proud of the
eo. spired and incompatible leadership
eaat Woodrow Wilson.
on Deplores Partisan Criticism
lst "Has not the time come when
,or Americans, irrespective of party, sho,
M begin to praise the achievements of c
he country rather than to criticize thel
ms Surely just and righteous sense
act national pride should protect US fr
re- the insensate assaults of mere par
oy- sans. We fought a great war, for
,an great cause, and we had leadersl
he that carried America to greater heigl
ab- Of honor and power and glory than
has ever known before in her ent
Ter history. If the American flag must
lad lowered, it will be hauled down ir
,on Republican convention and not in
he Democratic convention.
ing III Is TINS SHINING record of t
roll. mendouS achievement that Republic
of managers and the Chicago plato
re- seek to shame and besmirch. Vari<
nty Congressional committee, which
OF want OF more appropriate term
liz called smelling committees, were
pointed for the purpose of ascerta
nds ing whether or not there was
Der graft in the conduct Of the great W
tal Over eighty Investigations have b.
tes made, over two million dollars hi
nds been wasted, and the one result
to been to prove that it was the clean
no war ever fought in the history
and civilization.
Through the hands Of a Democrs
ac- Administration there have passed m
as than forty billions of dollars,
il the finger OF scorn does not point
at,- one single Democratic official in
led America. 1t is record never bef
ncy made by any political party in
nle country that ever conducted a war