The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-10-21
SAYS ADMINISTRATION
4 INCOMPETENT IN WAR
Maj. Frank Knox of Manchester, N. H..
Made Sharp ArTaignment of
Party Leaders, Giving an
Address at Mont
pelier.

About 800 persons listened to three
speakers in Republican rally con
Quoted by the Montpelier city commit
tee in Montpelier city hall last eve
ming, probably one-half of the audi,
ence being women. The speakers were
Mai. Frank Knox, editor of the Man.
chester Union; Miss Alberta X. Ship
ley of Tennessee, and James Hartness
of Springfield, candidate for governor
who was introduced to the audience
as the next governor of Vermont and
who received a round of applause as he
arose to address his audience.
Maj. Knox was the principal speaker
of the evening and he gave the Demo
cratic party, now in power, an arraign-
ment for gross inefficiency and ex-
treme extravaganza 1t had such an
arraignment as has not been equalled
in Montpelier in a political gathering
in long time. Maj. Knox served in
the artillery and he gave figures and
challenged any person to show they
were not as he stated them and, fire.
quently, he called his audiences at
tention to the fact that he knew be-
cause he was there. As owner of The
Union, he letx< it in the hands of his
editorial force, while he went to
France in service for year.
After prefacing his remarks by say
| ing that he expected great changes for
1 better in the laws now that the wom-
en- have some power, he started his ar
Iraignment Of the present administra-
tion. He said that one billion dollars
was spent for aeroplanes TO be used
| In France, but that not single one
reached the firing line; all that Quen
tin Roosevelt had was discarded
French plane and he was Killed because
the Germans had one that could travel
20 miles an hour faster. Mai. Knox
was closely associated with Theodore
Roosevelt and paid him a tribute that
brought applause. He said the admin
istration has spent Si,375 100000 to
show the American people that ii does
not know how to manage railroads
aud there will be another two billion
paid by the people because of the in
creased rates that had to be given the
companies to support the railroads
since they had been given back to pri-
vate management. He discussed the
wooden ships, where s475,000,000 was
spent and they are now all tied to
docks as unseaworthy. He said most
OF the soldiers, like himself went to
Europe in English ships,
There were three millions spent on
artillery, but there was not a single
American piece along the front
French pieces were used by the Ameri-
can boys. The administration tried 10
improve on the French 75's, which
were perfection. In one engagement,
Maj Knox organization fired 10000
gas shells. not Americas made, for he
said those did not reach the troops, but
French made. He also told of the small
amount Of American ammunition that |
reached the troops and that nearly all |
OF the equipmeBt Of the nature above
referred 10. on the day of the armi |
stice, was that loaned by allies to our
troops
Mai. Knox aroused much laughter
when he told 2 the shipload Of mos
quito netting shipped TO France to
protect our boys from that insect in
a country where that insect is not
known He told why we have high
priced sugar. explaining that last year
when the time was proper to contract
for the Cuban product at seven cents
a pound the officer in charge wrote
the president for approval Of the con
tract twice but received no answer;
that Palmer approved the Louisiana
sugar price at II and Is cents a pound,
a. H.. E,,t 81 ,f ! hax A
their proposition of seven
cents and increased to IL cents a
pound.
Mai Knox for little while discussed
the league of nations and told of
the "a points the president was going
10 stand for and how many Of them he
brought back in the covenant. he re-
fered 10 that portion which provided
hat no secret compacts shall be
formed by those which had signed the
eaglie provision, vet England and Per
ia have formed one and France and
Belgium have formed one. the provi
'ions of which are not known. He said
hat had We Joined the league, virtual
y we would be fighting in Poland
now. but did England and Japan live
up to IL? They are members of the '
eacue.
Miss Shipley, whose ancestors were
lmong the early settlers of Iennes-l
ee. entertained her audience with
,oetry and song II was a unique thing
or woman to speak in politics and !
ler way of handling the subject Of
,he league of nations was as unique AS
ould be expected. She got her audi /;
nee" es an entertainer but not be .
ause of what she discussed about the !
eague Of nations. IA
James Hartness, who was the first J
peaker of the evening, occupied but a !
cw minutes in concise explanation of u
ghat this country and Vermont must /,
bok to in the way of industrial setivi- !,
les. He stated that big business must !,
p conducted as though il had a heart i
nd soul. not investigated by persons a
fho want 20 tear down the welfare of a
he industries in the nation: that !
lonopclies must be broken mp, but in !,
uch manner as not TO break up busi- q
ess. The interests OF the workers 7
lust be considered at every move. n
F. A. Rowland presided over the y
ally and in introduction Of Mr.. Hart G
ess. he said that the largest vote ever p
zen in Vermont will be rolled up this \
III and that tha speaker is man in n
International reputation As well a. G
ell known in Vermont, msn who P
arted into the fight for the nomiua-
on unknown. but who made = fight $
hioh brought him the nomination by
far-r .-asa