The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-05-14


for an arn1fstice. lie was being -crirfest
cized by political orators sen the ground
that he wanted to fitrfide 6 a. soft
peace 1t win be remembered that
unconditional surrender clubs" were
organized to offset this supposed weak
ness of the President.
Throughout it all President Wilson
has maintained secrecy. Many people 81
in the capital knew, for instance, that
he made that fighting speech aboard
the battleship Pennsylvania before the
assembled officers of the Atlantic fleet.
The White House was 3lmplored by
newspaper men to permit the publlea-
ton of that address 1t was eontended
that it would do great deal toward
enthusing the American peeple - but I
the President refused 1t was evident,
however, that the freedom with Whieh
he had criticized the British navy was
the fundamental reason 1T was feared
| that publication of those remarks might |
| mean dissension among the allied peo-
| pies and might give comfort to the
enemy
But there are dozens of documents |
| lust like the one Secretary Daniels has
| Just made public, which threw light
| on how America conducted the war.
| Congress- has seen fit to- probe eXpen-
/ ditures and given an impression that
| the government was extrayagant and
wasteful. The administration has made
no answer. But as the political cam
paign approaches there will be many
i answers Charges that money was
wastefully spent will be refuted by lift
ing the veil ontthe entire management
of the war.
+ 1t will be found, for instance, that
: the allies were in much more desperate
straits than the world generally knew.
Tt will be disclosed that their appeals
to the President were answered one
after the other with spirit that threw
| tprudence to the Winds The peril
Gus situation of the allies influenced
t good many hasty actions on the part
) of the American government which
r never would have been sanctioned in
moments of calm elaboration.
i The controversy between the Amerl-
0 can and other navies continued for
many months. The Sims episode is
only one of a number. Again and
again the two navies were arguing how
the war should be fought. The British
had appeared content to fight de-
fensive war on the seas. President
Wilson was insisting always on an of
fensive even though it meant concen-
trating the entire fleets of the allies
and making a raid and landing on the
German coast.
The President s ideas of shortening
the war. was to combine the allied
force into an overwhelming weapon He
advocated the same kind of tactics
on land. He believed in Marshal Focl
from the first He didn't hesitate tc
approve the request for the brigading
of American troops with British o.
French, doing something IN that con
necton incidentally which amazed tht
European nations for Mr.. Wilson
didn t reveal any national sensitivenes.
such as had troubled the British an(
the French governments IN handling
their military men.
There may be a good deal Of politi
cal mud singing, this year, but of on
thing the public can rest assured. TIL
administration ism I going to allow tn
American war record to be clouded
! Admiral Sims started something whel
he began his criticism of the navy de
II ,partment. +.
Practically all the admirals of tn
/
other side. took issue with him. !
is not personal controversy 1t
really difference between the Ameri
can and British way of going at tn
war. At this end it was suspected tina
Admiral Sims became saturated wit
he British viewpoint.
Of course, it had been charged, pal
tieularlv by the friends of Irish FIRE,
dom, that President Wilson was tho
oughly English. and that he was col
stantly under their influence. The eo'
enant of the league of nations had bee
denounced as Wilson British.
would not be surprising therefore if Il
administration took the public into i
confidence on some of the troubles
had with the British during the wa
Of course the British had trouble wit
the French and so did the American
Allies never can harmonize in war-tim
The selection of a generalisslmo, al
the establishment of unity of commal
on land as well as water, develops
because of this friction.
But little has been said about II
land operations Of the United State
There is much to be made public iu
as interesting as the messages tn
passed between the American and Bri
fish navies. General Pershing cou
tell some interesting stories about /
troubles with the commanders of 9th
armies.
If Major General Wood becomes t
nominee of the Republican party al
any considerable part of the campai:
is devoted to criticism OF the way t
administration conducted the war.
to a criticism of the administrati
for not sending General Wood
France, the next series of revelatio
can be expected The Sims controvei
has merely started something which
administration is belligerently TAXI