The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-02-19

the United States for the coun-
try's defense.
Perhaps he thought that because
they were rich they would be hon
est, being able to afford 1t.
The Government spent for flying
machines a billion and quarter,
and all it actually got was 2l3
~clumsy, utterly dangerous" ma
chimes made by the Government,
and sgt machines bought from the
Allies. At $4,000 apiece, more
than it cost to make them, these
machines should have cost less
than fifteen million dollars,
which leaves more than one thou
sand two hundred millions unac-
counted for,
A few Of the thousand millions
are accounted for. Some worth
less machines were built by igno-
ramuses, in one case with as many
as a thousand changes in the
plans. These machines were
scrapped.
"A highly honorable gentleman,
extracted from Wall Street to
help his country in time of war,
is said by the Congressional COM
mittee to have built railroad
useful to another railroad in which
he is a high official.
A second patriot is said to have
.6quandered thirty millions.
Just how much was actually
stolen nobody will know. Is 1t
nobody's business to find out! Is
there no one in the Government
to take action when a Congress
sional committee publicity accuses
men whom 1t names Of sQuander-
ing. appropriating to their own in
terests, or stealing more than one
thousand millions Of public money?
When the FIRST appropriation for
flying machines was made In Con-
gress. this writer printed para
graph in The Washington Times
as follows:
"Six hundred millions for flying
machines. How much Of 1t Tor
graft?" ~
indignation was expressed that
such base suspicion should exist.
1t turns out that the whole Six
hundred millions were for graft
and that wasn't enough. Six hum
dred other millions were added
to it.
Men are shot In war for going to-
sleep, neglecting the interest OF
their country. Wouldn't 1t be
iustice II q few were shot for re-
maining wide awake. robbing their
country, sending across the ocean
flying machines that endangered
lives and destroyed lives, and max,
inp a Joke Of the efficiency and
honesty Of so-called representative
citizens?
Next Sunday the world will cele-
brate the birthday Of George Wash
ington.
It is cheerful to remember IN
these days Of Wall Street patriots
and thieves that the United States
has had men that would not steal,
no matter how tempting the OPP
portunity. It is pleasing, also, for
the comfort of many honest rich
men that live In the United States
today to remember that Washing
ton was the richest man in the
United States. This did not inspire
him with any desire to rob his
country and get more money.
How many really great men are
there in history? Who can men
ton twenty four, aside from
science, art and literature, whose
names will live thousand years
hence?
Take out the fighters who dis
tiupuished themselves by killing
other men or whose successful
wars forced knowledge on ignorAnt
peoples and it is difficult .tS nane
one dozen.
Washington undoubtedly will 1.-Two
A not merely IOI WuhI uc uios SSeaD-
! fishing that which, in numbers
and wealth at least, is the great
est country in the world. He will
live for what he himself was.
Public inability to estimate
greatness, when close by, Is illus
trated in this fact:
Twenty years ago, with the
Spanish War still interesting us.
there were newspapers of the
would-be "better sort" actually
comparing Washington with a
certain Aguinaldo.
Today the average youthful per-
son asks who Aguinaldo was. 1t
seems hard to think that half
Chinese little gentleman, alleged
to be on the Spanish payroll In
addition to being Filipino patriot,
should be compared to Washing
ton.
However, about q year ago hun
dreds OF. newspapers in the Unit
cd States were comparing GER
tain statesmen of our time with
M. .ks,. 80, oul T,u>oIc ,ovc~