Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-06-29
PEACE TREATY'SDEFE
DEPLORED; REPUBLICAN,
PLATFORM DENOUNCED

adequate recital of actual perform
! ance. 1t constitutes democracy s
response to the demands of social
justice. 1t is our answer to the
| Anticipated SANDER that the demo
| cratic party is unable to under
stand the great affairs Of the coun-
try.
The Federal Reserve System.
If the democratic party had ac-
complished nothing more than the
passage of the federal reserve act,
| it would be entitled to the endur-
ing gratitude of the nation. This
act supplied the country with an
elastic currency controlled by the
American people Panics-the re-
curing phenomena of disaster
which the republican party could
neither control nor eXpain-are
! now but a memory. Under the -e-
publican system, there was an ave
! rage of one bank failure every Il
days for a period of nearly 40
years. After the passage Of the
federal reserve system, there We're,
| in 1915, four bank failures; in 1917
and 1917, three bank failures; in
| 1918, one bank failure; and in
| 1919, no bank failures at all. The
| federal reserve system, passed over
| the opposition of the leaders of the
republican party, enabled America
| to withstand the strain of war
without shock or panic; and ulti-
mately made our country the
greatest creditor nation of the
| world.
Achievements i'm War.
And then the great war came on.
! Ultimately, by the logical steps Of
, necessity. our peace-loving nation
was drawn into the conflict. The
necessary war legislation was
quickly supplied.
A war finance corporation was
created. War risk insurance was
provided. Shipbuilding laws re-
established Americas supremacy
| upon the seas The office of alien
property custodian was created. A
war industries board was estab-
| lished. A war trade board was
created. Food and fuel regula-
tions were formulated. Vast loans
were successfully floated. Voca-
uonal training was provided. A
national council of defense was
created. Industry was successfully
modified.
Almost over night, the factories
of the nation were made part OF
the war machine, and the miracu-
lous revival of the shipping indus
try filled the ocean lane with our
transports.
Our fleet laid the North Sea
mine barrage. We sent fighting
hrnilrht
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.
one of the first decisions was
between the volunteer system
and the selective draft. Many pa
triotic citizens strongly deprecated
CONSUMPTION and dreaded It's posi-
bilities. The administration, how
ever, placed its influence Dehlhd
the measure, secured its passage,
and made possible the winning u
the war.
1t proved democratic system
assuring equal service, equal DAN
ger and, equal opportunity. AL one
stroke of the pen, bounty jumping
and the hired substitutes that mao
disgraced the management OF the
Civil war We're made Impossible
The selection of men to go to the
front was placed not merely IN the
hands of the civil authorities, out
actually in the hands OF the friends
and neighbors Of the men eligible
for service. No fundamental law
was ever administered with sucn
scrupulous honor Not one brealh
of scandal touched this legislation,
and so cheerfully was 1t accepted
that today the term draft dodser
is an epithet of reproach in any
community,
Partisanship was put aside IN
the selection of General Pershing |
as leader OF our forces and no mill
tary commander in history was
ever given freer hand or more
unflagging support. Inc poilcy Vi
selecting officers through training |
camps avoided the use or poiiticai
favorites and guaranteed compe.
tent leadership for the youth OF
the land. Ten million men were
registered within three months
from the declaration of war ana
thirty-two camp cities, compete
in every municipal detail, were
built in 80 days.
In France, we had to construct
our own docks, railroad lines, stor-
age depots, hospitals and ordnance
bases. We had to cut down the
forests for our barracks. In June
two months after the declaration
of war, our fighting men were IN
France; in October, Americans
were on the firing line; in scarcely
more than a year we had TWO mil
lion men in France, had whipped
the enemy at Belleau Wood, beaten
them back at Chateau Thlerry,
wiped out the st. Mihiei salient and
delivered the terrific hammer blow
at Sedan that virtually ended the
war.
Less than two years ago, General
Haig, with the bluntness or SOL
der, said: 1.-The British army is
with Its back to the wall;'l
Lloyd George was crying: 1T is
race between Wilson and linden
burg" and France chung like q
urOWUlnR Uldll " tle NUN ~ 49, l
dun, turning agonized eyes toward
America. And America came. We
challenge the critics of the admin
to point out how. within
the limits of human possibility,
the war could have been won more
or with less loss OF
life.
1t was not by mere chance that
these things were accomplished.
To readjust the processes of peace
so as to serve the activities OF war
required leadership of unexampled
skill. Petty criticism of minor de-
fects and individual officials may
Tor time attract a superficial at
.ention, but the significant things,
he great outstanding facts, plead
for the democratic
cause.
Let no one misunderstood us.