The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-06-04
Editorial
of the Day
A FRIEND OF THE SOLDIER
From Oklahoman)

1t is to be regretted that a candi.
date for the nomination for United
States senator, who when the United
States was preparing a battle against
civilizations greatest enemy. openly
fought soldier legislation and hampered
the administration in its effort TO get
into action, should attempt TO becloud
the record and pose as friend Of
the soldier and entitled TO the sup.
port of Oklahoma soldiers who wrote
a fair gpage on history's volumes IN
1917 and 1918.
Senator Cores speech on June "a,
1916, Congressional Record, Gath con
gress, first session, page 1914 against
a bill providing for the increase in
soldiers pay from $15 to $50 month,
shows his attitude in 'the days when
the country felt that it could be only
a matter of time before the United
States was at war with Germany,
Senator Gore denounced the proposed
increase as undue extortion. He called
baked the second reading of the bill.
He denounced a provision for adequate
allotment to dependent families of sol.
diers in the service, speaking against
provision authorizing $50 a month
for the dep>ldent family OF every sol
der.
In August, 1917, when the first war
revenue bill was pending, when the
far flung camps and cantonements
were drilling United States citizens
into soldiers and feverish plans were
being drafted for the first great ex.
pedition overseas, Senator Gore in.
troduced an amendment to the revenue
bill which read as follows:
That until congress otherwise pro-
vides, no part Of the moneys
raised or received under the au-
thority of this act or other
wise, shall be accepted. expended
or used, either directly or indi-
rectly, to transport over the seas
any citizen of the United States
drafted into the military service
thereof unless such citizen shall
also have volunteered for such
service over the sea-"
tSee page 6l46, Congressional Record
65th congress, first SESSION.
On his present speech-making tour.
Senator Gore says he was glad the
United States got into the war Just
when it did He says we arrived Just
in the nick of time But who can
foresee the result, had Cores amen /.
ment to balk the passage of. the war
revenue bill passed the congress?
Americas war spirit then would brook
no faltering. Cores amendment was
killed. But the spirit of delay. the
spirit of obstruction, the sentiment
of the senator, was written in the
record.
In defense of his amendment to the
war revenue bill, the senator, during
his present campaign, has related for
the first time what was in his mind
when he proposed the amendment.
He naively tells his audiences that
the United States was prepared to
manufacture guns. ammunition and
supplies for the other allies and that
he thought the war work should be
divided up -as best suited the condi.
ton Of the nations. Gore says he
thought China should have furnished
vast reservoir of men that might
have been equipped by the United
States and trained by the assistance
of our major allies and that he had
in mind not only building a Chinese
army that might stop Germany. but
also an army that would stop Japan
when the time comes
No such far-sighted idea was given
currency in the torrid days of 1917
when America was praying for speed,
when every back lot was a training
ground and every patriotic citizen was
seeking ways and means to speed up
Americas participation in the war.
Senator Cores appeal for the sup.
port of the soldiers of Oklahoma
like his explanation of his mutilating
amendment to the war revenue bill,
is based on the theory that his audi.
ences do not think and that the Con.
gressional Record is not circulated In
Oklahoma