Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-06-28


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lation; and so cheerfuIly was It accepted
that today the term draft dodger" Is
an epithet Of reproach in any commun-
| ity.
Partisanship was put aside in the Sc
lection of Gen. Pershing as leader of orr
| forces and no military commander In
| history was ever given a freer hand or
more undagging support. TIE policy OF
avoided the use of political favOrites
and guaranteed competent leadership for
/ the youth OF the land. Ten million men
were registered within three months from
| camp cities, complete IN every municipal
detail, were built in ninety days.
| In France we had TO construct our
| own docks, railroad lines, storage de-
| 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
than a year we had 100000 men in
| France, had whipped the enemy at Bel
| lean wood. beaten them back at Chateau
| Ihierry, wiped out the St Aihiel salient
and delivered the terrific hammer blow
! at Sedan that virtually ended the war.
Less than two years ago, Gen. Halg,
with the bluntness Of 4 soldier, said :
The British army is fighting with Its
back to the WALL; Lloyd George was
crying: 1T is a race between Wilson
and Hindenburg," and France chung ike
a drowning man to the Rock of Ferdun,
turning sgonized eyes toward America.
And America came. We challenge the
critics Of the administration to point out
how, within the limits Of human posi-
bility, the war could have been won
more promptly or with less loss Of Amer
lean 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 and
unexampled skill Petty criticism OF
minor defects and individual officials
may for a time attract q superficial at
tention, but the significant things, the
great outstanding facts plead eloquently
for the democratic cause.
Let no one misunderstood us. These
great affairs were carried forward under
the stimulus Of American patriotism,
supported by the courage and the spirit
or our people. All this Is freely and
gladly acknowledged, but surely the time
has come when, because of the calculat-
ed criticism and the prereditated cal
umnies Of the opposition, we are entitled
to call attention TO the fact that all OF
these things were accomplished under
the leadership Of a great democrat and
great democratic administra ton. We
have no apologies to snake-not one. We
are proud OF our great navy; we are
RLpCu o. puE spAtul4u army We are
proud OF the power OF our country aud
the maner in which that power has been
used; We are proud Of the work that
America has done IA the world; we are
proud OF the heroism of American men
and women; and We are proud Of the
inspired and incompatible leadership OF
Woodrow Wilson
Has not the tine come when all
Americans, irrespective OF party, should
begin 10 praise the achievements Of our
country rather than to criticize them
Surely Just and righteous sense OF ns-
tional pride should protect US from the
insensate assaults Of mere partisans. We
fought a great war, for a great cause
and We had a leadership that carried
America to greater heights of honor and
power and glory than she has ever known
before in Der entire history II the
American flag must be lowered, 1t will
be hauled down in a republican conven-
upon and notNn democratic conven-
ton
FOES VAINLY SEEK TO
BESMIRCH THIS RECORD.
IL is this shining record Of tremon
dous achievement that republican man
ayers and the Chicago platform seek TO
shame and besmirch. Various congress
siOnal committees, which for want of a
more appropriate term, are called smell
ing committees, were appointed for the
purpose of ascertaining whether or NOT
there was any graft in the conduct of
the great war. Over eighty investiga-
tons have been made. over two million
dollars have been wasted. and the one
result has been to prove that It was the
cleanest war ever fought In the history
Of civilization
Through the hands of democratic ad
ministration, there have passed more
than forty billions of dollars. and the
finger Of scorn does not point to one
single democratic official In all Amer
lea. 1t is a record never before made
by any political party in any country
that ever conducted a war.
If republican leaders are not able IN
rejoice with US In this American tri-
umph, they should have the grace to re-
main silent, for it does not lie In the
mouths Of those who conducted the
Spanish-Ameriean war to indulge in tbe
luxury Of criticism. What was there
In this war to compare with the tvDhoid
infested camps and the paper soled shoe
controversy of 1898? What was there
beef scandal of the Spanish American
WARP Despite ell their Investigations
not one single democratic official has
either been indicted or accused or even
suspected; and the only dignitary in
america, or any outstanding political
significance who Is moving in the direc-
ftion of the penitentiary. is Truman New
berry, Of Michigan.
The very power Of the republican
party to conduct a partisan investiSa-
ton of the war, to criticise the nresi-
dent, to control the organization of the
senate and to wreck the prospect 81
world peace, rests upon a bare major
ny OF one, secured through the tainted
senatorial vote from Michigan.
The republican party became so fixed
In Its incorrig1ble habit Of CONDUCTING
investigations that it finally turned to
the fruitful task of investigating itself
For the first time since thew entered
upon this program, they discovered
| fraud and graft and gross and inexcnsa.
/ BILE expenditures The revelations die
close the fact, long understood by the
was not a convention but an auction
The highest bidder, however, did NOT GET
/ the prize. The publicity which oyertoolr
/ the proceedings frustrated the Initial
PuIpose; IN more senses than one, the
recent Chicago convention has left tbo
democratic party as the sole custodian
OF the honor of the country.
There are men so small in shirt so
pltHuliy cramped in soul, that they sug-
gest that the war cost too much The
republican platform echoes this com
plant. 1t was, indeed, an expensive war
4 war is the most wasteful thing In the
world But is money to be measured
against the blood of American soldiers ?
Would it not be better to spend a billion
dollars for shells that were never ex-
ploded, than to have one American boy
on the firing line minus an essential cart
ridge2 Was 1t not better to prepare for
long war and make It short, than to
prepare for a short war and make 1t
long? When criticism is made of the
expense of war. Jet us not forget that we
bought with it the freedom and the safe
ty of the civilization of the world.
Again, they say that we were not pre-
pared for war. In strict military
sense, a democracy is never prepared for
war: but America made ready in a way
that was far more effective than by main
tanning, at enormous cost, great arma-