The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-01-25
Editorial
of the Day
HOW SPURIOUS PATRIOTISM Is
EXPLOITED

Alusician)
Not because a man may stand upon
the roof beating the tom-tom TO ad-
yertse a one hundred per cent Amer
icanism is he real patriot. The con-
trary is usually the case Beware
Of self proclaimed virtue" says a
familiar axiom. True patriotism is
evidenced by deeds Of unselfish de-
I vo.ion to welfare of ones country and
not by loud noise.
Yet under the stress Of war, when
excitement runs high, when q nation
like an indiv dual, is often swayed
by emotion rather than by taolght-
/ ful reasoning the conterfeit IS often
mistaken 1ci the genuine. Il IS then
the losus Patriot, with his loud shout
ing, his self-proclaim.ng gets by'
with his spurious stuff.
When America decided to take part
in the world war, in defense Of de-
mocracy, and called its sons to the
colors The real patrio. was ready TO
answer the call, while the tom-tom
beater was watching for a chance
to transmute his spurious stuff into
gold
When congress passed a law to pay
the soldier a dollar day, the self
| styled one hundred per cent boy saw
his chance TO make hit by offering
his services for a dollar a year. The
press took him up and lauded TO the
skies the super-patiiotism Of the man
who could command high salary
with private corporations Offering his
| valuable services without compensa-
/ tion. This was just the advertisement
/ he wanted, as it placed him In the po-
sl,ion where DE could work his game
which he did, as we shall see.
The boys who were making no
noise and getting no free advertise
ment. were laying down their tools,
/ bidding farewell to their loved ones
whom so many We're never to see
again-and leaving comfortable homes
for the dangers and hardshps OF the
battlef.elds In answer to their country's
call. They were crossing the sea By
tens o. thousands. while hose who re-
maincd at home and were wiling TO
do their share were working with all
their might and loaning their savings
10 the government to keep the boys
a. the front a-going.
The war went on. Il ragged. and our
boys were giving good accounting OF
themselves.
Then the war ended. \ complete
victory FOR democracy! We won the
war, AMI all was JOY and enthusiasm.
After the excitement had subs.ded
somewhat we began counting thu
cost Two hundred and fifty thousand
OF our soldiers killed and about as
many wounded. In all 500 900 cas-
ualties. among whom none of the dol
lar year boys were counted.
on June 4. 1919. congress appointed
a committee 10 inquire as to the cost
OF the war in money. TO America. In
Me time the committee submitted
its report. show rg that from April
t.. 1917 to September ]. 1919, $500
0O0 200 hal been expended. 10 also
showed evidence OF graft, profiecriug
and lootlng without limit. ono billion
dfty million spent IN the aviation
and a'rplanc department aud up 10 the
closing of the war not single
American plane had been seen at
the front Fifty million dollars FOR
spruce produc lon and nearly an the
spruce used WAS procured q priv
ute concerns Ten million dollars for
"a spruce railroad that never hauled a
log. sixty million dollars FOR powder
plant that never produced a pound Of
powder. Aud $50 ON through a typcwrlt-
ten report NJ over 100 pages
Recently the Fishcr-R caurjson rc-
por, 10 the congressional committee
ON The iuycNlr ton Of the shipping
board department lua been made pub
lc. 1t shows condition Of affairs
cVou moro shocking that that IN th>
aviation department lt is story ui
pruuiccring graft and loot from tho
beginning to ihc end. False bills anc
p idcj pay rolls were Tho regular
thing Furnishing bomb-proo. employ
men, to lots of loafurs so they might
not be- drafted in the army was com.
mon. Fresh water for the use ui
sbips in port sold at gOc pcr ton
was charged 60 the government a, S2i
per ton. Food supplies thrown into
the sea so the steward could buy a
fresh supply and gct his graft on,
a. it Tho Same thing was carried on
with coal supplies At South Atlanta
Il wash found that on certain ships
repairing bills amounting to $1,000.
GOO clear graf of 10 per cent
amounting 100000 wen, into the
pockets Of some patriots who werc
rapidly work ng their way into the
millionaire class
The report also states that bribery
and graft were go rampan. that anyone
refusing to bc hrIbrd or to have amy.
thing to do with grating scheme
II any Kind when called on to no so.
was maltreatod, insultcd and at times