Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-09-05
0oDGING HIS OWN
aOOMERANGS

r John W. Davis in the role Of treat
Fem rough!" Is not altogether edify-
ing. and It may be questioned wheth-
Ter he 10 altogether comfortable. I'm
til no took to posing as the honest
candidate and trying to give the i'm
precision that the country should not
trust itself to a Republican admins
tration he was generally considered
an honest man. Probably he deserv-
ed the title as well as do most men.
but he is finding that a public oficial
may easily be made an object Of dis
trust: that It isn't at all necessary
for this that the oflcial belong to the
Republican party. AZ lawyer he
knew very we'll the effect Of innuendo
and Of gossip. circumstantia1 and
otherwise. when ne went into this
campaign with honesty" for his
watchword. As a campaigner he Is
finding 1t difhcult to dodge the boom
erangs he has thrown.
Chairman Wood Of the National
Republican Committee issues tho fol-
lowing statement. which appears
more than worthy OF comparison
with Democratic accusations.
Mr.. Davis was Solicitor General
during the war and 1t was his duty
to prosecute criminal acts tho
statement said. but from the record
1t does not appear that he saw any
thing wrong In contracts involving
billions made In defiance OF law, even
after the Comptroller Of the Treas
ury had notified the Secretary Of
War that the contracts were illegal.
THE state Of West Virginia. where
no lived before he became a New
Yorker. furnished an opportunity for
the Solicitor General to give a DEM
government when the War Departs
mont located q nitrate plant not far
from Charleston. w. Va, made verb
al contracts for the building OF the
plant and proceeded to build q city
rs the first precess in making pow
der. About $76,000.0e0 was expended
there and no powder was made to
reach the boys in France.
The House Committee that invss-
tigatsd the expenditures Of the War
Department made an Official report
on that enterprise and one item In
that special report showed that an
agent acting for the government %.
cured options on the land for $3e.e0e
ana turned It over to the government
for $1As.1as.
The committss recommended that
the Department. Of Justice Invest.
gate that trensaetion with Q view to
criminal persecution. but Mr.. Davis
hAA PAAtl1s fA,seA - vn,ttva
that maud on the government nor
did his conscience trouble him whom
the contractor first proceeded to
build a city with houses to accom-.
modAte 10000 peaople with clubs,
rest houses for the various welfare
organizations, q hospital in which
we're installed 100 doctors and $50
nurses and water works CAPABLE Of
supplying 100000 population. He
was not disturbed about the honesty
OF government when millions Of feet
Of much needed lumber was burned
70 clear = place to build . platform
Tor the Secretary Of War to make 1
speech.
"Ths expenditure Of 500 o.ooo
vn ~ ao ~ !. d:S SeS seans ~ .s w.s
wild land and built / model city
close to the coal and oil fielae, but
It did not send pound Of powder
70 Pefshing In France.
The plant was kept EoinS for .
year 4fter tho Armisttce, with several
thousand men on the payroll. and.
BY strange colneidtncs altar the
aud OF the war;. . train.load Of al.
legged workers were taken from Mon.
taaa to Nitro. w. Va, kept there for
. Week--.G too0 part Of them In the
hospital with dip1es1-and then tax.
On back to No6tAnA.
Their transportation both, ways
was bald out 81 government funds,
~ was their wages. Il was in the
nature Of m excursion 1t govern-
meat expense. n4Fh4pa to celebrate
Inv end Of the war"
8, $500 =. --'-
Though nations ; have solsmnly