Evening star., 1924-06-22

1 II
than Hell and Maria"
Dawes. the Republicans selection at
Cleveland for the second place on the
ticket The political wiseacres today
are figuring just how much of an ad-
vantage or how much of handicap
Gen Charles G. Dawes. to give him
his right name, is to be to the Re-
publicans. But most of the ordinary,
everyday followers of events are
waiting to hear the first Hell and
Maria" drop from the generals lips.
They are looking for the general to
add pep to the Republican cam
paign.
The first time that Gen. Dawes used
this expression which has so taken
hold of the imagination of the
American people-at least, the first
time that public note was made of
his use of the expression-was when
Gen. Dawes appeared before the
House committee, headed by Repre-
sentative Graham of Illinois, Repub-
| lican, which was conducting an in
vestigation into the conduct of the
war with Germany and particularly
!
who was head Of the Army supply
procurement service in France,
turned sharply upon the Investigators
with many an oath and picturesque
expression, including Hell and Ma
ria" and declared that they were ap-
parently merely seeking partisan ad-
| vantage from the way the investiga-
| tion was being conducted
Warmly Defends Army.
The investigation by the House
committee was conducted early in
| 1921. Gen. Dawes was before the
committee the first part of February.
| Many women were present at the
hearing. but Gen Dawes, as he
warmed to his work of defending
the Army, either forgot their pres
ence, or went ahead regardless. in
terlarding his testimony with oaths
| that he may or may not have picked
up during his Army experience in
France.
But his famous Hell and Maria"
and the oaths he used do not appear
in the permanent record OF the hear
ings-the printed record. In fact, it
was agreed upon by the investigators
and Gen. Dawes before his hearing
began that strict censorship would
be used in regard to the permanent
record of the hearings. So the general
turned himself loose and gave full
vent to his feelings in the pictur-
! esqueness of his language.
A couple of weeks after the Dawes
| hearing before the investigating com
mittee former Representative Gra-
ham. now judge of the United States
| Court of Customs Appeals, took the
| floor of the House and roundly criti-
cized Gen. Dawes because of his at
referred to Gen. Dawes appearance
as "the carefully staged performance
where one high in the councils of this
administration struts and swears and
| throws about the miserable CRATER
and incompetent official the shelter
ing mantle of the glorious deeds of
our boys across the sea"
But while much Of the picturesque
| language OF Gen. Dawes before the
investigating committee of the House
does not find a permanent place in
the record of the committee, it was
given wide publicity through the
press at the time The hearings were
open. the newspapers carried many
columns Of the testimony.
Committees Are Scored.
Discussing the alleged injection of
partisan politics into the investiga-
tion, Gen. Dawes said at the time,
according to the press reports.
II bitterly resent this effort to re-
| fleet upon the entire Army because
some poor devil blundered in Switz-
erland. You cannot put blotch on
the Army. What the hell did we go
in for-to steal money? 1t was not
Republican or Democratic war. 1t
was an American war. And yet as
rule these committees try to bring
| in partisan politics.
| You could use your time investi-
eating to a better advantage right
here trying to save a disgraceful gov
ernment waste. You could save a lot
I
France, you haven't got evidence to
make a case, If one existed, and l
don't believe it does"
The naying Of the laymen critics of
the Army in the world war struck an
immediate response among the serv-
ice men themselves, and, indeed,
among the public.
| Cen. Dawes said himself during the
hearing that the people were tired
OF talk and fault-inding in connec-
ton with the conduct of the war
back in 1921.
.'There's no news in it," shouted
Gen. Dawes '1f 1 wasn't here strut
ting around and swearing there
would be no news in this"
| But Gen. Dawes defense then of
the Army, when he, Republican,
took the floor and denounced Repub-
Iican investigators, is likely to be re-
membered to his credit now by the
men who served.
At one point in the hearing Gen.
Dawes was asked about grafters who
followed the American Army to
France. He replied:
yes, they were there, some of the
most despicable characters on earth,
trying to help the Army by selling
| il things which 1t needed at exorbi-
tant figures. There was one man we
caught and deported. What's his
name? Oh, what's the use? am
mot a muckraker. He was a traitor
and I wish we could have shot him."