ROOSEVELT
10 SPEED UP
Honorary President of American De
fense Society Sends F irst Message
to Colleagues—Believes Criticism
Is Helpful.
“The fighting wing of the defense
movement” is the way in which Ihe
odore Roosevelt described the Amer
ican Defense society in accepting the
honorary presidency of that organi
zation which is engaged in an ener
getic campaign against sedition,
spies, and all forms of pro-German
activity in this country. "I hope to
see this society--this aggressive,
fighting society—circulate the docu
ments which will both arouse us to
the need of action and show us the
necessity of fighting this war through
until it is crowned by a peace of
overwhelming triumph for the right,”
said Mr. Roosevelt, in his first mes
sage to his fellow members.
“It is necessary to instruct our
people,” continued the colonel, “to
show them that this war which is
going on on the other side does not
rank with ‘movies’ they go to see.
Perhaps f>0 per cent of our people
rather think of it as a ‘movie’ per
formance. It is necessary to show
them what German domination has
meant in Belgium and northern
France, the hideousness of what has
been done to Serbia, to Roumania,
what it will mean for mankind to see
a triumph by a nation which, to use
theological terms, if a Dutch Re
formed layman may be permitted to
use them, is to apply the ethic of
Genghis Khan and Timor the I ar
tar to international relations, with
back of it all the resources of civi
lization ingeniously turned to destruc
tion instead of construction. That is
what we have seen Germany do. I
earnestly hope that this society will
secure the means for a wide circula
tion of this book in the United States.
“Now, it is imperatively necessary
that we shall put every particle of
our strength back of the government
in everything it does to win this war.
It is therefore imperatively necessary
that we shall fearlessly remember
It
whatever is done that is wrong,
is not friendship for the United
Stat s, it is perhaps unconsciously,
hostility to the United States, to de
cline to point out the defects and
shortcomings in waging the war. Al
ways remember that the chief assail
ant of the man who now strives to
remedy our defects and shortcomings
in waging the war is Mr. Hearst. He
seems to regard it as unpatriotic to
point out that broom-stick rifles and
logwood cannon are not efficient im
plements of war against Germany.
“Shortly after the Spanish-Ameri
can war I became governor of New
York. I had been part of Mr. Mc
Kinley’s administration, and the next
year I was to run as vice-president
on the ticket with him. But then, as
now, I held it to be my prime duty
to tell the truth when it was in the
interest of the nation that the truth
should be told. In November, 1899,
I wrote as follows about the Santi
ago campaign, in which I had taken
part:
“ ‘The artillery for thirty-five years
had no field practice that was in the
slightest degree adequate to its
needs.
“ ‘The bureaus in/-\Yashington were
absolutely enmeshed in red tape, and
were held for the most part by elder
ly men no longer fit to break through
routine and show the necessary initia
tive and willingness to accept respon
sibility.’
“Don’t you think that applies pret
ty well today? Remember that I
was speaking about my own party,
the administration of my own party,
and of the war in which I had taken
part. I continued:
“ ‘The Santiago campaign was a
welter of confusion with an utter lack
of organization and that skilled lead
ership which can come only through
practice. The army was more than
once uncomfortably near disaster
from which it was saved only by the
incompetence of its foes.’
“ ‘To go against a well-organized,
well led foreign foe under such con
ditions would inevitably have meant
failure and humiliation. It will be
impossible to get good results in war
if the nation has failed to prepare its
military strength in advance.’
“I then declined to alter or sup
1 press the truth in the interest of my
j own party, and they are indeed fool
! ish who believe that at this time I
| can be frightened out of telling at
| least the minimum of truth necessary
in order to save our army and this
nation and the cause of civilization
from disaster.
tion of weaklings, may perhaps be
induced to fight only through men
dacity. If that is true of our nation,
for heaven’s sake let us find it out.
We are not worth preserving if such
is the case. I do not believe that we
are a nation of weaklings. I believe
that the American people will re
spond to the truth when it is told
them. I believe if it is made evident
that we tell the truth simply so that
we can correct the conditions that are
bad and so that we can effectively
fight the war through to the end. that
the nation will respond to the truth
telling. I believe that during the
past year we have suffered most
from failure to tell the truth. It is
our grave misfortune that there was
not a sufficiently aroused opinion a
! year ago, eleven months ago, to say,
‘Xow, we have not prepared, we are
at present utterly incompetent to do
our duty, but we will absolutely for
give this and forgive those responsi
ble for it in the past, if with the en
tire energy of the nation behind them
all our governmental officials, with
out regard to polites, will now try
to do their duty in the present.' If
we had so acted, I believe we would
now have had half a million men on
the firing line in France, and half a
million more close behind them.
‘Teople say, ‘Don’t let our foes
know about our faults.’ Do you think
that Von Hindenburg and Von Tir
pitz don’t know about them? They
have their spies here by the tens of
thousands. There is only one set of
people that don’t know, and that is
the American people.
‘‘Tell the truth and speed up the
war. The reason I became more and
more interested in this organization
is that it has told the truth. It has
told the truth not to reproach any
body with what is past, but so that
we may remedy those shortcomings
tor the luture.
“Don’t tel! the truth for malicious
purposes, don’t tell it wantonly, don’t
tell it unless there is a constructive
purpose behind it, but tell the truth
to show what our shortcomings are.
Make it evident how far short we are
of getting our men, arms, equipment,
and clothing, of dealing with the Ger
man spies on this side as they should
be dealt with, of speeding up the war.
Do it with the purpose of speeding
up the war, and to make the slacker,
the pro-German, the pacifist, the Ger
manized socialist, understand that we
are in to fight this war through to the
end until victory comes to the United
States and to the cause of liberty and
to the right of every well-behaved
nation to govern itself as it sees fit
in this civilized world of ours.”
THE REAL DIFFERENCE.
“I can’t see why that man is boss
I over me. I do most of the work
around here.”
“I guess that is so.”
“It is. I know more about the busi
ness than he does. Whenever he wants
to know anything about what’s going
on he comes to me to find out.”
“That’s usually the way.”
“I’m the fellow that ought to be the
boss.”
“A lot of'men think that way, and
j yet there’s one big difference. He
knows something that you don’t
know.”
“What is it?”
“He knows enough to hire good men
■ like you to do the work. If you knew
that you’d be the boss and he’d be in
your place.”—Detroit Free Press.
EVERY RESIDENT DUG UP.
COUNCIL, Alaska, May 27.—Ev
ery resident of Council gave $10 to
the Red Cross in the campaign about
to end.
PHILADELPHIA, May 27.—If the
United States is to maintain the posi
tion of spiritual leadership acquired
during the war and take its rightful
place in a League of Nations, it must
stamp out sectional intolerance and
race prejudice, said Dr. Leo. S. Rowe,
of Philadelphia, in an address today
before the “Win the War for Perman
ent Peace” convention. Dr. Rowe, who
is assistant secretary of the treasury
and a member of the executive com
mittee of the league to enforce peace,
added:
“The problem confronting us is not
merely to win a victory but to assist—
yes, to lead—in creating a world situa
tion which will make it impossible for
the political philospohy which under
lies the German plan to dictate or in
any way dominate the final outcome.
It has now become America’s mission
to see to it that the peace which fol
lows this struggle shall be the peace
that makes further democratic devel
opment possible and thus enables Am
erica to make her greatest contribu
tion to civilization.
“No one would, for a moment, place
any faith in a revival of the ‘balance
of power’ doctrine. We now see, as
never before, that the normal devel
opment of American institutions will
be broken, their spirit radically chang
ed, and we will be led, as a matter of
self-preservation, into a form of po
litical and military organization,
which will mean that the promise of
our 18th and li)th century develop
ment will not reach fruition.
“Germany’s treatment of Russia and
Rumania has made strikingly clear
the nature of the menace with which
we are confronted.
“It is clear that out of this struggle
a new world will emerge, but the type
of world will depend largely on Am
erica’s unselfishness and on the
steadfastness of her faith in interna
tional right and justice.
“American ideals, elevated by the
war,” asserted Dr. Rowe, can not at
tain their full development, “unless we
become an integral part of an interna
tional organization determined at all
costs to eliminate aggression from
world affairs, to protect the rights of
small and large nationalities, and to
place ourselves in the service of high
er standards of international justice
and fair dealing.”
CLAM DIGGERS STRIKE.
CORDOVA, May 25.—The clam dig-!
I
gers, who made a demand upon the
owners of the local plants for an in
crease of one cent a pound for digging
clams, which was not granted, today
J returned to Cordova from the beds.
TO THE TIES
C. W. Jones, former editor of the
Alaska Railroad Record, writes a
newsy letter to The Times, as fol
lows:
On Board S. S. Queen, en route to
San Francisco, May 9.—With a capa
city list of Alaskan passengers the
good ship Northwestern tied up at the
Seattle dock on Sunday morning at 7
o’clock, after nine days out from An
chorage. Nearly every day was rainy
and necessarily we passengers stuck
pretty close to the smoking room.
Solo games and the great indoor
sport or poker made an otherwise un
eventful trip agreeable. The crowd
was congenial and the fates not un
kind, but nevertheless, it was with a
feeling of pleasure that we felt terra
firma under our feet and again ac
quired our land legs.
Martin P. Cotter, formerly paymas
ter at Anchorage, who was a passen
ger destined for Washington, D. C.,
accompanied me to the Rainier Grand
hotel, and after a good tub we took
advantage of the beautiful weather to
See-attle (joke). Everything was
closed except hotels and cigar stores,
the Sunday-closing law being every
where enforced, evidently. Dropped
in the Savoy to see Jim O’Reilly, and
had a few minutes’ conversation. He
intends to superintend some construc
tion work near Seattle for Twohy
Bros., contractors, of Portland, Ore
gon.
Saw Leslie Cramer, formerly dis
bursing agent of the A. E. C. at Sew
ard, now of the Seattle disbursing of
fice. He enjoys life in the Washing
ton metropolis, and says he never in
tends living east again. Was until
three years ago located in govern
ment work at Washington, D. C.
J. L. Taylor, formerly tie inspector
at Anchorage, has a $200 a month
job as superintendent of materials in
one of the large shipbuilding works.
Saw W. F. Burnett, “Swiftwater
Bill,” but as he was hurrying along
with some lady friends, Cotter and I
did not hail him. I understand from
others, however, that he has a lucra
tive position with the aircraft branch
of the army, getting out spruce for
construction purposes.
Frank A. Hemenway, last year au
ditor for the commission at Turn
I
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IX FRANCE, May 24.—
| The accuracy of the American artillery fire on the Picardy
| front is attested by the information that eight out of ten Ger
j man batteries, which had been persistently bombing American
I positions, have been destroyed. The information is gained
! through the medium of photographs taken by American flyers,
which show that the American gunners were shooting with
great accuracy, making frequent hits fairly in the center of
the enemy batteries, and putting them out of commission, one
fter another. In addition to bombing the batteries, the Amer
ican gunners are busily employed in tearing up rear lines of
the enemy, harassing the movement of troops, setting ammu
nition dumps and billets afire. While the gunners are thus em
ployed. the American patrols are nightly making raids on Ger
man trenches.
AMERICANS ROUT GERMAN FORCES.
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN FRANCE, May 28.—
Three German raiding parties yesterday attacked American
positions on the Picardy front. The enemy penetrated the
American fir. t line for a depth of 200 yards. Brilliant counter
attacks of our forces threw the Germans out. The Americans
kept on going until they reached the enemy first-line positions,
where they remained until ordered out by their officers. The
enemy suffered heavy losses. There was desperate hand-to
hand fighting at times, in which our boys proved their superi
ority. The enemy Sunday made a deliberate attempt to wreck
American hospitals behind the lines in this sector. High ex
plosive gas shells were hurled by the enemy and fell within
a few hundred feet of two hospitals. Fortunately, no damage
was done.
SAYS GERMANY MUST RETAIN BELGIUM.
AMSTERDAM, May 28.—Former German Minister of Ma
rine von Tirpitz, speaking at Dusseldorf last night, declared
that Germany must retain Belgium economically, politically
and militarily.
again Arm, is working in one of the
shipyards as an accountant and doing
very well. He tells me A. E. Cassell,
who also was an auditor with the
railroad, is in the government ac
counting service, located near Seattle.
According to Hemenway, Harry B.
Wilkinson, formerly chief accountant
with the A. E. C. and now accountant
with Twohy Bros, ldteves this week
for Washington, D. C. to accept the
position of chief accountant with
some large government construction
department.
Seattle has changed wonderfully
within the last three years, the date I
last saw it—and the change is for the
better. Everywhere you hear and see
signs of great prosperity. Not a
shabby person to be seen on the
streets. The closing of the saloons
has had one very noticeable effect,
which to a stranger is a source of
agreeable surprise, and that is this:
The tough, hoodlum element has en
tirely disappeared. Have all the hard
citizens, former booze fighters, been j
Billy Sundayized or have they emi
grated to the land of wine, women I
and song? Whatever the answer, the
fact remains they no longer infest the i
streets and by-ways of Seattle—they j
are gone.
I am told that the stevedores em- i
ployed on the docks at Seattle are
now buying automobiles. An unheard
of thing in the good old days of John
Barleycorn. Assuredly, if this is the
handmaiden of prohibition, welcome
to our (and every) city!
Am writing this letter to you, j
aboard the steamer Queen of the Ad- i
miral line. A fine little boat and an
exceptionally fine crew. Courtesy
seems to be the middle name of all
the “Admirals,” big and little, from
the genial Captain Berg to the chap
who waits on you and serves you the
well-cooked meals, not overly Hoover
ied, but still true to the laws of con
servation.
We shall arrive in San Francisco
within five hours, at 11 o’clock to
night (Thursday). We left Seattle
Tuesday at 11 in the morning. The
ocean was rough for about half the
distance but now is more like a mill
pond than anything. There are only
about 90 passengers aboard, so every
one has plenty of room, and I have a
large stateroom to myself, for which
I am duly thankful.
I forgot to mention that Gov. Riggs
told me when I saw him on the North
western that his private secretary
was to be G. Fenton Cramer, until re
cently disbursing agent of the A. E.
C. at Nenana. The governor was on
his way from Juneau to Ketchikan to
attend the fisheries meeting which
was called to formulate rules satis
factory to the United States and Can
ada. Secretary of Commerce Redfield
was there in the interest of our gov
ernment. Judge Royal A. Gunnison,
federal food director for Alaska, was
also aboard, en route to Seattle on
official business.
BISHOP BRENT NAMED
IIEADQUARTERS CHAPLAIN
Bishop Charles Henry Brent, of the
Protestant Episcopal church, has been
appointed by Gen. Pershing as senior
headquarters chaplain, with the rank
of major, according to word received
in this country by the Federal Council
of Churches. Two other chaplains
will serve as aides to Bishop Brent—
one a Roman Catholic and the other
a Protestant. These three men will
be known as general headquai’ters
chaplains and will represent the body
of chaplains in France to the com
manding general and his staff. It
will be their duty to keep in touch
with every sector occupied by the
American forces, provide for minis
trations wherever needed, and have a
general ovei*sight of the commission
en chaplains.
Bishop Brent has been in France
for several months actively interested
in the work of the chaplains and of
the Y. M. C. A. In 1901 he was con
secrated bishop of the Philippine isl
ands. Bishop Brent has been active
in all subjects for the advancement
of the natives in the Philippines. Re
cently he was made bishop of the dio
cese of western New York. He is
the author of many well-known relig
ious books.
Gen. Pershing and Bishop Brent
have long been close friends. Bishop
Brent confirmed Gen. Pershing and
has baptized members of the Per
shing family.
What has become of the old-fash
ioned plutocratic family which boasted
of having biscuits for breakfast every
Sunday morning?
OPPOSE SELF
Premier Lloyd George Willing to Ad
just Irish Question But Does Not
Wish to Disturb Financial Matters
While War Is on.
LONDON, May 25.—A plan to safe
guard the interests of Ulster by giv
ing its representatives a veto power
in the proposed new Irish parliament,
over measures which conflict with
Ulster interests, has been character
ized by Premier Lloyd George as “a
workable expedient.” This fact has
just been disclosed by making public
a letter which the premier wrote to
Sir Horace Plunkett chairman of the
Irish .convention some time ago when
the convention became deadlocked
over the Ulster question and sent dele
gates to confer with the premier in
London.
“The government understand,”
wrote Mr. Lloyd George, “that it has
been suggested that a safeguard of
Ulster interests might be secured by
provision of an Ulster committee with
in the Irish Parliament with power to
modify and if necessary, to exclude,
the application to Uster of certain
measures either of legislation or ad
ministration which are not consonant
with the interests of Ulster. This ap
pears to be a workable expedient,
whereby special consideration of Ul
ster conditions can be secured and the
objections to the single legislature for
Ireland overcome.”
Despite the premier’s approval of
this plan the Ulster Unionist dele
gates to the Irish convention declined
to participate in any scheme of self
government for Ireland.
Outlining broadly the views of the
British government on the Irish home
rule question, Premier Lloyd George
wrote to Sir Horace Plunkett as fol
lows:
“Questions of which there is an
acute difference of opinion in Ireland
and Great Britain must be held over
for determination until after the war.”
The premier considered the control of
the Irish customs and excise one of
the problems which must await the
conclusion of peace, for he added:
“The government suggest that, dur
ing the period of the war and for the
period of two years thereafter the
control of customs and excise should
be reserved to the United Kingdom
parliament; that as soon as possible
after the Irish parliament has been
established a joint exchequer board
should be set up to secure the deter
mination of the true revenues of Ire
He explained to Sir Horace in the
letter, “that it would be practically im
possible to make such a distribuance
of the fiscal and financial relations of
Great Britain and Ireland in the midst
of the great war,” as would result in
an attempt to transfer of the Irish
Parliament control to the Irish cus
toms.
“The government consider,” wrote
the premier, “that during the period of
the war the control of all taxation
other than customs and excise should
be handed over to the Irish parlia
ment,” but he stipulated that Ireland
should contribute an agreed propor
tion of the annual expenditure of the
United Kingdom.
Main features of the customs plan
approved by Mr. Lloyd George, were
adopted in a majority report of the
Irish convention. Whether they will
be put into effect depends upon the ac
tion taken by the imperial parliament
on the Irish home rule bill.
WOULD BELIVE ANYTHING.
“Mrs. Dubwaite found a pink-scent
ecl note in Mr. Dubwaite’s pocket last
night.”
“Dear me! I presume there was a
terrible row?”
“No. Mr. Dubwaite convinced her
that some one of the men at the of
fice had played a practical joke on
him.”
“Well! Well! Imagine being mar
ried to a woman as easy to fool as
that!”—Brooklyn Citizen.