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Show THE CITIZEN ape to ask William G. whether he was for. this or against that he has courteously declined to answer. On the Republican side Governor Hiram Johnson has gained in popularity by hard fighting and by committing himself without Oodging to very positive positions. Mr. McAdoo, on the contrary, has permitted his rivals to talk each other out of court, while he, without fighting, without expressing any convictions, without courting anybodys favor or challenging anybodys antagonism, has made himself the leading Democratic candidate. He has made himself the logical Democratic choice because he can run on any platform. If the convention is for a League of Nations without reservations McAdoo will do. If it is for the league with reservations he will do equally well. If it is for or against government ownership he will do, for did he not resign at the proper moment to escape committing himself on that issue? If the convention is wet or if it is dry McAdoo will do. ''If it indorses or repudiates Wilson the Willing G. McAdoo will do. If it is wet he will do; if it is dry he will do, will Willing G. McAdoo. Who will say that he is not the embodiment of wisdom? Did it not behoove some Democrat to hold himself aloof from all expres- sion of opinion so that he might run on any platform? Was not the party divided in such a way that anyone who expressed an opinion unfitted hjmself for the nomination? Therefore, was not that statesman a veritable Solomon and a benefactor of his party who remained silent on each and every issue? That Mr. McAdoo was right from the viewpoint of a political general is attested by the fact that he is the leading candidate for the nomination. He is the most negative candidate in the history of political conventions, but that is just the kind of a candidate the Democrats, because of their feuds, must needs accept. PERSHING-FOC- H FEUD Sensational revelations in Raymond Racoulys book, Fochs Hattie that the allied generalissimo and General Pershing frequently clashed and that Field Marshal Foch tried to supercede the American commander by making him second to General Petain will whet the publics appetite for more complete details. Inasmuch as Field Marshal Foch must be recognized as the greatest soldier of the war his dissatisfaction with General Pershing is prima facie evidence that the American soldier was less efficient than the generalissimo believed he should be in the emergency. On the other hand, there will be a strong tendency to sympathize with the American general and to demand that the cloud upon his reputation be dispelled. General Pershing came into conflict with both the French and British high commands soon after his arrival in France and took a firm stand that deserves the admiration and commendation of his countrymen. When the English had their backs to the wall and the French were hard pressed at various points, the French and British high commands, in a state of panic, sought to have American units broken up and intermingled with the allied armies. General Pershing instantly opposed the suggestion and received the support of President Wilson, his commandcr-in-chie- f. It is not to be supposed that General Foch harbored any narrow resentment, for all that we know of him leads us to believe that he is a diplomat as well as a soldier and that he possesses the broad mind that usually goes with such extraordinary special talents. What, then, caused him to disagree so radically with the American commander? We read that on August 31, 1918, General Pershing informed Marshal Foch that lie could not adhere to the generalissimos plan for the Argonnc, since such a double campaign implied dispersion of American units. General Pershing contended that lie must abandon either the St. Miliicl assault or the Argonnc attack. Marshal Foch declared that the Argonne attack must proceed as planned even if the attack against the St. Miliicl salient had to he abandoned. If we recall the circumstances of the American concentration against the St. Miliicl salient we shall see that General Pershings desire to eliminate the salient before taking part in the Argonne -- q 5 advance was, in a measure, justified. The Americans had been preparing for more than a year to smash the salient. They had constructed in that region a network of railroads connecting with the main lines to the Atlantic and Mediterranean. In a word, the principal concentration of American forces was in that region and it had been planned from the very beginning of our participation in the war that this region was to witness the first great test of the prowess of the American army. Moreover, the salient, which had been driven into the allied flank in September, 1914, had baffled every effort of the French to reduce it. It remained for the American to show how quickly and easily it could be shattered. Just as General Pershing was about to give the order to attack the salient Field Marshal Foch called upon him to concentrate virtually all of the American forces in the Argonne for the major drive. Naturally, General Pershing was disgruntled. He felt that the marvelous preparations of the American army in the St. Miliicl region were being wasted, and ignorantly wasted, by the generalissimo. His protest had the effect of gaining a compromise. He was allowed to have ten divisions for the work at St. Mihiel and was to be aided by certain French divisions on his left. The sequel proved the soundness of General Pershings judgment. The American reduction of the St. Mihiel salient was a whirlwind affair. The Germans drew back from the shock almost in a panic. The salient collapsed like a toy balloon. Within a few days the American commander was able to concentrate in the Argonne all the forces the generalissimo had desired for the main drive. After the drive commenced, however, Foch became dissatisfied with the progress achieved by the Americans and sent his trusted Petain. to direct the details. Once again Pershing refused to be trifled with. - He appeared at the generalissimos headquarters and declared that he would receive orders only from him. Foch acquiesced and the battle proceeded satisfactorily. The task assigned to the Americans in the Argonnc was admittedly the most difficult of the entire drive. For more than four years the French had failed to make any progress in that fortified forest. It was deemed virtually impossible to penetrate the German lines and the titanic task was attempted only after our entry into the war and our rapid transport of troops across the Atlantic had placed at Fochs command an American army of unexpected There was a long and painful period during which the American army made little progress, but the French army at the left was equally slow in gaining ground. It will be remembered that the battle culminated in a race between the French and Americans for Sedan and that the Americans won. This is but a general outline of the drive and there may be much by way of detail that will tend to justify Foch as against Pershing or Pershing as against Foch. The American public will await impatiently a statement by the two principals. BAITING THE BOLSHEVIKI While Great Britain and France negotiate with Bolshevik Russia for resumption of trade the government at Washington re uses to issue passports for members of the United States Chamber ol Commerce, who desire to enter Russia for purposes of investigation. Moreover, the state department announces that this government will not necessarily be guided by the results of the London conference between Premier Lloyd George and the Bolshevik envoy. We begin to see a repetition of the irresolution and incapacity n which has marked the attitude of the president in every crisis. The Mexican policy began with watchful waiting and although it passed through various phases rt never took definite form. The vacillation shown bv the chief executive in adopting a definite policy toward submarine warfare is equally notorious. Now the administration is being pressed by circumstances to establish a modus vivendi with Bolshevik Russia and it does not know what to do. However much the ideals and the practical working principles I tor-eig- |