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Show IN PREPAREDNE8S THE ADMINISTRATION AD-MINISTRATION HA8 FOLLOWED, FOL-LOWED, NOT LED. i In tho demand for reasonable preparedness the Administration Administra-tion has followed, not led. Those who demanded more adequato forces were first described as "nervous and excited." Only about a year and a halt ago we were told that tho question of preparedness was not a pressing press-ing one; that the country had been misinformed. Later, under the pressuro of other lender-ship, lender-ship, this attitude was changed. Tho Administration, It was said, had "learned something," and it mado a belated demand for an Increased army. Even then, the demand was not prosecuted prose-cuted consistently and the pressure pres-sure exerted on Congress with respect to other Administrative measures was notably absent. We are told that the defects revealed by the present mobilization mobili-zation are due to the "system." But it was precisely such plain defects that under the constant warnings of recent years, with the whole world Intent on military mili-tary concerns, should have been studied and rectified. The Administration Ad-ministration has failed to discharge dis-charge Its responsibilities. Apparently, Ap-parently, It it now seeking to meet political exigencies by Its naral program. But it has imposed im-posed upon the country an incompetent in-competent naval administration. From Mr. Hughes' speech of acceptance. |