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INDIANA STATE COUNCIL OF DEFENSE 1 37
the importance of their part in the work the council was trying to do for the whole state.
Through the newspapers, George Ade's publicity bureau worked magnificently. The minute he took the job of publicity chairman he threw himself into the effort— reporting the formation of a committee of fifteen newsmen by the time of our second meeting. This committee handled splendidly the business of getting weekly bulletins to all the county councils. It did wonderfully effective work in the form of editorials written by such authors as Booth Tarkington, Meredith Nicholson, Gene Stratton Porter, and others, which presented the main issues in persuasive form. There is no question that the absolutely non-partisan character of these articles was convincing. In spite of this, from time to time there were some attacks on me and on the council— apparently made on partisan grounds. But I like to recall that some of my worst assailants later became some of my best friends. I also like to remember the wonderful loyalty of Tom Taggart, our number-one Democrat, who did more to silence complaints and alleged criticism by Democratic papers than any other man.
Many times since 191 8 I have had occasion to think of Theodore Roosevelt and his almost violently proAmerican attitude. Any hyphenated or lukewarm Americanism, the colonel detested. The consciousness of his attitude probably contributed to the clearness with which I saw our council functioning in Indiana. There was also, perhaps, another bond between us in the fact that neither of us was able to get into military service. The administration's uncompromising refusal to listen to T.R.'s pleas really broke his heart. He was a fighter, in war and in peace, and it almost killed him to have to sit still.
The last item in this story of the State Council of Defense is, of course, my resignation. Like other events in my life, this seemed to be decided for me by circumstances over which I had no control. Election to the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee catapulted me into a larger sphere of activity, but one which in no wise seemed to differ in spirit, at least to me. In my letter of resignation to Governor Goodrich, I expressed this conviction. Among other things, I said:
In this new work I shall measure my action, first, as to how best to win the war. I know we agree that there is but one side to the question of the war, and that on that side, supporting the war in the fullest measure to its victorious conclusion, shall stand every political party entitled to any consideration whatever. If, by any chance, my arm may be a little stronger or my voice reach a little further, just that much stronger and that much further will my efforts be extended in support of the country's cause in this war.
Governor Goodrich's letter accepting my resignation showed that he fully sympathized with this view. He and I completely agreed that it