Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1910-10-10
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Court Martial That
Mckinley Wouldn't Call
BY "HOIIand.P

About a year before his death, which
occurred in 1907. ] met for the last
time Russell A. Alger, volunteer gen.
eral in the Civil War, governor of aud
United States Senator from Michigan,
stroRg candidate for the Republican
presidential nomination in 1858. and
Secretary of War in the first McIIin-
ley cabinet.
Whenever / think of William Nc
Kinley / always think first of his low
able character, and then OF his great
tact and wise discretion" said Mr.. AL
ger. And then | always re all the
time when l, as Secretary of War, went
to him. as President, TO complain of
one of Col Theodore Roosevelt's acts
in Cuba.
NO one who has not served IN a
cabinet or other highly responsible
position under a national administra
tlon, can realize how what seem to be
trivial things may prove to be of the
utmost consequence; so that the ten
dency is for officials often to exagger-
ate really unimportunt trifes tremen-
dously. This is especially true dur
ing a period OF great stress, as when
war is on; and suppose that that
was largely my state of mind when !
sought out. the President Ia regard
to Col. Roosevelt
AT any rate, there appeared one
morning In the newspapers the sub
stance of a communication from Col
Roosevelt, IN which he appeared TO
criticise the War Department because
his regiment was getting insufficient
or improper food There was, also,
a demand that the Rough Riders be
Immediately ordered from Cuba to
some place where the fevers that were
impairing their health and efficiency
could be got rid of. AS | read all this
| iared up instantly with indignation.
1t appeared to me an improper thing
for an army officer to do, and I was
especially angry because the COM
munication had been mada public. ap
parenUy before~it had been sent to
the War Department.
In hot haste I went to the Presi-
dent Mr.. President l said to him,
frankly, as / showed him the article,
In my opinion this is a clear case of in
subordinatiOn, a direct violation Of
the rules of military discipline. More
over, / think the seriousness of the
situation is greatly aggravated by the
fact that this communication, which
/ should never have been written I'm the
| first place was given out to the press
before IL was sent to the War De-
| partment
The President calmly put On his
! eyeglasses and read the article very
carefully"
"Well. what do you think is best
TO do about it?' he asked very quietly
when he had finished.
Il saw that he was not disturbed in
the least, apparently, by what [ had
brought to his notice. but that had no
tendency to cool my indignation. | had
been irritated by many things since
the beginning of the war; ] had been
severely criticised. as you knew, and,
possibly, that made me little bit on
the raw. So in answer to the Pres
idert's question l exclaimed hluntiy
Why, Mr.. President, II seems to me
that Il is case calling clearly for
court martial. l am layinG it before
you with that OBJECT in mind
The President glanced again az the
article Then he removed his eve
glasses from his nose and fastened his
gaze upon me.
"Oh, no. he began-and there was
the beginning OF smile on his lips.
and mis- voice was as gentle and kindly
as "a wOman's, that would not do at
! ~. ! think ! understand Col. Roose-
Welt very well. He undoubtedly was
thinking OF his soldiers-of their suf.
/ ferings-when he wrote as he did. and
was anxious that something should
| be done for their health and comfort
II there was any fault on his part. IL
was the fault Of impulsive Kindness.
Technically. you may be right. but we
cannot AFFORD to be too technical. Oh.
no, it would never do to summon Col.
1 Roosevelt before a court martial. In
view Of the kindly sympathy he had
for his soldiers when he wrote that
communication.
"Of course" continued Mr.. Alger
there was no appeal from the Pres
dents decision. But | went back to
the War Department still indignant at
/ Col. Roosevelt; and not until some
days later did / begin to realize that
the President had shown the wisest
kind OF discretion In the matter. In
deed, when ! recall all that President
Mckinley had to bear in those war
days | am more than ever impressed
with the wisdom Of his Judgment in
refusing to authorize the court martial
OF Col. Roosevelt"
copyright, 1910. by L. ]. Ed-ards. All
Rights Reserved.)
IO-mOrrOW Mr. Edxxard. IN. 1. -,