The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-02-01
TAFT AND ROOSEVELT FRIENDS


subject. and when his mind is made, ny
he tai es his position without regard u
whether the people or the public mer
will vote him UP or vote him down,
And he is in the same frame OF mlno
about all pubic issues. The presen'
Canadian reciprocity measure ~ cas-
in point. He believed he was right anc
he went ahead Who in our politicalhl
tory ever did an act of simpler courar'
and candor? tnd who could have done
il who was accustomed to dwell on his owl
political fortunes or the immediate con
venience Of his party or who though'
more Of how the people would vote thai
of wha. was right and fair to do Tor them
Altogether IL is most interesting ano
Presidency. Where he fails TO score h'
is the victim of his virtues. lie neet'
life with cheerfulness and with a frank
welcome 10 its happiness. lie mas ths
peace which properly comes from ms
physical. moral and intellectual courage
And he has the crowning gift OF humoi
whose saving quality was while ago
in very important matter so conclusively
shown.
The President shares ;his humor with
his friend Roosevelt, 80 that N was n
foregone conclusion from the start that
the strange efforts TO break the a'lance
between these two men would fail. ne
publican party strong is 10 break II INTO
little bits was too much for the humor
of these old friends a.,
Maior-Gen. Leonard Wood had this
to say on the subject Of the unprenared-
ness Of this country for war;
we must remember that u we should
lose sea control, strong, well organized
forces can be landed upon our coast in
a very short space of time and that there
will he almost no time for us 70 enlist.
train and organize an army We must
have a reasonable force roPdv to meet
the first shock Of w.r. So'' l. r. cannot
be made over night. and pu iint, an I'M
instructed man into uniform and giviE
him arms does not make him soldier.
Our entire history is a lesson as to the
costliness and FOLLY of trusting to this
system. We must also remember that
We have never met first class power
prepared for war. The nearest we came
to il was in the war of 1872 The lessons
Of that war should not be forgotten. We
were generally defeated on land. with the
exception of Lundy's Lane and New
Orleans. the latter fought after the war,
and under conditions which were eNcep-
tional.
We must also remember that the use
of arms il passing out of this country
as fought AT New Orleans are no longer
available. We should also remember
that small. well organized force of
British took and sacked our Capitol with
insignificant less the force defending 1t.
although superior in numbers. fled with
a total loss of less than one hundred
killed and wounded. We must remember
in word that undeveloped military re-
sources in the face Of a sudden war are
Of no more value than an undevelope,l
gold mine in Alaska in panic on Wall
Street.
In determining our line of action We
should compare the cost of maintaining
an efficient military establishment backed
up by a proper system of reserves with the
frightful sacrifices Of life and unnecessary
cost in money incident to a war waged
under conditions of Gnpreparedness on
our part.
Here is Gov, Wilson's speech in part
Really what we are after in the field
Of politics is to drive everything into the
field Of facts. drive everything into tho
open The root of all evil in politics l.
privacy and concealment. After all. wher
you think Of the things of which we have
been complaining they are summed up
in this. that the people do not know and
therefore cannot control the processes
of their own politics.
NV very distinguished colleague Presi-
den. Patton Of Princeton once saidLhat il
is characteristic Of men of our time that
they will get along with perfectly incon.
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