New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-25
An Open Forum for
Public Debate.
THE SCHOLAR AT WAR
President Wilson and Our Other W.
Chiefs.

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: If President Wilson had been
man Of worldly affairs instead Of being
a scholar in politics. and had been gifted
with real. practical sagacity he would
certainly have foreseen that his plan 70
compel General Huerta 20 salute III.
United States flag I'm exact accordsnc
W.th President Wilson'S idea Of Ell.
quote would not result in getting an
salute 70 that flag, and would result il
an awful war between the people OF II,
United states and the people Of Mexea
But. without realizing what he was DO
ing. President Wilson has applied ne
torch Of war to two already excited ns
tions: and now neither the President nor
the Congress of the United States, no.
any other influence or power whaieye'
can quench the spreading fame until
shall have burned out its course throug,
the deaths Of many thousands Of m.
and the destruction Of many millions q
property.
Moreover. that war is going 10 be co''
Quoted for the United States by COM
mender in chief Of the army and nav
who is not endowed by nature or SUP
piled by experience with nearly adeQuan
ability to conduct any such stupendo1
operation as a war with Mexico mustos
1t is a curious historical fact that eaea
OF the five Presidents of the UNI"
states who have during the century an'
a quarter Of the existence Of the ~
tional government been in office az u"
beginning of a war has been UNCOMMON
ly deficient in the executive ability n"
essary for the effective leadership o.
great nation I'm arms.
President Madison was great iAinA'
in political organization. but ne vas !"
destitute of leadership IN time Of wa
that he allowed p very small BTlusA
army to capture the city Of Waa'lns
ton. burn the Capitol and chase MN wv
OF the White House.
President Polk never had any eApsn
ence to fit him for the Presidency -
time If war. and the success o. W.
armies under General Taylor ana o.I
eral Scott was won in spite Of '''
dent Polk's Incompetence.
President Lincoln was totally oes1
tute of executive ability himself ana We
also deficient in ability to Judge ,'' =.
ecutive pcwers of other men. II W
fer these reasons that the Union ariDs.
during the Civil War were 80 Wle''.r.
Is managed everywhere east OF the en- ~.
gheny Mountains that failure '"r ~ =.
ure beset them for three years unti '.'
genius Of General Grant was SO o'a
strateG by his successes "es' u -.
mountains that no man could he 50 ~
ing in sagsclty I'm the sprins Of w
not TO see that Grant was TIC ,.~s.
competent man 20 command 'ne
armies. ., her
President Mckinley had hi'nssI 40
, soldier I'm his early youth, but ne -,
was destitute of ability 70 cohu" n
army and navy Of the United o'a. .,,s,.
fine Of war and was likewise ue'' -.
Of nroper Judgment in the selec'iO" - s,e,
commander in the field. Inis i''.s NJ
is proyed by the circumstance - 10
elected +, conduct the canlpa'sD a..
Cuha q General who never had ai' "a,
orate exncrience for that work slD n
20 old and so fat and so unwen ''.' ,,s,
could no. mount horse and dio W. M
anv active part in the campais" rs
army which he undertook 10 comma IRIS
And now the fates are cari!lnS and
country rapidly forward into ga. ~
losting war under the comnla"u A.
-, - nolitics. who has alreS'! "a
his remarkable deheiens .at,
coping with primitive rIue '' ,1',,,,s and
natures like those Of General lu,' yilp
Cannr,l Carranza and Generm al,h
u' $50 wilson cannot compete 's,ty
those three Mexicans IN tue" ~ bette
~ rude and reckless violence s"' rim 70
,nan ,hev could compete VITA rnsliss
s,S snoc,o,,v Of writing elegant s,s.f
prose And this country n'" ~. Pr
m. consequences OF electihs " '. "a hsss
,1e,cy , gentleman who appears " crest
wv us' .,oro a,ress for conducting ',ns
, mo na, he would have for CIV. no
like Peter the Great an .,,,Ea
Russia Nh"H" ,,
New York. April %. 1914