Omaha daily bee., 1916-10-29
BAKER Is LYING OR
is SHIRKING DUTY
Secretary of War is Challenged
to Make Good on His MeXi-
can. Statement.
BLUFF IS QUICKLY CALLED

New York, Oct 2S.-(Special Tele-
gram.)-The following statement was
issued by the republican national COM
mittee at republican headquarters here
last evening:
THE campaign of humbug, pretense
and falsehood, which has been waged
by the Wilson administration and its
political managers, reached its climax
last night when the issuance at the
War department by Mr.. Baker, sec
rotary of war, Of his astounding state
ment charging that some unnamed
and unidentified persons were plot
ting a new Mexican outbreak before
election day, tor the purpose of turn
ing the tide of sentiment against WI
son.
Immediately after issuing this
charge Mr.. Baker left Washington
and was not available for questions
concerning it until today. This is the
~same Baker who ten days ago in Jer-
sey City, likened the heroes of '76 and
Valley Forge to the bandits of Villa
and Carranza. Having at various times
denied that speech, despite the testi-
mony of stenographers, who reported
it, it was to be expected that he would
deny or modify his War department
statement as soon as he found that
it was not accomplishing what he had
hoped for it. But denial in fact was
made for him and without waiting for
his return to his office. 1t came from
his cabinet colleague, Secretary Ian
sing, who protested that politics was
not thought of in the matter, and Mr.
Baker, on his return to Washington
today, corroborated Mr.. Lansing, by
saying that there was not the slightest
political significance in issuing his
statement of last night.
Statement Shows Its Purpose.
This statement, and the comment
on it of administration officials today
throw white light upon the unscru-
pulous political course of the Wilson
administration, and its managers in
this campaign. As issued, Mr.. Bakers
statement said the War department
had definite information, confirmed
from other sources, that enemies of
the Administrations policy toward
Mexico had arranged spectacular at
tack on either the American forces
or some part of the American border,
/before election day for the purpose
quoted. Only one Interpretation of
that statement was possible, and that
was that Mr.. Baker was charging the
political opponents of the Wilson adj
ministration with plotting active trea-
son, and it is incredible that Mr.. Ba-
ker had any other purpose in mind,
than that when he issued the state
ment.
"Such charge would be directly in
line with utterances of Woodrow Will
son himself. Repeatedly the presi-
dent has shown himself to be fond of
this vague kind of denunciation.
"He enjoys making charges in
broad, general terms, which specify
nothing, and no one. Especially with
regard to the opposition to his policy
toward Mexico, and his handling of
the Mexican problem, has Mr.. Wilson
resorted to this sort of charge. Only
a few days ago, at Shadow Lawn, he
said: II do not find that anybody else's
counsel is taken in respect of the pol
icy that this country should pursue
with regard to Mexico, except those
who have hitherto acted as the coun-
sellers for the vested interests in
Mexico Not once has Mr.. Wilson
or his subordinates ventured to make
any of the charges specific, or to iden-
tify any of the men against whom
they might have been named. Not
once has he or any of his henchmen
came into the open. But on several
occasions he or they have talked thus
vaguely about the 'disloyalty of I'M
named unspecified, and unidentified
individuals or groups of individuals
' On every occasion, when it has been
sought to evoke explicit information,
they have taken refuge in the coward
y obscurity of anonymous language.
Plays Game of Chief.
"Mr. Baker was playing the same
game-the game of his chief-when
he issued the statement of last night:
The charge he was making was OF
, treason. If Mr.. Baker, or anybody
in the administration, has information
justifying such charge, it is his
sworn duty to lay it instantly before
the proper law officials and proceed
to hale the traitors before the bar of
justice. If Mr., Baker does not do
that, he is violating the oath he took
to support the constitution and the
1aws ~ the United States
"The time has come to call halt
upon this reckless disregard for facts,
and the truth which premits such I'M
supported and unspecific charges of
treason and other high crimes to be