Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1916-05-09

He's a lawyer. That's all know about him. Go
ahead boy, and tell them what you know" Baker
told them, and so began the activities which led
to four terms as solicitor and legal leader of the
anttraction combine forces and two terms as
mayor.
| asked Mr.. Baker how the mayor of Clevelands
job compared with that of the secretary of war.
Il love personal relationships One of the
pleasantest things about being mayor of city the
size Of Cleveland is the great number of people
with whom it puts into touch At the war
department | find large part of my duties is
taken up with seeing people. l am very glad that
is so. like to see people constantly. OF course"
he explained, Il don't mean that 1ocks of casual
visitors drop in to see me here But the business
of the department brings many people me
daily"
l had meant to ask him how the two positions
compared in size and difficulty He was non
committal that point, and | suggested that at
least he did not seem appalled, by the size OF his
new task, even though the Mexican situation had
given him baptism of fire for greeting He
said:
Il not appalled,. No man can hope to escape
mistakes Mistakes inevitable I know | shall
make some. But the only things need be
really afraid of are insincerites and indirectness
Also, it is well to remember that unfamiliar tasks
have way of looking mountainous. Familiarity
reduces their proportions. At present | am work
ing here from half past eight in the morning till
10 become famll1dF with mine. 1hdt
slow mind of mine," he said smngly, "compels
to put in those long hours"
What is your idea of the functions of the secre-
tary of war;"
THE duties" he said ARE largely legal Almost
all the secretaries have been lawyers (He cited
the names of many, from Stanton down to his
predecessor. Garrison.) Strictly military affairs
not my province. Experts must care for those
things Legal Notwithstanding the conflict
ing rights of state and federal governments the
navgability of streams the proceedings of courts
martial-such things comprise the problems have
to settle l am executive. Congress has made
laws governing my department. 1t is my duty to
that they carried out conscentiously."
About preparedness" he felt obliged to decline
to say word and reminded him of an interview
in which he was recently quoted as saying that he
for peace at almost any price"
so am" he answered stOutly because peace
seems to me the reasonable thing. do not say
that war is always avodable 1t seems to come
sometimes earthquakes come-a natural cata-
cysm. The French revolution, think was such
But war is always regTettable Peace is
what spells progress. We have to advance step
by step. l do not think we hope to force ad-
vancement by violence. And believe that some
times shall have court of nations, and no
more wars. Was it Lowell said: The telegraph
gave the world nervous SYSTEM AS our world
gets better coordinated by Accommodation,
we shall have fewer of the Misunderstanding
which cause wars"
Constantly, talked alike in his domicile
and in his Office, the new secretarys unpretentous
pipe in his mouth. Constantly his knees
crooked and his feet cured up to comfortable posi-
lions radiator top and desk top. Though there
always dignity about him, we might have been
two undergraduates chatting together. His atti-
tude was not suggestive of Longing or of affected
carelessness. 1t was l thought, the bodily ease
which is apt to reflect outwardly the mental states
Of self-unconsciousness and serene self-confdence
AS city solicitor of Cleveland, in the traction mat
tiers, he fought the modified legal big guns of
Ohio to standstill. AS mayor he forced the peo
pie to retain him until he had done what he set
out to do.
To be secretary of war just now to be lifted at
one step from local into national prominence at a
critical moment like the present is a far more
searching test of his capacities than any he has
yet undergone.