The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1916-05-06

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
antitraction combine forces and two terms as
mayor.
l asked Mr.. Baker how the mayor of Cleveland's
job compared with that of the secretary of war.
Il love personal relationships. One of the
pleasantest things about being mayor of a city the
size Of Cleveland is the great number of people
with whom it puts one into touch. At the war
department | find a large part of my duties is
taken up with seeing people. | am very glad that
is so. | like to see people constantly. OF course"
he explained. Il don't mean that focks of casual
visitors drop in to see me here. But the business
of the department brings many people to me
daily"
l had meant to ask him how the two positions
compared in size and difficulty. He was non
committal on that point, and l suggested that at
least he did not seem appalled, by the size of his
new task, even though the Mexican situation had
given him a baptism of fire for a greeting. He
said:
81 am not appalled,. No man can hope to escape
mistakes. Mistakes are inevitable. l know | shall
make some. But the only things one need be
really afraid of are insincerities end indrectness.
Also, it is we'll to remember that unfamiliar tasks
have a way of looking mountainous. Familiarity
reduces their proportions. At present l am work
ing here from half past eight in the morning till
midnight to become familiar with mine. That
SlOW Luluu OIL mlne, ne Sdlu SmlllnSly, COmpolS
me 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
are not my province. Experts must care for those
things. Legal notwithstanding the conflict
ing rights of state and federal governments, the
navigability of streams. the proceedings of courts
martial-such things comprise the problems have
to settle | am an executive. Congress has made
laws governing my department. 1t is my duty to
see that they are carried out conscientiously."
About preparedness he felt obliged to decline
to say a word, and / reminded him of an interview
in which he was recently quoted as saying that he
was for peace at almost any price"
so l am" he answered stoutly, because peace
seems to me the reasonable thing. l do not say
that war is always avoidable. 1t seems to come
sometimes as earthquakes come-a natural cata.
clysm. The French revolution, | think. was such a
war. But war is always regrettable Peace is
what spells progress. We have to advance step
by step. | do not think we can hope to force ad-
vancement by violence. And l believe that some
times we shall have a court of nations, and no
more wars. Was it Lowell said: The telegraph
gave the world a nervous SYSTEM AS our world
gets better co-ordinated by Accommodation
we shall have fewer OF the MISUNDERSTANDING
which cause wars"
Constantly 3 we ldlheu, alike IN MS uOmlclle
and in his Office, the new secretary's unpretentious
pipe was in his mouth. Constantly his knees
crooked and his feet curled up to comfortable posi-
lions on radiator top and desk top. Though there
was always dignity about him, we might have been
two undergraduates chatting together. His atti-
tude was not suggestive of lounging OF 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 confidence.
AS city solicitor of Cleveland, in the traction mat
ters, he fought the modified legal big guns of
Ohio to a 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.