The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-05-06

He's lawyer. That's all 1 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 solicitor and legal leader Of the
antitraction combine forces and two terms
mayor
1 asked Mr. Baker how the mayor Of Cleveand's
job compared with that of the secretary Of war
Il love personal relationships One Of the
peasantest 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 1 find large part OF my duties is
taken up with seeing people ] very glad that
is I like to see people constantly. OF course.
he explained 81 don't mean that focks Of casual
visitors drop in to here. But the business
Of the department brings many people to me
daily"
1 had meant to ask him how the two positions
compared in size and difficulty He nom
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 q baptism of fire for greeting. He
said:
Il not appalled, No man can hope to escape
mistakes. Mistakes inevitable know shall
make some But the only things one need be
really afraid OF insncerities end indirectness
Also it is well to remember that unfamiliar tasks
have a way of looking mountainous. Familiarity
reduces their proportions. At present am work
ing here from half past eight in the morning till
midnight to become familiar with mine That
slow mind of NINE" he said snilingly, "compels
me to put in those long hours
what is your idea OF the functions of the
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 questions touching 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 1 am executive. Congress has made
nv feU9 10 d17fv
that they carried out conscientiously"
About preparedness" he felt obliged to decline
to say word, and 1 reminded him of an interview
in which he recently quoted as saying that he
was for peace at almost any price"
$50 am" he answered stoutly, because peace
seems to me the reasonable thing l do not say
that war is always avoidabIe. 1t seems to come
sometimes earthquakes come-a natural cata-
c1ysm- The French revolution think was such q
war. But war is always regrettable Peace is
what spells progress. We have to advance step
by step. l do not think we can hope to force ad-
vancement by violence. And believe that some
times shall have court of nations and no
more Was it Lowell said: The telegraph
gave the world nervous SYSTEM AS our world
gets better cO-ordinated by INSTRUMENTATION
we shall have fewer Of the misunderstandfngs
which wars"
Constantly, as we talked alike In his domfcile
and in his office, the secretary's unpretentious
pipe in his mouth Constantly his knees
crooked and his feet curled up comfortable posi-
tons radiator top and desk top. Though there
always dignity about him, We might have been
two undergraduates chatting together. His atti-
tUde not suggestive of lounging of affected
careIessness- 1t was. 1 thought the bodily ease
which is apt reflect outwardly the mental states
Of selfuncOnsciousness and serene self-confdence
AS city solicitor of Cleveland, in the traction mat
tiers, he fought the modified legal big guns Of
Ohio to q standstiI- 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