New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-24
President Who Keeps
Him Unfit for His
Office
CALLS SLURS ON
HEROESNAUSEOUS
Declares Wilson's Silence
Shows He Ranks Villa
with Washington
[Frcrn a s.arr Correspondent Of T Tribune J

Prom q staf Corros spondent of T Tribune
Albuquerque, N. NJ, Oct. 23.-Colonel
Roosevelt moved crowd Of 5000 to
cheers and laughter here to-day by
branding Newton d. Baker, Secretary
of War, as a man "exquisitely unfit for
his job"
T understand he knits very WE'LL"
the Colonel said after asserting that
Mr.. Baker, as an amiable pacifst, could
probably have rendered respectable
service along other lines" There was
nothing facetious, however. in Mr..
Roosevelt's condemnation of the Secre-
tary of Wars recen. Jersey City speech
in which he advised persons who could
not understand President Wilson's
Mexican policy to read the "Declara-
tion of independence and the Golden
Rule"
"The man who processes such doc
trines," the Colonel said with unusual
emphasis, ais wholly unfit to stay in
the Cabinet, and the President who re-
tains him is wholly unfit to remain the
President Of the United States"
"Nauseous Hypocrisy"
The Colonel read The Tribune's
stenographic report OF Mr.. Bakers
speech, then dropped his manuscript
and said, slowly:
"The final touch about the Golden
Rule, applied in comparing men who
rape women, murder children and tor
ture wounded soldiers to the signers OF
the Declaration Of independence and
the singularly humane soldiers OF
Washington, adds An element oil nause-
Gus hypocrisy to as preposterous and
ridiculous a slander as ever was cir
oulated about the men Of the Revoiu-
ton.
"This statement Of Mr.. Baker, acqui-
esced in by the silence Of Mr.. WILSON,
shows that Mr.. Wilson in his heart be-
lieves that Washington was no better
than Villa or Carrsnza; that the men
of the Revolution stood on a level with
the miscreant crew who during 'he
last three and half years IN Mexico
have murdered Americans by the hun
dreds and Mexicsns by the tens OF
thousands. These men have perpetrsteo
every species of outrage upon women
and children and have turned all
Mexico into hell Of starvation, disease
and misery; they have done this with
the active or passive assistance OF the
American government under the leader
ship of Mr.. Wilson, and his Cabinet Of
fcer now defends them by tho foulest
slander on the men who made Us q na-
ton"
Misrepresent Facts.
"When men occupy an improper and
unpatriotic position and seek to justify
themselves by precedents from the past
it Is almost impossible for them to
avoid misrepresenting the facts they
desire to quote in their favor.
"If President Wilson's behavior toward
Germany, and especially toward Mex
ico. II his attitudes in both our inter-
national and internal affairs are proper,
then Washington, Jackson and Lincoln
acted improperly in upholding and saw
ing the Union and defending our posi-
tion against foreign nations by their
readiness and ability TO use force.
"Mr Baker Is an amiable paciiist,
who, | do not doubt, could render re-
spectable service along other lines, but
he is exQuisitely unfit for his present
position. He is by no means as astute
as Mr.. Wilson, but he is more sincere
and straightforward.
Understands Nothing of War
"He certainly understands nothing
Of efficiency in war, and 1t IS now ap-
parent that he regards all wars as
standing on the same level OF lnfamy
and all soldiers as equally disreputable.
Among his recent exploits was an elab-
crate comparison Of Washington and
his followers and soldiers in the Revo-
lutionary War with Carranza and the
other bandits responsible for the pres
ent witches Sabbath in Mexico.
81 have no doubt whatever that In
this astounding statement Mr.. Baker
gives Mr. Wilson's real views, exactly
as MIR. Lansing, in his famous note OF
June last, incautiously told the exact
truth about the acts Of Carranza ana
the Mexican bandits generally.
"Mr. Wilson's attitude toward Car
rama cannot possibly be justified e1-
cept on the theory that at the bottom
Of his heart he looks upon all soldiers
as equally bad. :,
"Of course. from the standpoint OF
patriotism. from the standpoint Of any
American citizen proud Of his country
and his army. Il is profoundly unpa-
triotic, profoundly dishonorable. 1t in
deed amounts almost TO desecration. to
compare Washington's army, the men
OF Valley Forge, who sacrificed every.
thing for their country. with the band
of bloodthirsty bandits who rayaged
Mexico and whom the President has
been backing and supporting In their
murders and outrsges for tho last
three and q half years in Mexico
Teddy for 1920"
Th,.. veterans OF Sherman's march
On The sea, who sat in chairs OF honor
llu Int mt