Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-29
IN QUEST OF
A WAR GOAT"
Baker, Daniels and Redfeld
Mentioned Among the
Possibilities

| ministration would soon have a goat ano
| that Secretary Baker or Secretary Dan,els,
| or both. would be It. Then again II has
| been suggested that Secretary Redheld
| might serve In this capacity. But as 10
| these rumors President Wilson has given no
word.
! II Is believed the Cabinet Is not always In
| accord but such differences as arise do not
| seem to AFFECT the loyalty of the members
to the President or the country. They are
said to be more In the nature OF jealousies,
due TO the encroachment OF one department
upon the Jurisdiction Of another. Recently
there have been several cases where one
Secretary has let Il be known that legisla- :
ton suggested by another department would
trench upon his preserves. II Is the natural
result Of efforts upon the part of one branch
of the Government to widen Its authority
not necessarily at the expense Of another
department. but regardless of 1t. 1t is no
disparagement of the zeal of a Cabinet Of
ficer to thus reach out for power. II may
mean more money to spend, more employees
TO appoint and control, or possibly more po-
litcal influence but II there is nothing dis
honest In II, II remains a matter OF zeal
very largely, maybe OF ambition.
Committees of the Senate and the House
are sometimes addicted to this habit of
taking work from other committees The
soldiers and sailors insurance bill, which
came from the Treasury Department, was
referred TO the Committee on Interstate and
Foreign Commerce. That is an important
committee. but what II has to do with SOL
diers' insurance is not clear. The Mill
tary Affairs Committee and the Pension
Committee were overlooked in this reference
and the Committee on Interstate and For
eign Commerce met and discussed the bill
and granted hearings upon it while,the other
committees wanted to know" 1t may be,
as in the case OF committees, that one Cab
n ha nj
of position by another on the big things
that are going on.
This, however, is not at the bottom of the
opposition TO Secretary Baker and Secretary
Daniels. They have been marked for criti-
csm by influences not wholly political out
side of Administration circles, and possibly
by some of the autocrats within. for the
Army and Navy Departments contain some
very able. but some very dogmatic, officials
who chafe at civilian oversight. When Sec
retary Baker. who is head of the Council
of National Defense. read the riot act' to
his associates and confreres on the bitumi-
nous coal agreement the wrath Of the whole
contracting outfit, now camping in WASH
ington was poured out upon his head and
was welcomed by some Of those nearer home
in official life who believe that trained
men, should head the War and Navy De-
partments but Secretary Baker survived the
attack and now finds himself backed up
by the President. who fixed a s2.per.ton
rate for bituminous coal instead of the SO
agreement rate which Secretary Baker con.
demned and has gone still further to bring
down the price of anthracite.
The Presidents action thus puts the
stamp of approval upon his Secretary of
war, although his more popular Secretary
of the Interior, Mr.. Lane, stood for the SO
rate proposed by the mine operators. 1t is
not the first time the President has indicated
h lie nR1 L.,
with Secretary Daniels suffers as much
criticism as any member of the Cabinet.
Daniels Exhibits Backbone
Just where all the talk about Baker and
Daniels comes from Is not clear. Certain
newspapers have been going for' the Sec
retary of the Navy for a long time but the
suspicion is spreading that they have been
encouraged somewhat by certain large in
f1uences opposed to civilian control that
hnd convenient cover under the guise of So
called patriotic leagues In which the elect
are wont to do their "bit." There are a
great many of these organizations some OF
them having well-paid officers and press
bureaus which keep Congress and the de.
partments loaded up with literature, telling
them how to run tho nation in the interest
or the common people.
Some of them were in evidence last weel,
rates on incomes. They have been so per
sistent with their advice and demands and
so aggressive in the presentation of their
war views that, instead of winning sun.
port, some Of them have been set down s
meddlesome and obstructive. The Secre-
tary or the Navy evidently had this in
mind when he tabooed the Navy League
because of the domineering attitude of IT'S
president, Colonel Thompson. toward the
department. Colonel Thompson is
wealthy ex-naval officer, who understands
the necessity for discipline in war and who
mas the reputation of enforcing II in his
private affairs; but he is interested in con-
per mines, and as copper is a fairly profit
able war muniton just now, the depart-
ment knew him apart from his connection
with the patriotic Navy League.
Being at odds with the department Co,o-
mel Thompson talked back" TO the SEC
retary of the Navy in a manner Gallon
lated to breed insubordination in the ranks
The reply OF the Secretary was uujte am,
phatic, as the public now knows II went
SO Tar as to bar the league and its activi
ties under present auspices from all the
navy yards and ships of the navy. II is
no reflection on the good women RI tho
Navy League, who have been knitting for
the sailors. to say that no tears were she'd
In Washington when Mr.. Daniels finally
turned on his tormentor and exhibited a
'''tic ihpio BACKBONE than the
president of the Navy League Thought he
possessed. "
But such are the annoyances that besst
official life in Washington in war times
The Secretaries OF War and the Nay,,
have their faults, but they are hard worL,
ers and have the confidence of the Presi-
dent.
Expenditures May Bring Scandal
Rumors of waste, of easy money" and n,
big fortunes" in war expenditures continue
10 float about the Capitol. 1t has been sug
gested more than once that the Wilson
will be fortunate indeed n
1t passes through another year without
scandal SO much money is being raised and
spent for war purposes that men of ex
perience in public affairs believe IL we'll
nigh impossible TO avoid II. The necessitv
for speed in doing big and costly things
and the evident desire of army and navy
officials to cut the red tape that usualIy
hedges in the appropriations and contracts
Of the Government offer strong Inducements
TO officials and contractors alike to make
daring and reckless use of Government
funds.
Up to date. however, there has been little
more than gossip. or an occasional charge
of favoritism in the furnishing of supplies
,r In the adjustment of rates. Disappointed
contractors occasionally contend that COM
petitors are ION the inside" with the Coun-
I'll Of National Defense, or at the depart-