Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-03-13
Somewhere near Madison,
March, 1917.

III IneSe trying nOurS through Which
our beloved country is now passing,
with a war cloud lowering over our
land and with the escutcheon dis
honored and draggled, it appears to be
the irony of fate that l, Colonel H. o.
Tair, should be compelled to sit an
impotent spectator, all the while feel
ing deep in my heart that if permitted
to take a hand in matters, all these
dark clouds might be dispersed.
Well, you and my other hosts of
friends and admirers, know that the
responsibility for this sad condition
of affairs is not mine, that time and
again l have volunteered my services
to the administration You will re-
member that nearly four, years ago 1
lntimated to the president that he was
making the gravest error in his life
in not inviting me to act as his secre-
tary of state. l told him that he was
making mistake in his selection of
Bryan, and no one realizes the truth
of my prediction today more forcibly
than the president. Later, when Bryan
beat his inglorious retreat, stifed all
feelings of personal character and
again offered my services to the coun-
try.
How different all might have been
had those high in power but listened to
me. Had my services been accepted;
had | been given a free hand; had
been allowed to grasp the helm of
our ship of state and guide its course,
how different things would have been.
AS it has been, the ship of state has
fioundered on without guiding hand,
without master mariner, without
compass, with no chart to reveal the
hidden shoals. The metaphor is good,
for you must admit that the president
and his cabinet are unversed in the
finer arts of diplomacy and statecraft
and international law, and that had
1 but been there to guide and advise,
things would have been much differ
ent.
L cannot disclose just what course
would have pursued, but rest as
sured that it would have been the cor
rect one, that We would not have per-
mitted the nations at war to have done
the things they have done, that if the
belligerents had known thataa master
mind was in control, mind that could
readily read every bluff of diplomacy,
a mind capable of taking up each ques-
ton separately and dealing with it
with decision, these transgressors
would have hesitated before committing
any overt act.
"Omnia Gallia is divided into three
parts" Il do not happen to have the
other Latin words at hand) is as ap-
plicable to the present time as when
written by Plato, Caeser, or whoever
the fellow was that invented this
phrase for Harkness. We are divided
now. We have the pro-Allies, pro-
Germans and the pro-Americans. The
division is about equal. The thing to
do is to maintain balance, to get the
appearance of consolidation and mar
shall the forces behind the administra-
ton. By failure to so get this appear
ance of consolidation we have encour-
aged the belligerents in the belief that
we are divided, and this apparent di-
vision has encouraged them in the be-
lief that they could do any old thing
to US.
have called the presidents atten-
ton to this. 1 have limited to him that
l had the proper solution of this prob
lem in my head, that if he would in
vite me to a place in his cabinet, that
would lay aside all, previous and
personal considerations and help him
guide the ship of state, but so far he
has obstinately refused to heed my
counsel. My conscience is clear. /
have offered my services. If this vio-
lation of the laws of neutrality, if this
ruthless submarine warfare continues,
If we are drawn into the awful Euro
pean conflict, if the Mexicans rise up
and take Texas and Arizona, if the
Japs assail us from the West, the
Teutons from the East and Mil
waukee, if we are Organized, LaFol-
lettized and Roosevelted, the blame is
not mine.
All this friction could be allayed,
all these dark clouds pushed back, the
national honor maintained, all inter
nal disturbances and differences dis
solved and dispelled were l but called
upon.
Old Glory might again wave proudly
over the land, symbol of liberty for
the oppressed of all the world. and l
might even suggest to the belligerents
how they might end the war without
loss of prestige or honor or territory
or whatever they are fighting for. 1t
seems like a large claim, but to me,
who have studied the solution of this
problem gravely, calmly. without bias
or prejudice. the method is the quint-
essence of simplicity.
The foregoing paragraph sounds
well to me, and for fear that some of
my political enemies will assert that
/ am recanting a previous statement
of mine. will state that there are
times for all things. Literally speak
ing. did publicly state some time ago
that the dag was merely a rag of cot
ton, silk or other material upon which
had been daubed some certain figures
in different colors. l have already
gone into long explanation OF this,
and refuse TO go over the ground
again, but if l explained it then, say
the explanation was lucid and patriot
ic and all that, and that | still retain