New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-28
Uniouc Services Of General Wood


To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: 1t may be right that the removal OF
General Leonard Wood has caused our press
neither indignation nor surprlse-that IS
question on which, as a civilian, ! refrain
from expressing any views. We all know
how. at Plattsburg, two years ago, General
Wood stood sponsor for a speech in which
Colonel Roosevelt denounced the Admlnistra-
ton and the President for the fact that
Washington was doing nothing to prepare us
for the war-which even then. was mani
testify written in our book Of fate. Wash
ington, the capital, | mean. The other Wash
ineton, who first advocated universal SER
vice. has been dead some time and seems
likely TO stay SOL We all know, further
more, how before a Congressional committee
General Wood remarked that any effective
reorganization Of our military system would
have to begin with the War Department II
it be admitted that the greater the truth the
greater the libel then there is, in these facts
alone. abundant cause for the action taken
by our Secretary Of War-who is chiefly not
able for the fact that he accused Washin@-
tons the general's) soldiers at Valley Forge
OF robbng hen roosts and looting affairs
That Secretary Baker retains his post IS
doubtless due to the fact that the statement
is hideousy untrue and therefore not libel
lous. Besides, as remarked, Washington and
his men remain dead.
Yet, even while we acquiesce in the sur
vival of the unfit in our national councils,
should we say goodby to General Wood with
out manly recognition of his services,
which are unique, transcendent?
At the outbreak of the war we, like Eng
land. were committed to the principle that
the military protectors of the state should be
hirelings on the one hand and on the other
volunteers combination of mercenares and
heroes In every war of our history 1t had
proved a losing combination, combination
that cost us infinite sacrifices of our best
blood and almost endless sacrifices of treas
ure. No matter Thanks to some curious
perversion of the racial instinct, we were
accustomed to regard the system as demo-
cratic, while we reprobated as tool OF
autocratic tyranny the contrary system,
under which men who are equal IN oppor-
tunity under the law have equal responsible
itv TO serve and defend the state. To-day
the fallacy of our traditional view does not
need to be pointed out, except to the un-
teachable emotionalist. All the leading
organs of opinion accept and eagerly advo-
cate the principle that manhood suffrage
means manhood service.
As England Treated Lord Roberts
Apparently, however, these same organs do
not realize that first and foremost it was
Leonard Wood who made this change. He
did it by incessant and long-contnued agita-
tion-and, if he was sometimes indiscreet, It
was by means of his indscretions. as well
by means of the overwhelming righteousness
of his cause, that he gained universal atten-
ton and all but universal assent. He did it
also by his Plattsburg camps employing,
with mastery illogic, our willingness to give
voluntary service in order TO put over the
idea of universal. compulsory service. And
now, after almost three years in which the
powers that be have persistently led the ma
ton into pipe dreams of peace and hog
wallows OF prosperity, we find ourselves
cursed and cuffed and kicked the brink
Of war-and the foremost measure of our
military preparedness is 10 heap humiliation
upon the man who saw where We were going
and did heroic service as far as one man
could, in preparing us to face the inevitable.
So England treated Lord Roberts-and we
shall no doubt suffer the same consequences.
Yet, as he goes. may we not say, as clearly
and strongly as We can, that he alone, with
his small band of enthusiasts, has reversed
the minds of all thinking men, substituting
manifest truth for traditional error and af-
fording US the one faint hope aside from