New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-23
Propaganda Seen
In Berlin's Pacific
Gesture to y. $.
A Pre-prepared
Unreadiness
By c. w. Gilbert
Washinqton, March 22.


r CAME TO Washington TO have
i look at the nations preparedness
( the preparedness about which we
read in the newspapers, work rushing
on the army and navy" and all that
sort of thing And the only prepared
ness I have been able to find is pre-
paredness with excuses. Never was
government better armed with ex-
cuses. There is almost Prussian
thoroughness in the readiness win
which blame is always put on someone
else. And if nothing more has been
modified, a host of excuses has been
modified since the country came lace
20 face with the issues il has been try
| ing to dodge for more than two years
The War Department-so-cailed be-
cause the last thing it has ever been
permitted to do is to get ready for war
has an excuse, tremendous excuse,
a perfect 42-centimetre gun of an eX-
cuse, the only large calibred weapon
in it's armory. This is the excuse: IL
has been for some time operating
under orders not to take any steps
which would look like getting ready
for war with Germany. ! am impelled
to put that again, in capital letters, SO
that its full force will be apparent;
NOT TO TAKE ANY STEPS THAT
WOULD LOOK LIKE GETTING
READY FOR WAR WITH GERMANY.
do not pretend to quote the Ian
guage of these orders. But / have
heard of them from so many sources
that am thoroughly persuaded that
the Injunction has been given more
than once in substantially the form IN
which it has just been presented.
Either that or else the army IS the
victim of the most remarkable obses-
sion that ever possessed body of in
telligent men. 1t certainly believes
that it has been operating under that
| particular "hang your clothes on
hickory limb, but don't go near the
water" command.
! It's duty has been to prepare, but not
so that anyone could notice it or take
alarm at it. This duty it has fulfilled
perfectly. No one can notice the pre-
parations il has made. Germany isn't
alarmed by them.
The Imagination certainly isn't very
hard put to it TO conceive of just such
an Injunction as this being laid upon
the War Department. Only last summer
the President was under the necessity
Of living up to his role Of keeping this
country out OF the war Again, only
few weeks ago, in face of the threat
Of renewed German frightfulness, he
was enamored Of the idea of bringing
peace to Europe. Certainly these were
not the times and circumstances to pile
up arms and recruit men like very
Prussian.
Another not yet generally known in
cident which taught the army its chiefs
coldness toward preparation was the
blue -pencilling of Secretary Bakers one
important effort toward better mech
anism of defence. Mr.. Baker is, or, at
least was, pacifst-just the man to
carry out a prepare -that-no-one-can-
notice-it policy. Mr.. Baker came to the
Cabinet TO take orders with the object
lesson of Secretary Garrison's disobedi-
ence and It's penalty. His policy was
subjection, the only possible policy for
one who intends TO remain long in the
Presidents official family.
He attempted TO pass on TO Congress
the General Stats recommendation OF
universal military service, with note
Of general approval. The President
blue-pencilled Mr. Bakers approval out
of the note, and let the General staff
plan 20 forth as a sort Of "feeler" Of
public sentiment. Such things as these
have been known to the army and have
had their full effect.
You may conceive OF Washington as
a shop. A shop is commonly faithful
reflex of the boss of the shop. II has
it's eyes on him. 1t strives to do what
he wants il to do. 1t gets its ideas, its
policies, its energy or its lack of all
these things from him. The President
is the boss of this shop. The people
who surround him are relatively OF
clock-puncture stature, no matter what
titles they bear. There isn't a big man
here who stands out rs we'll as Mr..
Garrison did for a little while. 1t is
a case not Of my policies" but Of
my lack of policies So far as the
army is concerned. the situation is be-
yond repair within a year. II could
not be worse.
HolIweo Confers with