The Washington herald., 1917-07-08
Breaker. Ahead.


The President refuses to divide or
share his burden with anybody. His
subordinates are-merely subordinates.
They have no real power. Every big
question must be referred to him for
the fnal verdict. The Cabinet pro-
roses, but he disposes. In everything,
even matters Of detail, their decisions
are merely tentative.
Perhaps this is overdrawing the
case. But the one certain fact is that
President Wilson has taken on a big
ger load than any single mind can
carry. He is oyertaxing not merely
his mental powers of assimilation, but
the very constitution. the very vital
Ity. of his brain. The American gov
ernment today is centralized as few
governments ever have been central
lied. 1t is all Wilson. In Great
Britain, France, Italy and the other
nations In the war there are war
cabinets; no all-powerful, dominating
figures. exercising autocratic powers,
unless it be in the special object OF our
ecration-Germany itself. Lloyd
George is merely the head of a great
war machine in Britain. He is too
wise to undertake the task which
Woodrow Wilson has undertaken in
the United States.
Obviously, 1t Is the Presidents work
to guide and direct our war organiza-
ton, to act as its helmsman and its
captain. He cannot be the man on the
bridge, the engineer, the navigating
officer, the stoker. at the same time.
He Is responsible for the work of these
men, but he cannot actually supervise
the minutia Of their work. Mr.. Will
son made the work of his Office in
peace times arduous and exacting be-
yond any of his predecessors. To
maintain the same pace in war times
is impossible. Moreover, 1t is dan
gerous. The President is not a super
man. He is not infallible; in fact, his
Judgment Of men is decidedly fallible.
In his judgment OF measures and poll
cics, also, he is likely to make many
mistakes II he attempts to pass upon
and revise the work Of experts and
subordinates in all important cases.
The President, doubtless, feels that
most Of his troubles have been due to
the blundcrs of his subordinates. This
is true. Through bitter experience he
mas learned that the safest policy is
to trust only himself. But the time
has arrived, or is about to arrive,
when he must trust others. II his
present subordinates are unworthy of
trust. he must call to his side men
that are; men of his own class. his
own caliber, who are not afraid to
take issue with him in threshing out
the great problems OF the war.
There is a vague feeling in Washing
ton now that the administration is
drifting into an impasse. There has
been succession of petty mistakes,
and they are multiplying instead of
IesseninG. The government is being
forced on the defensive, and the
critics are beginning to pound hard.
Third-rate and fourth-rate men in Of
fetal authority here are running true
to form. and are being left in the
ruck. They must give way to bigger
men.
Capitalization in war is essential,
bnt II must be Capitalization in a ma
chine, not in a man. The first work OF
mobilizing the industrial forces of the
nation for war has been splendidly
accomplished. II their creative, con-
structive work is to be harried and
held up by hureaucrats, then, indeed,
the Presidents troubles are only be-
ginning.