The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1918-01-31
FOR HIMSELF AND OTHERS


on Theodore Roosevelt could speak
only for himself and was evidently
indulging in cutie fish tactics so as
to save him own bacon New Free
dom.
Bill Stone is not on the plumb pa
triotically or otherwise, but he is an
adroit and farseeing politician. When
Stone made the speech he did, he play
ed into Roosevelt's hands, at a time
when it was especially opportune for
the latter and for the enemies Of
President Wilson Since there is no
evidence that he has lost his acumen,
we are bound to infer that he did so
consciously. He told much truth
about Roosevelt, who is the General
Fremont of this war, but he also
grossly and wilfully exaggerated in a
way that he must have known would
neutralize the effect of the truth he
did tell What he said about Roose-
velt's egotism was true; what he said
about the practical help Roosevelt was
giving the kaiser was also true. What
he intimated about Roosevelt con-
sciously and purposely helping the
kaiser on account of past friendship
was false and he knew it and knew
that everybody else, except few of
his own pro German followers, knew
1t and that the charge would destroy
the effect of the true things he said,
and at the same time tend to draw
some of his pro-German hackers to
Roosevelt.
Look at the whole situation. Cham
berlain goes down to a meeting of
avowed foes of the administration in
New York and makes a speech In
which he says there is inefficiency in
every branch and every department
OF the United States government and
makes a bitter attack on the war de-
partment Before this Stone begins
to rig the press by well known meth
DDS on his forthcoming speech and
the delivery is postponed until after
the Chamberlain attack. Then at a
time when it is expedient for the anti
administration forces to inject parti-
sanship, Stone an avowed foe of the
administration makes an attack
though Democratic leaders request
that he not do it. Roosevelt comes
down to Washington, with the lime
lights on, and under the management
of Senator Reed Smoot, the big in
terest man par excellence, shows no
particular resentment to Stone and
gets the attention he wants to repeat
n aIr.
the administration. OF course, Roose-
welt had to make a show of denounc-
ing Stone but did so perfunctorily
with little accustomed vim.
Chamberlains statement about al
legged universal inefficiency directly
contradicted all the evidence taken by
the house naval committee regarding
the navy, and grossly perverted the
testimony regarding the condition of
the war department
Had Chamberlain and the anti-ad-
ministration forces desired to help,
they would have conducted their in
vestigations quietly and then said to
the war department head: I'VE find
rors and oversights have been made.
We call your attention to them and
ask that they be speedily remedied. Let
us get together on a plan that will
secure greater efficiency" Then
should these recommendations have
been ignored, they might appeal to
the country, stating the things in due
proportion. Instead, they drafted q
bill without consulting either the
president as commander in chief, or
his secretary of war and Haunted
every little oversight. distorting it
from its setting. The International
News Service staff correspondent
said on the day that the alleged inves-
tigation began, as readers OF The
TIMES will recall. that these senators
began it "smarting" under grievances.
The grievances were those of the in
terests, not of the senators personal
ly. The bill itself was clearly uncon-
stitutional since it trenched on the
presidents prerogatives as command
er in chief of the army and navy
If there are those who think that
we are unconsciously biased by par
tssanship in charging a Roosevelt in
trigue TO discredit the administration,
we suggest that they read the leading