South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-02-11
Other Editors Than Ours
THE WAR NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., HAMILTON
STORY AND CHARLES T.. HUGHES
lIort MnNnc Journal J. q .nzctfcA
(Fort Wayne JOurnaI-Ga.


(Fort Wayne Journal GazcttcD
No man who cares more for victory than an issue
and knows his history Will take his beside
Woodrow Wilson in the fight to prevent the busy
bodies among the politicians teins
the presidents hands in the prosecution the
When the wise fathers of the republic gathered in
convention the by Glad
stone the greatest the
brain of the thing which they agreed
was that in there should be divided authority
that the president chief. should
hampered by petty interference. The lumiu-
ously developed Sen. Beverdge's brilliant biography
of John Marshall The divided authority military
matters the revolution but wrought our ruin.
The continual interference the investigating" con-
tinental congress repeatedly and
neutraized the work Washington He despised that
congress-and it merely the pace a polt-
tcians in this If you would know the effect war
cabinet" read Sen Beverage the revolution
Thus there is no question that members of
the constitutional fresh
the revolution and with memories of mean
ing of divided authority in waging war determined
to centralize the power in the executive.
Do you question it?
Then ponder the following from the Federalist Of
Alexander Hamilton:
The president of the United States is the
'cOmmander-n-chief of the army and navy Of
United States of the militia of the
several states when called into the ser
Of the United States. The propriety this
provision evident itself il is at
the same time consonant TO the precedents
of the state constitutions in general that lit
tie need be said TO explain or enforce it, Even
those of them which have in other respects
coupled the chief magistrate with a
have for the most part concentrated the mill
tary authority in him alone. OF all the cares
or concerns of government the direction of
which distinguish the exercise of power by
single hand. The direction of war implies the
direction the strength and the
power of directing and employing the
mon strength forms a usual and essential
part the definition of the executive author
ity."
Are you in doubt about the meaning? Then read
the Interpretation OF Justice story next to Marshall
the greatest expounder of fundamental law. Pray
note the following ponder it. and if YOU favor the
cabinet of the politicians. pray a bit:
Even the coupling of the authority of an
executive council with him in the exercise Of
such powers enfeebles the system. divides the
responsibility and not infrequenty defeats
every energetic Timidity indecson,
obstinacy and pride Of opinion must mingle in
all such councils infuse a torpor and slug
gishness destructive Of all military operations"
All, but perhaps you the petty type Of partisan
and YOU say Hamilton has slept for many years in
Trinity churchyard and Story not good party
man. Very wells Charles Hughes good party
man? Yes? Very well-NIr. Hughes last September
addressed the American Bar association on war
Powers Under the Constitution"
Now pray this from Mr.. Hughes:
1t not in the contemplation Of the
Stitution that the command of forces and the
conduct OF campaigns should be in charge of
council that this should be
division of authority and responsibility The
prosecution of demands in the highest de-
gree the promptness. drectness and unity OF
action in military operations which alone
proceed from the executive
All hypocrisy and partsanship aside the ugly truth
is that the cabinet proposition is a and
brazen cripple Woodrow Wilson in his drec-
pique in the cloak conspiracy; and most OF
republican politicians think wholly in terms
party. These probably to win the war. but
they dreadfuy in about an issue for
1920: and they afraid that if Wilson succeeds as
Lincoln did he may have the place in history that
Lincoln had And anything. military disaster and
the decentralization Of our army is better than that
These however just the politicians
The and ME of both parties are not concerned
just now with They are thinking in terms Of
country. they will insist that petty politicians
shall stand in the light woodrow Wilson as he pilots
Us through the storm.