The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1918-03-01
PRESIDENT CONVINCED ONE MAN
MUST RULE ARMY, NAVY AND
CIVIL GOVERNMENT.
CONFLICTING REQUESTS MADE
Queries That Ups-t Criticisms Of Dis
turbing Federal Orders - Close
Friendship Between Senator Ollie
James and Secretary Tumuity.
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.

introducing additional officials In the
conduct Of the war Is because he Is
fully convinced that anything like d.
vided responsibility Is conducive to IN
efficient prosecution or the war. He
has found that differences are constant
ly cropping out between the civil au-
thorities In England and France and
the military authorities of those ma
lions. While It Is supposed that the
civil authorities In both countries are
really In control of the prosecution OF
the war, in reality the military are In
command OF the armies.
Conflicting requests are made by the
civil authorities upon the United
States, and the president has on sew
eral occasions been much puzzled In
regard to what he should do. The mil
itary authorities naturally want food,
munitions and soldiers sent over for
the armies. The civil authorities have
represented that food and clothing for
the civilian population is all-important.
On account Of the conflict existing the
president realizes that one man must
be commander in chief of the army
and of the navy, and also director Of
the civil government In order TO sue
cessfully prosecute the war.
Occasionally pertinent injuries up
set some Of the best arguments that a
man In congress may be making. That
has been particularly true In recent
criticisms passed upon FEDERAL officials
for unexpected and disturbing orders,
such for instance as the order of Doc
toa Garfield closing down industries on
Mondays, and other actions by officials.
These inquiries take this form: did
not congress pass the laws under
which these orders were issued?
Should not congress have thought of
these things when 1t passed the legis-
lation granting so much power to the
presidents" Those are questions
which rather stump the man who may
be criticizing the priority orders, or
the orders which have interfered with
the ordinary course of life and bust
ness. And there is a good deal Of 1t.
Congress In its war legislation gave
the president and those whom he might
select power to do just what they have
been doing.
II Joseph p. Tumulty should be
elected to the senate from New Jersey
we shall probably see Damon and
Pythlas or David and Jonathan ar
rangement in the senate. Senator
James Of Kentucky will be the other
party to this arrangement. A strong
has long existed between the
big Kentucky senator and the presi-
dents secretary. There is no man who
goes to the White House more fire.
Quently than Senator James, and he
generally has very long and conf
Dental talk with Secretary Tumulty
while he is there. Incidentally Sena-
tor James is one Of the strongest sup
porters Of the president In the senate.
He does not talk very often, hut what
little he has to say Is generally In de-
Tense Of the administration.
One Of the marked changes observed !
In congress Is due to a different feel |
Ing which prevails among representa-
tives, and particularly those from the
Southern states. A Southerner with a
grievance against fellow member
takes IL out In q personal grievance
talk. The men scrap back and forth |
with words, not with pistols nor with
a threat Of pistols, such as happened
nearly always In personal controver-
sizes 'fn the good old days." Not only
Is there no talk of shooting, there are
not even knockdowns and fiinging of |
books and ink bottles or drawing Of |
penknives, such as once characterized
Of opinion, especially when
the lie was passed.
Men In congress have begun to
realize that they cannot fight the
president of their own party. This
applies especially to senator's. Quite
4 large number Of Democrats for re-
election in the near future have been
showing a disposition to take to
cover" This means that those who
have been rather severe critics Of the
president for one thing or another have
changed their tactics to
extent and are support
ng him right royalty since the criti-
,ism of the war management began.
Possibly this may be due to infOrma-
ion from back home, where II Is gen.
orally found to be fact that the peo-
pie sustain the president whenever
there is a contest between the White
House and Capitol hill.
1t Is also true that the history Of
politics In connection with war shows |
that the people generally sustain the
while the war Is on.
Students Of history have also brought |
put the fact that administrations are
always severely criticized for the con-
duct Of war. Only the other day Sem
ator John Sharp Williams of Missis-
sippi declared that IL was typical OF
the committees of congress-" that they |
zane very near running Lincoln and l