The Washington herald., 1918-05-17
Congress and the White House.

Directly after President Wilson told Congress
that the required probe of the type such as
il delights in, he appointed Charles E. Hughes to
conduct investigation of the aircraft situation.
That was shrewd politics and good policy. 1t
was politics of the kind that is distinctly Wood
rowan. Just at the moment when the man in the
street concluded that the President had missed fire
with his testy letter Senator Martin, a clever
stroke is made disconcerting the parsans of Capt.
tol Hill changing the whole situation with deft
skill There many pothouse politicians around
the country who are honestly convinced that "for
ways that dark and tricks that vain" the
President has the heather Chinee" beaten forty
ways from the start Like burnt children who dread
the FIRE, they have learned to dread his cunning
In politics, in almost everything else he under
takes, the President is generally a master player
when he puts his mind to it.
Charles E. Hughes not only is the titular leader
of the Republican party the standard bearer of its
most recent campaign, but he has reputation as
investigator that is facile princeps in the land
His great reputation is founded on his probes into
gas and insurance in New York State. His in
tegrity and solid habits OF mind national assets
1t was nothing less than inspiration that the
White House should call him into the drama
in the capacity Of investigator. We are assured
now of getting at the facts. We assured, also,
of an end to petty politics. The word OF Hughes
will go with every Capitol Hill. No scan
dal-monger will dare go beyond his verdict.
1t would be futile to speculate on what verdict
will be Brought in. The main thing is that the in
qury will be free of prejudice, OF partisanship, of
crack-braned dependence on gossip, Of the fog OF
malice and rumor. Nothing will swerve Charles E.
Hughes from his objective of the truth. And it is
safe to say that President Wilson will accept the
verdict of his late foeman in the political lists with
out question. If the in whom the administra-
rh0 fbNy of
their trust their fate and their reputation lie in
the palm OF Hughes. If they have been victims Of
cabal if the unfortunate delays and the temporary
difficulties with the Liberty motor shown to be
the results OF a system for which no man or group
Of men are responsible, then there will be wei
come vindcation. No man is to be prejudged; no
man is to be sacrificed to make Congressional or
popular holiday.
Partisan uproar, Congressional Inflammation,
have their uses. Otherwise would not have
Hughes Nearly every clever move OF the admin
istration has been a counter stroke. The big brains
of the country have not been brought to Washing
ton until smaller brains have failed That much,
at least can be cited against the present leader
ship We started out TO manage the with sec
ond and thrd-rate casts. But the war is distinctly
metropolitan and cosmopolitan in every sense.
The little fellows failed to make good. Perhaps it
was not altogether their fault. The first thing that
Charles Z. Schwab did was to move the ONCE OF
the Emergency Fleet Corporation to Philadelphia
This was exactly the move that Rear Admiral
Harris then in the same job, wanted to make three
months ago. He was not a big enough man to
swing the Shipping Board to his program. Schwab
came in with the distinctive understanding that
whatever he says goes" That's one reason why
the big man has huge handicap over the un-
known. He is in position to insist on autocratic
authority, and he gets it.
After Gutzon Borgum, Hughesl Some differ
ence is it not? President Wilson is demonstrating
anew the thesis that he always makes the right
move-but just in the nick OF time.