Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-03-21
BAKER THREATS
NO BLUFF, SAYS
TAYLOR'S REPLY
President OF Churchmeh's Fedora
ton answers Mayors letter
To Governor Lowden.
TELLS SOURCE OF EPIsTLE
Explains Copy OF Communication
From Cabinet Chief Came To
Local Business Man.


publication of Secretary Bakers
threat came today when Carlton G.
TAYLOR replied to Mayor McCono-
chie.s letter to Governor Lowden.
MIR. Taylor. in stating Sany
notoriety which I may have earned
rs the result of such an ambassa-
dorical errand is merely a gratuiJous
honor conferred without due inyes-
tigation Of the facts" explains that
the COPY Of the letter OF Secretary
Baker. implying threats that the
arsenal woald be removed, came
through the receiPt of a copy of
the letter by a local business man
from an official in the war depart
meut
Mr.. Taylor declares that any idea
that Mr.. Baker is bluffing is err
roneous because, he says, Mr.. Bak-
er is no buffer. The letter fol-
lows:
Not TO crafty any personal UNI
brage-for I entertain no such feel
tng-but 10 anticipate the eXpecta-
tions of many good people in our
city. ! crave space to make the fol-
lowing rejoinder TO our mayors
wide open letter to Governor Low
den. printed In your paper last
evening.
AS to the peculiar avenue
through which Secretary of War
Bakers communication was given
10 the press let me say that an en-
tireIy erroneous conclusion has
been drawn. The copy of the COM
munication from Mr. Baker to the
governor was sent by a high Of
fetal of the war department to a
business man Of this city who was
authorized to make its contents
public The writer merely deliV-
cred the story to the papers at the
request of the recipient and any
nOtoriety which he may have earn
ed as the result of such an ambas-
sadoriaI errand is merely gratui-
tous honor conferred without due
investigation of the facts. As to
the publicity given to the secre-
tary's letter. the sole complaint
seems to be that the outside world
has learned how matters stood In
other words, the shame is not for
the deploTable conditions, but for
the fact that they were found out.
But suppose thSA letter, sent to a
Rock Island citizen to be used as
he liked lad been suppressed anc
that the first knowledge the COM
nunity had Of the impending dan
ger vas the actual beginning of
the process OF transferring work
from Rock Island arsenal to other
pOints7 Suppose no opportunity
had been afforded for the citizens
20 fend of the threatened disaster?
Who then would have been the tar
get for the resentful comment that
such n situation would have en-
tailed2 Would not the citizens have
Indignantly said: You knew this
all the tfme-Why didn't You tell
us2' as to why the war depart
ment chose the particular business
man 10 whom this letter was for
warded as the chanel for its re-
lease TO the press instead Of some
officer. only the department itself
can answer. It is something in
which I am not particularly con-
cerned-
Aside from Dry Issue.
AS to the accusation that this
publicity came rather from a de-
sire to aid the dry campaign than
10 honestly aid war efficiency, I
submit that a warning of this kind
from SO important an official as
the secretary of war deserved all
the consideration it has been ac-
corded, entirely aside from any wet
or dry issue facing settlement at
the polls.
@As 70 the plea that the secretary
of war based his communication
70 the governor solely on letters
and complaints addressed 20 him by
persons in this city who have will
fully 'misrepresented' conditions.
ask If any sane person really be-
Iieves that Dir. Baker would act on
that kind Of evidence only. II so,
such person must be wOefulIy ig-
norant of the fact that the govern
ment has its own special fnvesti-
gators and that so far as we know
the only persons hereabouts who
have been public pIlloried by IL for
making any 'misrepresen
were a deputy United States mar
shall and q United States district at
t0rney, who have been suspended
from Office for making the very
kind Of a report as 10 local cOndi- /
tions which the honorable MAYOR /
now publishes as his official state
ment- Indeed, IL was the fiat state /
meut OF one Of the federal officers, /
sent here to learn the facts that he /
bad found things ten times worse I
than they had been reported by the +
mail communications received by !
the war department. II there was /
any Misrepresentation from this /
end. therefore. Il would seem that /
& was only through inability ade- !
Quately 10 picture the true situa- /
ton.
'"rouching upon the alleged Sian |
der Of the fair name of our city, /
does the mayor think the only evil /
IS IN being found out? To many of 1
our citizens, It seems that the time /
for the mayor 20 have thought OF /
preserving the good name and rep
utation Of our city was before the |
stencil became so strong as to /,
blow of the lid. not afterwards. /
n -