The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-06-06
GENERAL WOOD AND THE MA.
TlONAL ADMINISTRATION.

The attempt of the president ant
Secretary Baker to place the respon
sibility upon General Pershing for tn,
order separating General Leonard
Wood from the command of the divi
sion he had trained and which he ex.
pected to accompany to France, ant
retaining him in command OF Camr
Funston, will not be accepted by the
public until the statement Is confirm
ed by General Pershing. Some Gre
dence might be given to 1t If 1t were
not for the fact that the administra-
ton had repeatedly shown its deter
mination to keep General Wood in the
back ground both before and since
war was declared against Germany
and before General Pershing had
been advanced to the high position he
now holds. To attempt to place the
responsibility upon that superb soldier
is not only an injustice to him, but o
ducive to confidence in the admins
tration at this critical period The
relations between General Pershing
and General Wood are known to be
OF the most cordial, and 1t is recalled
that II was General Wood who was in
command In the Philippines whose
high commentator of the work of
General (then Captain) Pershing in
the southern islands was to a great
extent responsible for his elevation
from the rank of captain to brigadier
general. No man in the army has a
better knowledge of the high ability of
Genearl Wood than General Pershing,
and it is unbelievable. in view of their
former happy relations, that he would
interpose an objection to his being
ision.
The fact is that the president Is not
big enough to admit that General
Wood was right in pointing out the
utter unpreparedness of our country
for war long before war was declared
and In urging with all the power at
his command that preparation be
started and continued with all pos
sible speed before we were drawn into
The world war. His warming was ig-
nored, and now everybody, outside of
The president and his official family, |
'redits General Wood with sounding a
timely warning which If it had been
needed by the administration would
iave saved thousands of American
ives and millions of American dollars L
AZ a"e 'he SouIaSe 10 tel the truth II
n order to save his country, knowing
hat In doing so he would incur the
nmity Of those above him. But he
: not complaining. Like the true
older that he is, he obeys orders.
moving that |
THEIRS not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die. I
But the American people are hound Il
no such restrictions. They will u
AXE reply for General Wood and they u
Ill make known the reasons why y
lis brave and accomplished officer is u
gain relegated to a training camp
lille the great conflict In France IL
lis for the best military minds our II
untry can supply. The administra- p
IN has been severely censured, and "
believe rightly, for playing poll ~
IS in the conduct of the great war. D.
I nothing in that line has so arous- al
the Indignation of the American !"
ople and shocked their sense of fair lo
~ to such an extent as the deliber-
J and persistent purpose of the adj
nistration to humiliate General
BOD. But there will be a day of
koning, and 1t may come In the
m of a popular Reputation of the
n who Is responsible for 1t and the
walton of General Wood himself to ,
presidency.
UNITY SHOULD ADOPT THE