Daily Kennebec journal., 1918-01-23
The President Assumes All.

co.nmend the friendship of the CHER
whn assumes the responsibility of his
clar,ment heads. Involuntarily We
warm towa President Wilson when
reading his forccful defense Of Secre
tary Baker. OF his full approval Of Fuel
NdmInistra,or Garlieids sudden dras-
tic ordeI
our Judgment conflicts with our adj
mira,ion We see and know of things
We cannot approve.
II the Presidents ohl,IaI supporters
were as loyal u each other as he is 10
O. h and all and II the same sentiment
pres allied throughout their domains.
there would he immeasurably less OF
the in"ticiency now apparent.
iiu' il occurs to the public that the
President assumes responsibility as a
personal duty sometimes. Let us CON
-ider the case OF secretary Baker. The
President cannot be familiar with all
tho details Of the War Department.: he
has probably had less time to follow
events and development, than has the
average senator. representative or citi
2cnhe has too many other great
cares and problems. Thus it is plain
that h" has taken Baker at his
tBaNer's) own measurements. He has
10 ~ oH
ments and failures. He assumes the
burden tor himself on Bakers say-so.
The same is true in the case Of Car
field The President promptly steps
forward in the storm Of protest and
saws: Il approved it; it could not be
avoided no other course is left us:
the administrator has moved with
utmost care and wisdom
These mag not have been his words
but they summarize the Presidents
defense Of Garfield and assumption Of
The responsibility. Again he had act
ID not from his own intimate knowl-
edge Of conditions (for that would
have been a physical impossibility) but
from his confidence IN the man he had
elected for n certain part
What could the President have
known OF mine and terminal facilities.
Of port congestions and car storage,
that the well posted citizen or. at
least. studious observer in either house
~ Congress does not know" What
could the President know of condi-
lions in the army cantonmcnts. in the
munitions factories. in the ship Yards
er elsewhere. that others cannot learn ?
There Sre endless problems of pro-
duction and transportation with which
II is impossible for the Executive to be
familiar. BY what other right. then,
than his confidence in and friendship
for, these department heads, has he to
assume their burdens, or to assure the
public that he knows all about it and
they are Just right?
II the President is familiar with all
these things he should have been called
by the Senate committee for Baker did
NOT know, III many instances, and re-
peatedly promised to look it up" The
secretary contradicted the testimony of
his chiefs: the President blankets them
vi in. as correct.
with sincere desire to support the
President when we cannot approve a,,
he acts or claims of his secretaries.
we do not like to see him make their
acts his acts
II is wrong theory; it is not a
workable theory; it is sure to per-
petuate the very thing of which the
ountry now complains
We have no desire to enter into con
'roNcrsy with the President as to the
wisdom Of the adoption OF the So
allied War Cabinet" bill. Perhaps il
would divide the responsibility and
promote delay in which are Germany's
highest hopes at the present moment.
Nor do we hold any brief for the
democratic senator from Oregon, Mr..
hambCrlain. But we do wish to see
he President recognize his own mis-
axes: that he has. in more than one
Instance appointed UNIT men to places
# great trust that he has retained
hem when all the country knew and
le should have known (and would
laNe known If he had opened his eyes)
hat they have been laundering, COM
placent and inefficient: and, that finally
le DEFENDS them in the face Of
'oluminous and incontrovertible proof
o.the contrary.
This. it seems to us, is an error of
more than political consequence, for
hese are days of national crisis Let
he President call TO his side men big
.noush to hold the confidence of the
'ountry without his standing always
Vt their backs. This country knows
Shat it wants and that it has men
'qual to the tasks demanded.
The President should be left free for
he higher duties ,of administration.