New-York tribune., 1918-01-08
Coalition Rule for u. S.
Demanded by Mccormick
Must Be Dropped He Also Recommends a
Munitions Minister

against the wishes of the Admnistra-
ton, which is not likely
AS Mr.. Wilson's friends look at it,
enemies Of the President in Congress
have done their best to make case
against the Administration, and all
they have succeeded in getting was
evidence Of inc.Iiciency in two bureaus.
Those bureaus have been rcorgan
lied. This view of the situation is
likely to be expressed officially in the
Immediate future.
1t does not matter that this view
does in justice at least to the Military
Affairs Committee of the Senate, which
was animated solely by desire to ex-
peditc preparations for war and de-
termination to bring out the exact
truth 1t is, nevertheless, the view of
the Administration, which feels that
all criticism is partisan and unpatrl-
otc
The Administration will have to lose
public confidence much more than. 1t
believes it has lost it to-day before
it will be ready to effect reorgani-
zation.
1t is possible now to Judge the in
vestigations and to weigh their ef-
fects. They are about over. The Sen
ate Military Affairs Committee has
resolved to stop as soon as it can
probably Immediately after it has had
Secretary Baker on the stand. The
other Investigations have yielded little,
and at least one Of them has dis
credited itself by the spirit in which it
was conducted Unfortunately, this
mishandled inquiry lends color to the
Administration view that all the in
vestigations were hostile in their in
tent.
The military investigation has done
a big service in bringing to light the
blunders or worse that have been made
with regard to cquipping the army with
machine guns and the Incompetence
Of the quartermaster's bureau. But
these are details. The fundamental
weakness lies higher up. The reason
why Crozier and Sharpe have been left
on the job is more important than the
actual failures Of these two bureau
heads vitally as delays over guns anc
other supplies affect the war.
The weakness of the Investigations
that are drawing to close Is
that they concerned themselves witt
Sharpes and CrozierS rather than with
the men VINO were responsible for the
I Sharpes and Croziers. 1t may be salc
that in bringing out the fact abou'
guns and uniforms the Senate com
mttee revealed the great defect Of
Secretary Baker, his habit or puttlne
off action until circumstances compe
him to act. Leaving Crozier and Sharpe
undsturbed in the exercise of func
Ntions until Congress began to inquire
was the work Of a procrastinator. Bu
even when you have proved indeclslol
against Mr.. Baker you have only es
tablished q detail. Mr.. Baker himsel
is only a detail.
Indecision Is Not
Confined to Baker
: If Congress could have gone highe
up and shown the incapacity of tn
men who are directing this country
steps toward war it would have don
big service The habit of not dom
things until action is forced is nc
confined to Mr. Baker. who in mind an
+ character is distinctly above the ave-
: age of men in responsible position
, here.
$ But Congress did not have the cou1
age to go further up and show tn
:. lack of what has been called "he-man
v down here and the lack Of any systel
2 for getting things done. If it had tn
n courage and ability for the larger tas
: the Admnistrat;o ;on would not be fee
: ing so complacent now about the II
o suits of the Investigations and reorgar
s ization would be nearer at hand.