New-York tribune., 1918-03-09
Dangerous Writing

"A luouSuC W US Cllc IcdSCIl 1OA
A "-The Metropoitan's" collision
With the government, but in the same
1umber of the magazine there was very
lnsympathetic editorial on the subject of
The Presidents responsibility. 1t was, in
part, as follows:
"What is needed in such humiliatng
and dangerous crisis is not Mysteries but
little clear thinking and self-sacrifce
and determination. First of all the clear
thinking. Let us try, if we possibly can,
to put an end to the hool-girlsh gush
and sickening idoatry which has sur
rounded the White House ever since Mr..
Wilson entered its doors. Under, our
form of government Mr. Wilson is en-
tirely responsible and solely responsible
for the choice of his Cabinet and for the
selection of administrative officers outside
of the Cabinet. In no other country in
the world-certainly not in Germany or in
England or in Francois there chief ex-
ecutive with SO much horsepower almost
amounting to real dictatorship. For the
lamentable failures of the present Admin
lstr2tlon, therefore, Mr.. Wilson and Mr..
Wilson alone is responsible. Therefore
we may expect, sooner or later that, in
spite of all the idolatry of the past Mr..
Wilson will come in for a large share Of
the blame. There exactly lies the weak
ness of popular ways of thinking. Mr..
Wilson is, of course, to blame. 1t was he
who appointed Mr. Garfield Fuel Admin
strator, knowing we'll that Mr.. Garfield
had no knowledge Of coal mining or coal
distribution, and no executive experience
whatsoever. 1t was Mr.. Wilson who al
lowed the railroads to entangle them
selves in the mcshes of priority orders
and oldtime competitive methods, when it
was apparent that the transportation Of
the country must be under government
control. 1t was he who appointed one
man after another to the Shipping Board
who knew nothing about ships. 1t was he
who made a pactist Secretary Of War.
We need not enumerate at length the
errors Of choice which have resulted in
ministry of all the incompetents. Of
course, the President is to blame. But
that is only a superficial view Of the mat
ter. We, the people, are infinitely more
culpable. After all, Mr.. Wilson is doing
what his nature and accomplishments per-
NIT him to do. He is trying his best to be
good War President. But we (this is
majority of the electorate, and not an edi-
torial 'weD, made the objectionable mis-
take of electing Mr.. Wilson President
On the next page was the regular con-
tribution by Theodore Roosevelt, in which
the following illustration Of service oc-
Cured:
"a leading Russian revoutonist (who
IS, OF course, like every true friend of
freedom, an opponent Of the Bolshev;k)
has just come to this country from Vladi-
vostok. He traversed the Siberian rail-
way. The porter on his train refused to
get him hot water or to black his boots
stating with true Bolshevik logic that
democracy meant that nobody must do
anything for any one else and that, any,
how, his union would turn him out if he
rendered such service.
"Now, this Bolshevik porter was foolish
with folly tina, can only be induced by
prolonged and excessive indulgence in
Bolshevikism, or some American ana
loguc. But the root trouble in producing
his folly was the fact that under the old
system the men whose boots the porter
BACKED looked down on him for blacking
them. Are we entirely free from this at
titude in America? Until we are we NAV
as well make up our minds that to Just
that extent we are providing for the
growth of Bolshevikism kere No man
has right to ask or accept any service
unless under changed conditions he would
feel that he could keep his entire self
respect while rendering it. Service which
carries with it the slightest implication
of social abasemcnt should not be rem
dercd."
But that seems perfectly harmless.