The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1918-03-29
MR.. BAKERS CRITICS AND THElF
APOLoGiSTS

The most insiduOus attack that hai
yet been made upon Secretary Bake
appears in Golfers of March % I
is from the pen OF AIr Mark Sullivan
one of its paid correspondents
Mr. Sullivan frankly admits tina
Secretary Baker put his question
aires to flight those most grave anC
reverend senators who are adopts il
the arts and subtleties Of statecraft
who thought their task an easy one
They had been in public life iong
time. They we're members OF the
military affairs committee of the sen
ate and it was believed by the coun
try that they were familiar with ev
erything relating or corelating to the
military arm of the government Il
not then they were derelect OF duty
The chairman Of that committee
evidently with the approval OF his cot
leagues, had made statement in i
public address. which if true. or even
partly true. would have placed this
nation in most sorry and pitiful
plight before the nations Of the earth
and would have been esno ..,t..
0oo2j vva3Y,I7u7ht.u r..
poanns aud ne4rlenng 70 Germany III
the conflict in which she is engaged
1t was an awful Indictment before
which the nation stood dunbfounded
and amazed
Charged With administering or al
least having a knowledge 81 our mill
tar affairs. the chairman OF this com
mittee. in a public address paralized
the nation by proeIaiming thar the
military establishment Of America
had fallen down. there is no use
he said. TO be optimistic about !
thing that does not exist. it has al
most stopped functiontng Why
he asked lie answered it by saying
BECAUSE Of nefhciency in every de
partment OF the government Of the
United States
IICdi tCiAtAlS uiiI ~ OtANAtiE TAG w 3
man army to It's highest pitch Of IT
dor could General von FIindenbur2
have made a more sweeping state
ment than that?
It was more inspiring TO the Ger
man army and the house OF the lilo
henzolers and the Hapsburgs thar
the base performances Of Messrs lie
line and Trotzky
Having made this statement in ;
most dramatic manner. i'll the yer!
presence and hearing Of eX-Presiden
Roosevelt the administration
severest critic. it was up to Senator
Chamberlain and his colleagues t,
satisfy the public conscience as t,
wheteher or not those calamitou.
charges we're true
Having been publicly made the,
must by all means be clearly estab
lished.
Baker was young man. but little
acquainted With pubic affairs. AM
being inefficient. would naturall!
cover and fall down" before hi
grave aceusers Their task was al
easy one
When confronted by the miserable
little creature that the naughty Phil
listines had sent to do battle agains
him. the mighty Goliath could hardl!
have been more astounded than VA.
Mr.. Bakers accusers when he began
to Stay them one by one with tn,
biting and penetrating armament o
facts.
The committee did not seem tt
realize that the secretary carried {
shepherds bag loaded with heavy ex
plosiyes.
Mr.. Sullivan is compelled TO admi
that the critics were easily beaten
1t was "even rather agreeable" ht
tells us. sitting in the committee
room, to see him do ito see a frail
small man. by sheer acuteness O.
mind, by the qualities of an able
lawyer and logician, expert in the use
of words, with perfect urbanity. with
a gentle. almost feminine voice. beat
half dozen senator's with the facts
in their favor"
Wonderful, wasR't it? But forum
ately the facts were not with the com
sra5 san