New-York tribune., 1918-02-03
La Toilette, Jr.,
Needs Spanking,
Some Here Think
Much Better to Expel
Father From Senate, Says
Major Putnam

Opinion was pretty we'll divided in
this city yesterday as to whether Rob
ert NJ. La Toilette, ir., son of the cop
per-throated pacihst Senator from Wis
consin, should be summarily dealt with
for his attack upon the Administration,
and particularly the Creel Bureau of
Public Information, on the ground that
the latter is insidiously staging pro-
peace lecture junket---or whether he
should be sent back to Madison and
severely spanked with a No. 10 Ger
man-made military boot
"a sinister perversion of the facts
such was the characterization of Oscar
S. Straus, senior vice president of the
New York Peace Society and an officer
in the League to Enforce Peace. when
young La Follette's charge that the
government is abetting the lecture
series OF the Church Peace Union and
similar bodies was brought to his at
tention.
Who Is La Toilette:
ION the face of it," Mr.. Straus said,
"this charge would seem to be designed
to give the impression that, while pro-
Tossing one thing, the United States is
covertly encouraging another-in other
words, that we are divided in our sup
port of and attitude toward the war,
which is about as far from the facts as
anything could be. But. after ALL who
is Robert La Toilette, jr.?"
A consistent attempt has been made
in Germany, Mr.. Straus declared. to put
this Interpretation upon every mention
of after-the-war recon struction that has
come up in this country; and for this
reason, he said, the League to Enforce
Peace, and all reputable societies hav-
ing the future security of the world at
heart, have been at particular pains
lately to reemphasize the fact that any
discussion of reconstruction is predi-
Gated upon the absolute defeat of Ger
man militarism.
But he branded as particularly ma
lcious any suggestion, from whatever
source 1t might arise, that would tend
to dstort the purpose or hamper the
progress of intelligent consideration of
the kind of world that will result from
the present turmoil.
Urges Fathers Expulsion
Major George Haven Putnam, head
of the American Rights League, was not
inclined to treat the La Toilette "dis-
closure" even this seriously.
at would be much better" said he,
"if instead of wasting time over this
irresponsible young man, the nation
got busy and saw to it that his father
was put out of the Senate, as he ought
TO be. Robert La Toilette, sr.. is
menace; Robert La Toilette, jr., though,
] an inclined to think is nothing more
than notoriety seeker.
1T seems rather a shame. though -
continued Major Putnam, "if ore is
bent on criticisihg some department
down at Washington, to pick on Creel
first. Why not begin, say, with Gar
feld-a man with no previous expert
ence, known before April to have
been proGerman, who was suddenly
selected to muddle up the national
handling of the coal situation? If
young Mr.. La Toilette was really de-
sirous of starting trouble he might
much better have started there"
Charge Untrue, Says MIR. Taft
In a telegram to The Tribune from
Atlanta last night former President
Taft said:
"The statement of Robert La Fol
letto, jr.. is wholly untrue. The pur-
pose Of the speakers tour, Jointly ar
ranged by the league and the Church
Union, is to teach the purpose of rhis
war to be to secure permanent peace
and to show that the purpose can only
be attained by defeating Germany and
forming league of nations to suppress
war therea fter
"That this is playing into the hands
of the pacifists is false. Both Presi-
dent Lowell of Harvard and I attend
ed the Joint committee in which the
speakers tour was arrange. The fun
damental condition and express basis
of the arrangement is that all speakers
shall make it clear. and the Joint com
'lttec shall make ii clear, that 10 sat
isfactory neace can he concluded until
after the United States and her allies
defeat Germany and win the war.
Had this not been the express un.
derstanding the league would never
have consented to the plan