New-York tribune., 1918-01-29
Pursuing Mr.. Baker
From an Article by William Hard in The Ncw Republic

rectorship Of purchases and is calling il re-.
form. 1t is not reform. 1t is a repetition of
"a failure already several times repeated
The gentlemen Of the Senate might weu
say to Mr.. Bal@r:
"Tf we ask you to resign reorganze us
mean really reorganizc. We do not mean gvs
US n phantom Of civilan-headed control !;
the War Industries Board. We do not near
give us a phantom Of single headed control
in the drectorship of purchases. Those con-
trolls are not controls, and we know that tho.
arc not controls. and you know that thew are
not controls. The only control worth talki,o
about is executive control, control with power
Ito hire and fire and compel We wan. IT,.
kind Of control. and we want it lodged IN or
man. and we want that man civilian
That system, that ne-civlian-executive g..
tenn, has worked Your successive sv.+,r,.
have no. worked. Stop pretending to chang
Changc'"
Mr. Bakers Future
Every man with liberal instincts mus. Dro.
foundly hope that Mr.. Baker Will consent g.
change, and wiz not drive on to final fa;1ure
and resignation. His services TO the cans. of
liberalism in the matter for instance Of Ia.
bor have been enormous BY adopting
reasonable and a friendly and a helpful atsi
tudc toward labor and toward labor organi
cations in all the industries which are en-
gagged in working for the War Departmen.
ne has done moro than any other man in tho
United States to keep American labor fairlv
satisfied in its just claims and TO keen i
thoroughly solid. on the whole for the war
Nh Bakers labor policy is one of the cnef
reasons for our present national unity.
That unity is even more important, am
bound TO say, than machine guns. We canno-
win without machine guns, but We canno.
even stay in the war without unity. If Ger
tain Of Mr.. Bakers critics were put in his
place they would outrage and alienatc enough
workingmen and enough other people to give
Us antwar majority in the next elections
Mr.. Bakers policy in the matter Of labor
and in the matter OF the project for the in
mediate adoption Of permanent universal
military service and in many other matters
has been very great influence indeed in per-
suading the mass Of the American people thai
this is democratic and not milItaristc
war. 1t has been a very great influence in
deed in persuading the mass Of the American
people TO continue to support this war. 1t
is an influence which, if possible. must De
retained at Washington.
Mr.. Baker should really be- like Lord Cur
zon anG like Lord Miner. in England a
minister without portfolio" He is states
man. He is statesman with q deep insight
III 20 popular social 1ce!lhgs ana WIN an apso-
lutely sure touch in his dealings with those
feelings. He is a statesman and he should
be given to craftsmanship. He is not an ad-
ninstrator. At any rate. he persistenty and
perversely refuses 10 adopt the one central
simple manifest principle Of administ ration
'by which alone greatest administrative
task the production Of munitions and the
organization of our war indus-res-can be
ACCOMPLISHED.
Why viii he be so stubborn Why viii he
not open his mouth and swallow that pill
and appoint a genuine executive civilian D.
rector of War Industries and stay in Wash
ington and give to that director and to all
Of Us the continued immense and Invaluable
benefit of his liberal minded social states
manship?