The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1918-02-08


declares the New York Times, ''is |
visibly endangered by incapacity in
some of the high places the President
has filled" A statement issued last
week by the American Defense So |
ciety, of which Colonel Roosevelt is |
an official, reads in part as follows:
During the last nine months loyal
Americans have refrained from criti- |
cizing, realizing the great task of con-
verting a peaceful nation into a war
like one, and being more than willing
TO help and not criticize. Now the
time has arrived to speak out and urge
upon the President the fundamental
policy of drawing out the best brains
and experience in the country to aid
him in his task.
"a Cabinet of well-meaning modio-
ere gentlemen who can handle the
routine duties of peace time can not
in fairness be expected to administer
the enlarged Departments which have
to be created to carry on the war with
Germany, Every warning country in
Europe has seen the necessity of
strengthening it's Cabinet, and Ameri
ca will be no exception. The time to
begin is now. All political and per-
sonal considerations must be put
aside in this crisis in the national
life. President Wilson should invite
the strongest men in the country to
sit in his Cabinet and assist him in
the conduct of the war, regardless of
party.
MANY of the mistakes and failures
have been due to Incompetence, If
not disloyalty, below the Cabinet, but
a stream can not rise higher than its
source, and the only effective way
to get competent subordinates is to
have competent heads. Too many
boards. Too much talking. Too lit
tie action. Individual responsibility
is an essential Modern war is so
largely industrial, the problems so
Intricate. that men from other fields
of endeavor can not acquire necessary
knowledge in a short time. For this
reason q goldman should be in charge
of the coal-problem railroad man IN
charge of the railroad-problem, a
clothing-man in charge of the clothing
problem. Let us cut out the men
however devoted and however intelli
gent who might in time learn the
technique of the various government
: bureaus, but who now lack the re
, ouisite knowledge and experience.
| is time for a change
From the Republican viewpoint o
the Philadelphia Inquirer the situa
l ton appears as "hOwling farce
: incompetency." Says this paper:
Secretary Baker has proved
' failure as Secretary of War. Govern
f ment control of railroads thus far ha
brought no relief. The coalsituatio
S is one of ENHANCEMENT which ha
e been growing steadily worse under tn
|. MANAGEMENT of DR.. Garfield
n Congress should override Bake
a if the President will not do so Of HI
G. own vefitfon. and place entire respol
n sibility for the manufacture OF nun
tions in the hands of an expert,
: his turn, the President should nan
q a man Of experience and organizin
a ability in the place of DR.. CARTEL
r and get lid of few professors an
# lawyers who are now encumbering II
% portant offices in Washington.
g "a real War Cabinet and conce
n trated authority-that is the way OF
n of the situation, not the closing dow
=, of factories and the disruption
n business and industry"
II In the opinion Of the MdnWdctu
,s ers' Record of Baltimore, the leadir
q Continued on page 81