Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-02-01

The American public loves fighter.
and for some reason or other it has
associated the idea Of fighting with the
secretaryship of the war department
President Wilson, when he defended
Secretary Baker by denouncing Sena-
tor Chamberlain as a purveyor OF I'M
truths, set an example which his cabi-
net appointee might have followed by
giving an imitation, at least, OF losing
his temper.
To be sure, it would be worse than
childish to complain because he did
not fly into a rage, but if he had dis
played some such mark of the ordi-
nary human being it would have i'm
parted some color to the thought that
perhaps, after all, he had been
wronged and handled somewhat rough
lily by the Oregon senator.
A sort of sympathy is compelled by
the secretary's showing. But it is the
plying sympathy we feel for the duh
lard in school who, outstripped by his
mates and rebuked by his teacher,
lacks the agility of mind to realize the
hopelessness of his quest for educa-
ton or the "spunk" to be resentful
when he drops back to review the Sc
mesters work with the promoted b
class.
1--WE want to learn" Secretary
Baker says, and to complete his edu-
cation he asks that he be permitted to
slit future complaints through the red
tape processes" Of his department
where. If his own account is correct,
nine complaints have been investi'
gated since the country entered the
war. He says eighteen have been sub
mftted and nine remain ensnaried
somewhere within the mysteries OF
the red tape labyrinth.
Millions Of Americans know the
story which was detailed in the letter
Senator Chamberlain read from the
father of soldier who died Of menin-
gifts somewhere in Oklahoma after
having been neglected for days by In.
competent attendants. They would
have been disposed to forgive Secre-
tary Baker for many of the shortcom-
ings and delays to which he confessed
so openly yesterday if he had acted as
they would like to act on this single
complaint. He had ample time be-
tween Senator Chamberlain's speech
and his appearance before the senate
committee yesterday to use his auth.
ority in compelling a thorough investi
CATION Of this case. He might have
fixed the responsibility for that death
and announced his findings to the
army and the whole country yester
day as a solemn warning which would
have done far more to prevent the
recurrence of such tragedy than
thousand such statements as the one
he made yesterday: II want doctors
and the country to know that the SOL
diers' lives and welfare are a RESPONSE
bility which l will not permit to be
lodged or handled in a cavalier fash
ion."
The secretary admitted that the
specific charges made by Senator
Chamberlain were true, but he called
them occasional rather than charac-
teristic" Of the war department. In
effect he offered, as a foil to the short
comings of the past, his assurance that
"early this year. the United States
will have 500, 900 men in France, that
there are 1000, 900 in the camps and
environments ready to go, and that the
able for service overseas.
They will be armed properly, he
said, and Great Britain and France
will supply them with artillery.
Admitting that thus far the record
of the department is fun Of errors and
failures, he asks the nation to repose
full confidence in him in the future
because of what he promises to do
The Courier is sincere In voicfng
the hope that he may do all he says he
will do and all he implies an intention
Of doing. We want America to tri-
umph in the war more than we want
anything else in the world. And It is
for this very reason that we have
raised our voice in criticism OF the
war department, in the hope that r
might remedy the grievous weak
nesses which have characterized its
course thus far.
But Mr. Baker lacks the training.
should be the possessions of the secre-
tary of war for the United States to-
day. The optimistic generalites with
which he filed his first statement
were found to veil a multitude Of in
eficiencies. His heralded defense, Of
fered yesterday under exactly the cir
cumstances he demanded, turns out to
be nothing but an admission Of errors
and promise to do better neu time.
If, instead Of war, the nations a.
tention were rivted on some such
activity as Arctic exploration, for in
stance. or search for the missing
link, or experiments for the produc-
ton of a perfect orchid, delays and
failures might be condoned, patience
might be exercised and thorough con
f1dence might be maintained while the
investigator and his specialized sta6
obtained their education. But while
we are losing time we are losing lives;
while Mr. Baker is making his effort
to learn our allies are asking tensely,
when will the Americans be here?"
While the secretary is declaring that
every soldier in France is veIl
equipped General Pe1shing is buying
zoe, 900 British uniforms and 10000
Spanish blankets to equip hiB men;
while the processes OF the war de-
partment" are functionins in their VI
hurried. Observation-Disclosures fashion,
Il, von uu>ru xno,, ~ 49,