New-York tribune., 1918-03-06

IS 4 sBNrolDE-Nl "llSoN IS OF course 10
blame says the editor of "The
Metropolitan Magazine.' at was
he who appointed Mr.. Garfield Fuel Admin
istrator knowing we'll that Mr.. Garfield had
no knowledge of coal mining or coal dis
tribution, and no executive experience what
ever
"What are the facts?
"In 1901 Mr Garfield became manager of
Cleveland syndicate that developed the
coal mines in the Piney Fork district OF
Ohio built a railroad from those mines to
a Lake Erie port and finally sold the prop
critics to the Lake Shore & Michigan
Southern Company, at whose request Mr..
Garfield remained a director and vicc-presi-
dent of the mining company.
"He was president of the Cleveland
Chamber of Commerce in 1898, was men,
Der of its executive committee for several
years and as chairman of its building com
mittee conducted tho construction of its
present building.
"IIc helped to organize the Cleveland
Trust Company, which has been successful
az one of the most ably managed financial
institutions of Cleveland He was one of
It's directors, its vice-prcsident, its counsel,
and a member Of its executive committee
from the time OF its organization until he
retired from practice as lawyer in Novem-
bcr 1908
During his years of practice he had sole
charge Of an estate that had interests in
Lake Michigan iron mines, in a shipbuld-
ing firm, in real estate, and in various bust
ness companies.
Gle took part in the reorganization Of
the Conreaut Water Company, which he
helped to save from financial shipwreck and
TO put in the way of its present success.
He assisted in forming the Citizens Asso-
citation of Cleveland, which freed the city
from the control Of an ancient gang of cor
ruptlOnistS. He was for eleven years chair
man of the national committee for the re-
form OF our consular scrvlce-a committee
composed of representatives of various
chambers of commerce and boards of trade
"After sixteen years of practice law
yer he became ,Nombcr of the faculty Of
Princeton University. in 1904 A few years
later he elected president Of Williams
College, where he as successful in di-
rccting its business interests as in oversee
ing its educational activities.
''This is the man whom the editor Of The
Metropolitan Magazine accuses of having
had no knowledge of coal mining or coal
distribution and no executive experience
whatever.'
at seems incredible that the editor of
national magazine could make such a
statement in innocent ignorance of the
facts. 1t is even more incredible that he
could be guiltily falsifying, for the purpose
Of weakening the faith Of the readers of
his magazine in shc war measures of his
government. But, most incredible of ALL
other magazine editors, scores of news
paper editors and numberless citizens have
repeated the same falsehood when the
feeblest inquiry into the facts would have
convinced them that Mr.. Garfield was a man
of business experience in all sorts Of COM
mcrcial and financial undertakings includ-
ing the mining Of coal and its transporter
ton.
"The same ill-ntormed critics Of Mr. Gar
fields personal record have been voluble in
condemnation of his record as a Fuel Ad-
minstrator. And here again the facts arc
easily learned
appointment the output of btuminous coal
had fallen to the lowest point of the wear
From that time until the beginning of De-
cember it rose continuously, with slight re-
cesslons, until the total production for the
period was considerably greater than it had
been for the same period of the previous
year The coal problem had apparently
been solved. But transportation problem
had developed.
Beginning with December bad weather
tied up the railroad lines They had been
struggling with freight congestion. They
were short Of locomotives because OF the
demands that had been made upon them
Tor a supply % locomotives abroad They
were oVcfburdoned with the appalling in
crease of gools for the seaboard-our for
elgn commerce having eaped from two
billion dollars year to nine billions wear.
Our docking facilities were inadcouate
Loaded cars we're filling the seaboard ter
mlnals. They were filling the sidings on all
the Eastern lines, half way to Chicago. And
OF these cars onc-half were loaded with coal.
ut followed that there were not enough
empty coal cars to supply the mines. The
output OF coal slowed down to wait for the
cars. And the output of steel and stccl
products slowed down for want of coal
FROM the first of December to the middle of
January shipments of steel plates fell
nearly 80 per cent. Projectlc steel fell
nearly 10 per cent. The plotted curves of
weekly shipments of all steel products Mr.
Garfield says, looked like a cubist picture
OF Niagara Falls. There was not enough
coal 20 supply the ships in the harbors:
"eielore they could not move the goods ac-
cumulated at the wharvcs There was not
enough coal 20 supply tho citios and .h
poor were freezing in their homes. Mr.
Garhcld's order for 4 closing down of hus;-
ness and industry on Mondays was not an
order designed to save coal, but to relieve
the railroad congestion and clear coal for
the ships and the households.
Il ne order was successful. Within twelve
days 4oo SHIPS, carrying two million tons of
lood fuel, munitions and other war srn
iai