The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-01-22
CRY Of PART|SANS
HEARD IN LAND AS
POL|T|CALPOT BO|LS
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
CONTINUED from First Page

| Is ICES " pOAAAASdA W
pcnents than is that OF the Missouri
Senator. the attack on Colonel Roose'
welt might have been better received
for the former President has not been
factor for constructive criticism, but
a destructive critic ever since he fail
ed to get the command given General
Pershing. '.
! AS II was. the assault on Mr.. Roose-
Welt only stirred up bitter partisan
ship and actually made friends in
Congress for the Colonel, whose ar
rival at the psychological moment
| forebodes his possible leadership OF
the opposition to the Administration,
with not a few OF the disgruntled
Democrats openly supporting him. In
deed, Senator Chamberlain. Democrat,
probably will welcome the Colonel at
the hearings OF the Committee on Mill
tary Affairs.
Politics In Air. o.
Politics is in the air. moreover, and
instead Of thinking in terms Of win
ming the war, the atmosphere is sur
charged with political predictions and
recriminationS about the Congress
ional elections OF next November and
the Presidential election Of 1920. with
a lot of Republicans already pointing
to Roosevelt as "the natural leader"
All of which II carried out would mean
that II Mr.. Wilson's policies are the issue
in 1870, the President may feel persuaded
by his party to defend himself In the
race Colonel Roosevelt was President
seven years Mr.. Wilson will have been
President eight years. The nomination
OF both men by their respective parties
would eliminate the third term issue en-
tIrely. a situation conceivably, not to the
dislike OF both men. but especially the
Colonel, who has committed the indiscre-
ton Of declaring himself against such
Nthings as third terms. a handicap not
suffered by Mr.. Wilson.
But while Democrats and Repub-
licans hurl charges OF political motive
al each other. the fact Is that by tele-
grams and by editorials rejecting the
mood OF the nation there is no doubt
ing the conviction that whether IL II
true or not the country believes
things are radically wrong with the
management OF the war and one Of
the opportunities America has OF cor
recting its mistakes or upholdinE
those who have served her comes on
election day. In so far as the spur OF
the coming elections will make for
efficiency in the conduct OF the war.
ACAoA NoOAN
good effect here, though IL must be
admitted that personal ambition and
selfshness have tainted the naneuVera
of many men in the Senate and the
House, who are using the situation to
make capital for the next political
campaigns.,
Situation Cumulative.
But on the whole the situation Is not
OF yesterdays creation. 1t is cumula-
tive. For the last seven months. especi-
ally before Congress came back in De
cember. the Administratlon's censorship
policy has been 30 misguided that facts
which might have helped to remove in
efficiency. to prevent the mistakes OF
which Mr.. Wilson himself speaks In his
public statement, were hidden and such
an ATTITUDE OF autocratic self-sufficiency
was adopted as to ALLEVIATE many who
were disposed to give the Administration
the benefit OF the doubt
The Government went 10 extremes
OF intimidation to ward OF criticism
with the result that many things
that should a long time ago have
been printed suddenly acquired an
exaggerated Importance. and when
drawn from witnesses before the
Senate Committee on Military Affairs
In an official investigation werS
promptly construed by the nation as
symptomatic of other grievous de-
fects. Everybody knows, on the
other hand, that there are many
good things that the army and navy
have done which cannot yet be pub
Iished, and that while there is some
Inefficiency in nearly every bureau
and nearly every department OF the
Government, the war machine has
not completely broken down, though
some Of its partF are functioning
with alarming awkwardrefs.
so when President Wilson with
Characteristic fidelity to his friends
and associates speaks Of Secretary
Baker as one OF the abiest officials
he has ever known, he may be basing
that judgment on a set OF facts not
yet revealed to the public, but the
newspaper impression OF Mr.. Baker,
based on such answers as were given
at the Senate hearing, Is unfortunate
Iy in sharp contradiction to Mr.. WILL
sons description.
President Knows More.
Tho President unquestionably
knows more about the inside Of our
war machine than does the Senate.
He knows. for instance, what the
promises to the allies were and how
far a failure 10 get q big army into
France completely equipped 10 our
fault and how much II is the fault
of our not too efficient allies whose
changes OF mind as to whether they
wanted food or men and other things
did not a little to bring about the
recent inter-aIIied conference at Paris.
For Mr.. Wilson has known OF ev-
erythinE that Mr.. Baker has done at
the time the Secretary OF War did
It. The responsibility is not individ-
uaI, but joint. And when the Senate
Military Affairs Committee drafts a
bill proposing a war cabinet II is
merely putting into legal language
what II might otherwise have plainly |
said. as follows: "Mr. President. we
don't like the way you handle your |
lob. We should like to see you con- |
suit more people. We should like to |
see you sit in conference with the |
heads Of the different war boards you |
have created, so that there may be |
a unificataion of effort instead Of q |
at cross purposes and an I'M
necessary duplication
The bills for war cabinet or war
council are nothing more nor less
than a criticism OF Mr.. Wilson's exc
cutive management whether they ap-
pear in the guize of constructive or