Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-23
Roosevelt's Game.

Colonel Roosevelt has arrived in
Washington. He says he is there for
the purpose of doing everything within
his power to speed up the war. APP
parently it has not been moving with
rapidity suiting to the colonel. Also
he wants the truth told the American
people about how the whole job is
being done. He seems Of the impress
sion that the war is secret sort of
affair; that the first thing we know
we will waken some morning and dis
cover that the kaiser has been bowled
over without our having been
advised in advance how it was
to be done. The colonel is
possessed of conviction that there is
nobody else in the nation who can see
the mistakes as plainly as he can see
them. There are blunders by the
scores being made every day in Wash
ington. 1t is great pity that there
shouldn't be something done to get
the war running under full steam and
straight ahead avoiding the errors
that the former president is sure will
delay the consummation Of the allied
victory. Lives will be lost and much
time and money and munitions will be
wasted. OF course there are members
of congress who are falling in line
with the colonel and taking it for
granted that the allegations he is
making are supported by conditions,
and they have been shaking hands
with him, and visiting with him. and
listening to his pessimistic predic-
lions.
In the first place the colonel wants
inefficiency and confusion eradicated
and punch Injected into the war effort.
Then he demands that there be such
changes in the war administrative
personnel as will insure driving and
uninterrupted and undelayed program.
Senator Stone and others openly as
sert that the colonel is in Washington
now to launch his candidacy for the
1920 presidential nomination. Tho for
mer president of course SCOTS at the
thought of politics. He could hardly
do otherwise. But the fact remains
that his present actions are not con-
sistent with his boosted Americanism
and repeatedly asserted wish to get
American sentiment solidly behind the
president in order to finish the Eu-
ropean engagement in the quickest
possible time. Roosevelt is in Wash
ington to nag the president and the
whole administration In so doing he
is offering the greatest possible COM
fort to the kaiser. 1t seems so unlike
Il red-blooded American of the
Roosevelt type. The only conclusion
It.
his head politically and, piqued by the
failure of the administration to give
him an opportunity to court popular
ity in the war service to aid his pres
idential ambitions for 1920, has re-
sorted to the crude method he is now
employing in a desperate attempt to
either succeed Secretary Baker or be-
come a member Of the proposed war
cabinet. In either place the colonel is
confident he could make record that
would insure his nomination as the
Republican candidate In 1920. IN the
meantime he has got the president in
mood where it is unlikely that he
will listen to much more of the former
executives screed without tearing
the mask from his face and informing
the American people just why the col
onel is in Washington at this time and
what he hopes to accomplish.
II Roosevelt was the good American
that he wants us all to understand that
he is, and il he is an anxious to de-
feat the kaiser as he has repeatedly
declared he Is, he would be doing all
in his power to aid the administration
war program rather than attempting
10 hinder it. Men OF less prominence
than Roosevelt would not have been
allowed the rope that he has had in
attacking the administration since the
nation entered the war. He should
have been suppressed months ago.