The Alaska daily empire., 1918-06-11
THE CASE OF GEN. WOOD.

That it was Gen Pershing and not Secretary of War Baker who responsible for the failure to send Gen Wood with his Division to France now admitted and in places criticism that had been directed toward the Administration has been lev elled at the head of commander-n-chef in France.
 The fact is. however, that Gen. Wood has him self to blame, rather than either Gen. Pershng or the Administration, for the inconspicuous part to which he has been assigned in this That he is a very able man, capable soldier and patriot will not be denied But, like Julius Caesar, he is am bitious and he has had eye the White House; like Theodore he is vain, and he has courted pub lie praise and, like Aaron. he is loquacious and he has talked overmuch. White House ambitions, van ity and oquaciousness caused him to talk himself out of the command in Mexico, the chieftaincy in France and now the command of fighting division The following statement of the situation and crit icism, written from Wood viewpoint by w. w. Jer- mane, the Washington correspondent of Western newspapers, read between the lines, justifes these conclusions:
 "As the Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood situ- ation unfolds it becomes and more ident that hinted few days responsibility for failure to send that off to France with the division he had trained rests wholly upon Gen. John J. Pershing.
 ''The statement is important in view of the feeling throughout the country that the administration in way had been party to the slight It may be stated further that Pershng's failure to include Wood in the list of division commanders submitted by him to the War Department has caused the department no little em- barrassment.
 Tn time the official reports may give the names Of the men selected by Pershing. To publish the now, however in the face of the criticism that has been aroused, would seem like an attempt by the Government to pass the buck to Per shing, and it doesn't want to do that The result is that nothing is being said off cially, although there is no question but Wood himself has been informed, and prom ised dgnifed assignment of some sort. perhaps in Italy, or it may be in connection with the general oversight of the training camps of the United States
 "At any rate, Wood seems to be satisfied, for neither he his friends disposed to continue the agitation. That this par ticular should have been put up to the administration admits of no doubt. The truth should now be told fairly and without any feeling against Pershing
 Stated disinterestedly the facts follows: When Pershing was given com mand of the American forces in France it the distinct understanding that he should have free hand It felt that the government. at distance of 5000 miles, ought not to attempt to control appointments in any other way to interfere with full freedom initiative and action Pershings part. Under the authority that had been given. Pershing named the men whom he desired to under him in the capacity major gen erals. As stated above. Woods is not that list and there is no way of put ting it there without revokng the pen- ary authority under which Pershing is
 Wood as the ranking Major eneraI of the United States Army. obviously better known in Europe than any other United States officer, when the broke out. Out of this fact, the is ana lyzed here, has been developed the pres ent situation, which has deprived him of the soldiers privilege be in the thick of the fight Pershing captain when in the Roosevelt administration, he was suddenly jumped the heads Of many of his seniors a brigader generalship
 'When the Mexican trouble broke he was placed in the command of American troops On the border over the head of General Fun ston. and later he was sent to France. where he holds the proud rank Of General