Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-05-10
Mr.. BAKER NEEDS A CENSOR

(From Wednesdays Daily
1t Is one OF Secretary Bakers
grievous misfortunes that he has an
unhappy faculty for saying exactly the
wrong thing on occasions when his ut
terances should be most zealously
guarded. His reference to the war as
an event $1,000 miles away" will be re-
membered long after declarations to
which he devoted much more thought
are forgotten. His choice OF words and
occasions for their use is attended
with misfortune.
Yesterday, while the senate chamber
was ringing with the utterances Of
Senators Chamberlain, Brandegee and
others who unquestionabiy represent
the views of many Individually loyal
Americans, Secretary Baker was say
ing to the house committee on military
affairs that criticism of the aircraft
plans were inspired byspro-G German in.
fuence and that details Of the govern
ment's program for war,should be kept
secret on the ground of military ne
cessity
Possibly the secretary was not think
ing of Senator Chamberlain and 9TH
ers who have criticised the aircraft
board. Possibly he was seeking to
hasten favorable consideration Of his
request for an aircraft appropriation Of
$1,000, 10000 by declaring pro- German
influences were stirring up agitation
for delay in that appropriation until
congress might have complete ex-
PLANTATION OF the expenditure Of the
$40, 900, 900 without the production Of
fighting planes in America.
But Senator Chamberlain was anti
cipating just such charge against
himself, and was forestallipg 1t by de-
claring to the senate that "the charge
made that those who want to secure
the truth are proGerman and serve
the enemies of our country will not de-
ter any individual Of the [senate mill
tary1 committee from performance OF
his duty"
There Is a great deal Of foolishness
in the suppression of many facts which
the public should know, on the ground
that their publication would give aid
and comfort to the enemy. German
spies are keen OF wit, to be sure, and
that very fact mocks the over-careful
Americans who defend policy of Sc
crecy by pointing to the far-flung and
mysterious intelligence department
centering in the Wilhelnlstrasse The
collapse Of the aircraft boards am
bilious and widely advertised program
for production Of thousands Of planes
was self evident and known around the
world before 1t became the topic for
senatorial debate. Investigation Of the
failure cannot magnify it nor make It
more complete, nor can public knowl-
edge of the facts to be revealed by the
Investigation.
BY the abandonment of the rule I'm.
der which soldiers addresses were
omitted from casualty lists, the war
department admitted the neediessness,
of that rule. But when it was instituted
the solemn declaration was made that
1t was necessary to prevent the enemy
from obtaining important military in
formation.
Common sense, unimpaired by parti-
san jealousy, is q pretty good referee.
And common sense has little trouble
in distinguishing between motives.
Secretary Baker should be exceedingly
careful in ascribing pro-German sym.
pathies to those who dare to criticise
his course or the actions OF bureaus In
his department If he does not desire to
lay himself liable to the charge that
he is seeking in that manner to hide
from the public-American, not Ger
mantle knowledge of shortcomings
for which he may be held responsible.
This is no time for public officials to
indict each other on the charge OF
treason. Rather 1t Is time for open
counsel and coordination. The Couf-
Ter does not applaud vicious attacks on
the administrations or any Of its ofa-
cials; on the other hand. we hold that
most of the Improvements which have
been made In Americas machinery for
making war since January are the re-
suit of constructive criticism and Of
the public revelation Of deplorable
facts which had been buried under
cloying masses of red tape for the bet
ter part of a well.nigh wasted year.
Investigation Of the Comm aircraft
boards failures should not delay APP
preparation of money for airplane man.
ufacture. There should be no thought
of furnishing Mr.. Baker for the boards
failure by Withholding the sinews' Of
war. The war is not Mr.. Bakers af-
fair, but Americas.
THE RUSSIAN CYCLE
Whatever else may be said of Rus.
STA. it cannot be denied that history is
being made with astonishing rapidly
over there. A little more than year