The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-01-22
MEMBER OF ASSOCIATED PRESS
GENERAL LEONARD WOOD.

GENERAL LEONARD WOOD.
Cartoonist Darling's picture in Sat
urday's Spokesman-Review portrayed
General Wood as the Cinderella o.
this war-kept at home to scrub Tho
floors and refused overseas service
and promotion Notwithstanding his
record of Twenty years of faithful
service for the U. S. A." says the
Review
"The belief is deep seated in the
public mind that General Woods bad
treatment sprang from unworthy mo-
tives and petty meanness in the war
department. AS Darling says, the
general has a record of 20 years of
faithful service-and brilliant service.
That record is a part of the history
of this country, and Secretary Baker
can not assail it.
General Woods constructive testi-
mony before committees of congress
is also a matter of record. 1t re-
vealed patriotic vision and high mill
y
when some of his official superiors
had false vision and unsound judg-
ments. Secretary Baker will not now
challenge that record.
''There is, however, in the archives
of the war department report from
the pen of General Wood which, we
believe, has not been given to the
public. 1t sets forth his. COUNSEL after
his return from an inspection of the
British and French armies in the
trenches and the American forces then
in training in France. 1t death with
the needs of our armies and made
clear recommendations as to- artillery,
aircraft, rifles, machine guns, cloth
ing, transport, hospital service, etc.
There is reason to believe that it was
prophetic; that it warned Secretary
Baker against impending mistakes
and blunders. There is further reason
to believe that Mr.. Baker long ignored
these recommendations.
eff that impression is unfounded
Secretary Baker can easily justify his
treatment of General Wood by pub
fishing that report and pointing out
is defects, if it is defective. If Gen
eral Wood gave wrong counsel the
'ecord will reveal it and the secre-
airy of war can say that he had sound
easons for refusing the generals re-
luest for overseas service.
Until the secretary of war shall
i've the country good reasons for his
reatment of General Wood the con-
lotion will stand and deepen that the
var department shelved the general
or the very reasons that should have
npelled it to rely upon his judgment
nd make the fullest use of his mill
airy talents-because he was right
7hen the administration was wrong,
nd had vision when it was blinded.
"This has become a most proper l
ubject for congressional inquiry. The {
riends of General Wood court such s
n inquiry. Will Secretary Baker ask {
or it?" a
"a IA "a '
THE REPUBLICAN NOMINEE. t
The republican publicity association e
,cently gave out the following state /
ent from its Washington headquar- t
RS: p
THAT the next president of the Uni r
d States will be a republican is in "
Gated by all the signs of the times. a
here rests upon the rank and file Of a
g republican party, therefore, the G.
sponsibility of selecting the man
40 shall be their nominee, and, as
nsequence, the chief executive 6f1l!
e nation. We say that the RESPONSE q
ity rests upon the rank and file, p]
under present systems of nomina- nj
n, the voters exercise very, direct of
luence upon the choice, In fact, ii,
arly third of the states, have pres al
initial primaries. of
In discussion of the nomination of al
and the election of pres di
1t in 1920 it will be fortunate for ia
country and the republican party az
discussion of types of men. shall VI
ced discussion of individuals. 1t be
| be we'll if we get away from the sh
Dry that he is a vote getter, with
or consideration of the sort of rec
he will make when elected. The thi
z resting upon republicans is to col