Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-06-12
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CAUGHT RED HANDED

public life The idea seems to have prevailed that the only men
worthy of high Office and public trust were those who by De-
ing more or less in the public eye had gained great prominence
and were known the country over by reputation. Ihese
almost invariably, however, are connected in one way OF an
other with the special interests and by holding govern
ment positions were usually able to serve their private inter-
ests in a profitable manner.
Since Woodrow Wilson has been President these So
called national figures have not been so prominent in public
affairs and their influence has been nil. This, at the very out
set, made a very powerful element in the country antagonlstcc
TO the administration. The connecting link between the great
corporations and the government has been broken. Presl-
dent Wilson refused to follow the precedent of always APP
pointing these representatives of the special interests" TO
the most powerful and influential positions. He chose ms own
men, many Of them from the more humble walks oil lie, Dut
men who, nevertheless, were closer to the people. Some OF
these men have made good and some have been failures, but
whether a success or a failure, the charge could not be made
that they were the secret servants of the special interests.
In short, the word privilege" had been largely eliminated.
But the most objectionable sin was the fact that the adj
ministration was a success in spite of the fact that the So
called "big'' men had been ignored. 1t will be remembered
that the banking interests, so well represented by Aldrlch,
Penrose, Lodge, Smoot and other Republican senator's had been
fddling with a reform currency law for a great many years
trying to so juggle it that the control of the countrys finances
could be retained by Wall street. The Wilson administration
had not been in office eight months before a currency bill was
passed establishing our present federal reserve banking sys-
tem---a system that has been the bulwark Of the nation In the
present crisis, making America the financial center of the
world.
When the war broke out and the problems of the nation
increased there was a great cry for the so-caled 'big" men of
the nation to come forward and take charge. President Wilson
was urged to change his cabinet SO as to make room for Ellhu
former administrations.
While refusing to disturb his cabinet, the President did,
as the demand for men became greater when the United States
entered the war, accept the services of men affiliated with
privilege naming them on various boards and commissions,
and, if we are to judge from the success of the Root commits
ssfoArtUfassia, the success OF the so-called big men was not
any more pronounced than that of the alleged "little" men
who were the Presidents closest advisers.
But the manner in which these so-called big" men,
when in power, serve their own interests while ostensibly
serving the country is strikingly illustrated in the recent ex-
pose of the leak" in connection with the peace treaty.
Senator Lodge, one of the staunch friends of privilege"
stated on the floor of the senate chamber that he had been
shown a copy of the peace treaty in New York. He was trying
to embarrass the administration by the intimaton that a fav-
ored few in Wall street could have a copy of the treaty while
it was barred from the American people. An investigation was
called for to ascertain how a copy of the treaty reached the
financial district in New York, Senator Lodge refusing to d-
vulge his source of information.
The hearing before the senate committee yesterday, at
which certain New York fnanciers appeared to testify, brought
forth the information that Elihu Root had had a copy of the
treaty for several weeks and it was he who had shown the
copy to Senator Lodge. Mr.. Root testified that he had received
the copy from Henry P. Dawson, a member of the firm of ].
p. Morgan & Company, and Mr.. Dawson said he had been
given a copy by Thomas w. Lamont, another member OF the
Morgan firm, but who has been acting as financial adviser to
the American peace mission in Paris.
Lamont was entitled to have a copy of the treaty because
of his connection with the peace mission. He felt privileged
to give a copy to Mr.. Dawson because Mr.. Dawson is the
head of the Red Gross. Mr.. Dawson brought his copy to New
York and while the State Department at Washington was
keeping its copies carefully guarded in its vaults in order to
prevent it getting out before it was released to all the
allied countries at one time. Dawson was showing his copy
to the financial interests who, thus being informed in advance
of everyone else, were able to so adjust their affairs so as to be
safe when the treaty was finally given out. .
1t is the old question of privilege" over again. 1t is
a striking illustration of how far these So called big men
can be trusted in public affairs. They may render efficient
service to the government, to be sure, but, at the same time,
they must serve their private interests as well. Lamont as
financial adviser to the peace commission, and Dawson as head
of the Red Gross made a complete chain connecting Wall
street with the inside workings of the peace conference.
And yet President Wilson is condemned for not follow
ing the example of his predecessors in making such men as
these his close associates in the government where they would
have easy access to all inside information long before the
country could receive it.
1t is a notorious fact that there have been fewer 'leaks'
from Washington under the Wilson administration than in
many years past. Interests that have grown fat and prosper
Gus on the privileges of having close connection with the gov
eminent have found themselves out in the cold under the Will
son regime. This is the reason the Interests" that work
largely through the Republican party, have rallied so bitterly