The spectator., 1919-07-25

sense product of the present war. Politicians say Woods name would have been mentioned for the nomina- tion, more than mentioned, probably. | if there had been no war.
 No other war in which the United States has been engaged has failed to produce its presidential candidate. Reason for the Condition. There is reason for the failure Of ! this war to produce presidential can- didates. The general officers who served In France did not come into close personal touch with their men. except in the cases of one or two ma jor generals, and quite number of brigadier generals, none of whom, how ever, have been considered as consti- tuting presidential timber.
 In previous times the soldiers them ! selves have not always been the prime means of securing honors for their leaders. The civilians 'of the United States nominated and elected Grant. Roosevelt's following in the Spanish war was only that of a regiment. He was not elected president. of course, immediately on his return from Cuba. but his record there made him govern or of New York and vice president of the United States, an office which, of course, carried with it the possibil- ity. and in his case, the certainty Of his becoming president. | The instant the United States en- tered the war with Germany the policy of the suppression of the names of commanding officers went into effect. Pershing's name was the only one men, | toned except that of the commanding officer of the first division which went to France. His name got into the papers frequently through no fault or desire of his own. It was printed be- cause his division was the only Amer ican outfit in France, and the news paper correspondents then had just one unit of American troops to write | about. and naturally they broke bounds" and had considerable to say about the commanding officer Not long after this this major general com- manding the division was ordered back to the United States, and there are men who think the fact that his name without his consent, got into print, was the only reason why he was ordered to return to this country.
 Why Names Were Suppressed. The deeds of men like Liggett, Dick man, Bundy, Edwards, Bullard and some others were of high enough de gree to arouse the enthusiasm of the American people and to insure their plaudits if the deeds had been allowed to appear in print with the names of the men who. with their divisions had accomplished them.
 The general officers who command ed armies corps and divisions in France are some of them Democrats and some of them Republicans. They are divided between the two parties about equally. in fact. Yet today no one seemingly cares whether Bulisrd, for instance. is Republican. which he is not, or Democrat, which he is. Dickman also Is q Democrat, so it is said, while Bundy and Edwards are said to be Republicans. An inquiry has failed to disclose the politics Of Eggett. It is taken for granted by the politicians that Pershing is a Re publican. although he seems to have been silent on the subject of his affiliations.
 l Possibly the American people do not understand thoroughly why 1t was sup posed to be necessary to keep the names of the general officers out of print, The Germans, long before the war began, had perfect system Of study and espionage. They knew the characteristics and the bent of mind of every high ranking officer in the American army. It was thought is would be m advantage to the Germans to know just what general officers of the American forces were on their i'm mediate fronts. It was taken for granted that the Germans. If they heard this man or that man was on the Moselle front, for instance. would adapt their tactics in accordance with their ideas of the opposing generals temperament and experience, or lack of experience, in the field.
 Diplomats May Shun America.
 When several weeks had gone by and no one had been appointed to take the place of Lord Reading as the ann bassador of Great Britain to the United States, wonder began to grow In Washington. "Why the delay?"
 A jocose answer to the question was given by a member of parliament who suggested to the brethren that it was possible the fact that the United States had gone dry was responsible for the disinclination of any English man of high rank to serve his country in Washington.
 Now, British humor is sometimes past the fathoming. There were peo- pie in these good United States who thought that the member of parliament