The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-11-10
WhyWas Root Asked
Proper Course As To
League of Nations?
"Mystery, Unless Perhaps There Is Some
Connection Between Incoming Admin
istration And His Employers"
Says Mr.. Hearst.

Says MIR. Hearst.
Santa Barbara, Cal, Nov 9, 1920.
To the Editor Of the Washington Times:
Mr.. Will Hays has fit to ask Elihu Root his
opinion of the proper course for the incoming Republican
Administration to- pursue in regard to the League Of
Nations.
The Republican Party having definitely pledged itself
to follow the inunctons of the fathers against all foreign
entangling alliances and the American people having
almost unanimously endorsed that promised course, 1t
rather singular not to say ludicrous for Repub
can leader ask little Mr. Root with his steel trust gray
hair and his cold corporation bueeyes and his unnter
rupted record of opposition to the public welfare and
to the proeers the liquor interests and the
international bankers what HE thinks should be the
course of the Republican Administration.
Mr.. Hays has not done Mr. Hardings Administration
any good by asking such question of Mr.. Root.
He might well have asked it directly of the steel
trust the liquor interests and the profiteers
Of course Mr. Root has responded in characteristic in
ternational banker style.
Mr.. Root says:
"In my opinion new deal here from the beginning
by abandoning the Versailles Treaty is impossible. To
attempt it would bring chaos and entire loss Of results
of the war and general disaster involving the United
States The only possible course is to keep the treaty
modifying it meet the requirements Of the Senate reser
vaons and the Chicago platform, and probably in some
other respects The precise way in which modica
tons can be made must be determined at the time in
conference with the other parties It impossible to fore
cast the methods because conditions next March are neces
sarily uncertain.
Mr. Roots opinion therefore, stripped of the verbage
put in make hard would appear to be in essence the
opinion of Mr.. Wilson and the Wilson Party, and Mr..
Root undoubtedly belongs to the Wilson Party along with
Mr. Lamont Mr. Morgan and other international bankers
The fact that the American people have so over
whemingly repudated such policy doesn't mean any
thing to Mr. Root Mr. Root has never thought much Of
the opinion of the American people, and the American
people considered Mr. Root much OF anything
but 1.-THE ROOT of all evil
And as a matter of plain fact Mr. Root is not much
of ANYTHING else ....;.
financial magnates shrewd lawyer, due to his having
kept several such financial magnates out OF the a to
which they their hearts knew they richly deserved to
But Mr.. Roots reputation for ability is not due SO
much to his possessing brains As to his not possessing
conscience.
In other words Mr. Root has not grown rich and in
famous by being able to do things that other lawyers
couldn't do but by being willing to do things that other
lawyers wouldn't do.
The measure of Mr. Roots actual ability can be well
estimated by the results Of his recent mission to Russia
This perhaps the most utter and abect failure Of
the Wilson Administration and to be conspicuous
failure in administration notable for It's mistakes
and failures is achievement for which mr. Root duly
deserves the medal presented him by the Mitchell ad
minisraton of New York ctyanother but consciously
inferior, failure. =.
Not one of the things which Mr.. Root returned and
told the American people would happen in Russia did
happen in Russia and Mr. Root proved himself as inca
pable of Judging foreign public opinion as he has always
been of Judging American public opinion
Why Mr. Roots ideas therefore should be asked on
questions of foreign policy and American public opinion
by Mr. Hays matter of much mystery unless perhaps
there is some sort Of connection that the public does not
know about between the incoming Republican Admins
tration and Mr.. Roots employersthe profiteers the
liquor interests and the international bankers.
If there is such connection the public can best learn
it by watching the attitude of Hardings Admnstra
WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST