The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-11-24
Public, However, Should Be
Tolerant of Waste, Ex-
travagance, and Mistakes
Of War Days When Ships
Were Vital to Victory
BY MARK SULLIVAN

(National Political Correspondent of
The Iutelligencer and New York Eve
ming posD
Washington, Nov. 23.--Persons who
want to arrive at a fair Judgment about
the Shipping Board exposures need to
most important OF these is the distinc-
ton between what happened during tho
war and what hanDened after the war
ended. For the things that happened
during the war there is much excuse:
for the failure to do things right after
the war ended there Is no excuse.
Martin Gillen. who has been the most
important Of the witnesses so far, and
who made the most damaging indict-
ment OF 70 Shipping Board. evidently
had this distinction in mind. The great
bulk Of his criticism was directed at
things that happened in connection with
liquidating things after the war was
over. Mr.. Gillen by the way. Is him
self an able business man. with good
knowledge Of accounts. and n Celtic
temperament that expresses itself in en-
ceptional force and frankness.
"9st the Ships at Amy Cost"
Keeping in mind this distinction be-
tween war conditions and post war con-
ditions. fair-minded persons will try to
the war was on and will be tolerant Of
the waste that happened then.
At the moment the Shipping Board
was getting under way the German sub
marines were sinking two ships while
the Allies were building one. The issue
OF the war literally hum on the building
of ships. The perfectly well-justified
cry was get the ships at any cost" or
the waste. extravaganza, and mistakes
that occurred under these conditions We
ought all TO be tolerant.
There Is a rule Of war which runs
hof l.
10 be put above time. but in war
money counts nothing and time counts
everything" This Is perfectly
sound rule. Every business man and
every engineer who came to the help
Of the war machine had to learn this
ess OF reversing his former habit Of
mind and had to learn To dismiss all
considerations Of cost and focus his
mind on the one element OF speed. That
things done on this basis were costly
and wasteful can be taken for granted.
wasteful than they need have been Is
too fine point to waste much time on
now
wastes That Cannot Be Justified
But Mr.. Gillen's charges are directed
chiefly at mistakes and waste that &C.
CURED after the war ended. He d.
rected his indictment at the failure OF
the administration 10 follow the meth
DDS of careful business at time when
those methods were entirely possible.
Rod of the Shipping Boards existence
Is justified. and so far as these things
are proved they constitute just and
unesca pablo indictment, not merely
against the Administration. but against
Government ownership or government
management OF any kind of ordinary
business whatever Whether a different
administration OF different political
party would have done better is an
academic question.
painfully aware that the business Of
the United States has not been very
well run during the past two years
During the first Of those two years
at Paris. and for the rest of the time
had his mind on the League OF Ma
lions to the exclusion Of other ISSUES.
During the second OF the two years
he was i'll. That things might have
been managed better by President
delegated the peace conference to his
aids. or that such purely business
matters as the Shipping Bearers af-
fairs might have been managed better
by a President whose temperament
was more easily adjusted to business
matters, goes without saying.
Also, some of President Wilson 8
best friends have thought. and at the
time advised him. that he would have
done better TO resign at the moment
his illness made II apparent that he
could not again give a well mans
strength to the nations business.
However. II will he for history now to
balance President Wilson's achieve
ments in the field Of thought against
his defects as an administrator.
ACTIVITY That Should Be Condemned.
One other aspect Of the Shipping
Board revelations Is less easy to be
tolerant about. That is the activity
of a few public officials and few
Democratic lawyers In pursuing ad-
yantages for themselves or for their
clients before the Shipping Board.
That this has gone on has been sus-