Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-02-09
DANIELS AND A LAND ADMIRAL
AND SOMETHING NEW IN DUELS
Would the Naval Secretary and the
Army's only Seaman Risk Their
Lives In VaJn2

away TO the Riviera to rest, there comes an
interval in which II is possible TO believe that
there yet may be some hope for this civil
ised, so to speak, world.
IL doesn't last Some one IL always
snatchins the JOY out Of life. Now the
snateher happens TO be Secretary Daniels.
When Mr.. Daniels shouldered briskly into
the foreground to challenge Secretary Baker
and Admiral Mitchell--the armys only ad-
miral, too Ito a superduel OF sort In
tended 10 determine the relative killing
power Of battleships and airplanes, he
showed how far and how swiftly the fevers
OF war can spread.
The secretary of the navy used to be a
pacific man with q rationalist's hatred Of
futile slaughter. Mr.. Baker didn't talk Of
piowshares made from swords. But he
thought Of them. Blithely now these two
good men talk Of deadly combat!
The spectacle suggested in Mr.. Daniele'
challenge certainly would be one to lift the
hearts OF men. On the front piazzo---or is
II the battle porch2 2-of a great ship of war
the secretary Of the navy would stand alone
and defiant His vessel would be alive. He
would make her dart from left to right and
from right TO left and TO and fro and fro
and to, while aloft in the cerulean, fickering
and flashing on silver wings. Mr. Baker or
tho army's only admiral would maneuver
to drop an nnnihilating bomb on the gallant
craft and its proud navigator.
There would be, of course, the pitter.
patter of great guns handled by those Of the
ships crew who had not been ordered to the
basement. And in the offing, on decorated
barge, the Senate foreign relations committee
and all the war investigating committees Of
the House and the Great Oligarchy itself
would kneel in prayer, beseechins the
heavens for a hit square in the chimney Of
Mr.. Daniels craft or a shot adequate to
give Mr.. Baker to the ages
The Senate Oligarchy would. Of course,
pray for two hts-simultaneously delivered.
A great spectaclo But it would prove
nothing Mr. Daniels ship might skid
under him. Mr.. Baker might fall out of his
airplane, and then the Senate Oligarchy
might be moved TO violate all the proud tra-
ditions Of deep waters by refusing to save
life at sea.
The trouble with the reasoning of Mr..
Daniels and Mr.. Baker is that il is con-
cerned with effects rather than with causes,
| with surface manifestations rather than with
the origins Of things. Both are in their way
excellent men. Some time or other in the
far future the country will admit that they
really put us over, mlitarily speaking, in
| the great war
Many people have forgotten that there
ever was q war. But there was one, and 1t
was very widely discussed and much was
written about it in the newspapers of 1914
| 1913. Is it to be supposed that Mr.. Daniels
| and Mr.. Baker and the armys only admiral
are among those who need to be referred to
the files? Have they forgotten all the evi
| dcnce indicative of better ways to peace than
that now suggested and better schemes of
| target practice?
There, for example, is Colonel Repington,
most eminent of all tea table warriors in
| Great Britain and one Of the most gifted
| and tireless press agents for the next war.
How many pounds OF INT, exploded At close
range. would be necessary to destroy the
invincible sang frod Of Colonel Repington,
and how many rounds of heavy ammunition
would be required TO silence his innumerable
| imitators?
IT, as Mr.. Daniels observes coldly, the
American army has the only land admiral
alive, why should We expose him in cold
blood to forces so violent as those normally
concentrated In q battleship7 The man
might be seriously hurt.
MEANWHILE It is possible TO find In every
country new hate singers, newly inspired
propagandists Of wars. plotters and counter
plotters It is odd that hitherto no one has
suggested that they be put in boat and
sent out 10 sea, where air fighters nigh,
practice on them at leisure.
In Berne. Geneva, Paris, Prague, Hel
singtors and such like places there are nov
many, many dukes counts, barons ant
princes. They are not pleasant dukes
counts, barons and princes. They stt pa
tiently in clumps and eat fve meals a day
and weep into their liqueurs because th'
armies Of the world are not being mobfliset
TO restore TO them the peace and ecstas!
Of other days. They mourn bitterly for OLE
times at dear old Kishnev when one lashet
ones peasants in the morning for exercis
or turned out the hounds to hunt democrat
along the beautiful VolgG.
One admiral in the army is worth Rrea
deal more to civilization than all thes
walters around .for-war They might b
lashed together and sent out upon the bound
ing waves, and IL on aviator could drop on
good bomb on them the world would In tina
instant profit more than IL ever could hop
to after a thousand duels between the secre
tary OF war and the secretary Of the navy.
. At Berne. Geneva, Parts. Prague an
4 Helqnsfors and such like places where tn
- counts and dukes and barons und prince
:. weep into their liqueurs there are, tot
a hordes Of furtive and professional liars wh
go TO incredible pains To get poison into tt
news in order that the red winds that bio
4 out Of hell may again be turned loose ovt
- unsuspecting nations. 1t Is clear that Il
% people at Washington do not take the
u people seriously enough and that Paris ar
d London have not yet found an eficel
" " method Of dealing with them. They, to
- might be assembled by some act of intel
- national authority and sent TO sea while u
" bands played, and thereby the best sort
target would be available for practice snipir
- with sixteen inch guns.
~ Why waste Mr.. Daniels or Mr.. Baker
- the only admiral that any army ever hi
g. while these other folk are at large? WI
- should Mr.. Daniels rick the Great Sacrif
;" 10 prove that his staff knows more about {
~ needs Of naval warfare than General--y
- mean Admiral---Mitchell7 Why, in 9th
" words, talk endlessly of the means Of fgh
W ing war while all the people who make
"a business OF starting wars arc left 10 wo
- out their plans unhindered?
he