Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-05-17


Coryrixhf In Great Britain. Canada and
throughout Europe. All rights reserved.
fnslaans sns nn
authorized reprinting for any purpose for
oidden-
on one thing.
think IL will be admitted that /
can qualify ON critics and criticism.
tor more years than l confess to, as
writer and editor. L have had my crack
at public officials from the lowest TO the
highest. And since March 4. 1921, am
dorg business In tic old way AT the old
stand IL YOU doubt II subscribe to the
Raleigh News and Observer and see if
my pom has lost It's critical faculties.
For eight years secretary of the
navy | had the opportunity in public
Office 10 try many of the doses l had
as editor compounded for ofiicehold-
.rs. Almost from that day after my
name was on the pay roll at Washing
ton l was the target at which much
criticism was directed.
1 have qualified on criticism, therefore,
from the outside looking In and from the
inside looking out. / hold that to be an
expert one must have both points of
view. III you have only been an editor
YOU can be an expert IL you practice
long enough in pointing out the errors of
public officials. And If you are good
editor you must comment upon and
criticize the big things that are going
on.
Sometimes you must commend. Some
times you must condemn / have never
vet known public official who made no
mistakes. And have never known one
who was not helped by constructive
criticism. Now. by constructive criti-
cism l do not mean approval. IL is as
much the duty OF an editor TO point out
and condemn error as IL is TO point out
and commend right.
Abuse of 0ficials Reacts.
why don't you answer your critics.
since you have such complete
answer" was often asked by my friends.
Prom the 5th Of March. 1913, until March
5. 1921 / never stopped TO return railing
furraiiing on 10 make any answer TO the
doluge OF criticisms which at times was
directed az me.
There Is but one effective answer a
public official can make TO criticism of
his policies, and that is the answer of
results. IL in the testing time what he
has done proves good, his answer is so
convincing that he need make no state
mcnt: ii results do not attest the worth
Of his policies. nothing he can say viii
change the estimate OF the public. AS
TO abuse. which some persons showered
at me tobssrve / say at" and not
upon" me. for none of it ever touched
mel. i have learned In a somewhat
varied experience that bitter attacks in
the long run react upon their authors
and help. rather than hurt, man in
public office. OF course that reflection
gives no comfort 10 a short-winded
man.
-~tarboard and Port
Ny frst official experience with criti-
clsm and ridicuie came when ] issued
an order that after a certain date the
words "starboard" and "portv should
give way 10 the terms right" and
left"
Immediately the paragraphers and
cartoonists began TO have fun at the
expense OF a secretary OF the navy,
eouatry editor, who had such little
reverance for naval aradition and naval
terms as 10 put those nautical words
estarboard" and port" in the discard.
1t was an evidence. they thought, OF a
provincial mind. lack Of knowledge Of
seafarine ways, and al kinds Of blum
der. II not a crime. AT least il fur
nished acceptable copy 70 so represent
h. Asked about IL, my only reply was
that the order spoke for itself: that
young men coming into the navy in
stlrcsivelv knew which was right and
which was left. but were confused by
port" and "starboard." and the same
thing was true OF civilians. And / let
i go az that.
Dnr day a newspaper friend came !
into the, department and said TO me:
n have lust learned the history Of |
vnur port and starboard' order about /
which you have been criticized and rid |
icuied so much. It's a beastly shame /
and I am going TO print the true story |
- that the people viii see you are not /
responsible for that order"
Board Is For Change
''But ! am responsible for it." / re-
piled. "The truth is, as you have learn |
ed. but not from me, that the order /
was FIRST considered by the general 1
board before / became secretary of the /
navy. aud after time they reached 1
the conclusion. only one member doubt
ing and registering no dissent, that i
right and left were better terms 10 /
be employed. At the time they made |
their decision ! had never SO much as
heard that the question was under dis
c1ssion. After their decision the order
was drafted in the customary way and
was presented TO me in the regular
course for signature.
What is thisT' I asked Of the adj
nliral who brought il in with batch Of
mail. lie explained IL and its history.
I deliberately placed II in a private
drawer of my desk. told the admiral
that hated 10 see old naval traditions
and lingo discarded without :. good rea-
son; that / would not sign il then, but
would think about II. He believed ii
was a good order and could do no HARM
A few days afterward j was talking
with Admiral Dewey and brought the
matter up. He said that holding onto
old terms which had to be taught and
retaught 70 every new enlisted man
vas out Of date and when IL was so
ary for the youngest TO understand
HI, and left. the board could see no
sd reason why right and left should
be substituted for the ancient terms.
e Sat seemed sensible TO me and so 7
nf back TO the department. signed
~ order. gave IL TO the press, and then
ta anvil chorus began
Doesn't "Pass the Buck
Why don't YOU" asked my newspaper
/ am proud TO have many in
my profession-Aju tell the story as /
have learned IL. When the people know I