Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-05-20
BY JoSEPHuS DANIELS,
Former Secretary Of the Navy
1918 to 1921.
anTTNT u %
ARTICLE "a.

ARTICLE 81.
Every man can qualify as an ex-
pert on one thing.
think it will be admitted that I
can qualify on critics and criticism.
For more years than I confess to, as
writer ard editor. 1 have had my
crack at public officials from the low
est to the highest. And since March
4, 1921, I am doing business in the
old way at the old stand. If you
doubt It subscribe to the Raleigh
News and Observer and see If my
pen has lost its critical faculties.
For eight years as Secretary Of the
Navy I had the opportunity in public
office to try many Of the doses I had as
editor compounded for office-hOlders. Al
most from that day after my name was
on the pay roll at Washington I was the
target at which much criticism was di
rected.
I have qualified on criticism, therefore,
from the outside looking IN and from the
inside looking out. 1 hold that to be an
expert one musrs have both points Of
view. If you have only been an editor
you can be an expert If you practice
long enough in pointing out the errors
of public officials. And if you are a
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
yet known q public official who made no
mistakes. And 1 have never known one
who was not helped by constructive criti-
cism. Now, by constructive criticism l
do not mean approval It is as much
the duty of an editor to point out and
condemn error as it is to point out and
commend right.
RELIEVES RESULTS
ANSWER CRITICS.
why don't you answer your critics,
since you have such a complete answer p
was often asked by my friends From
the fifth of March, 1913. until March g.,
1921. I never stopped to return railing
fer railing or to make any answer to the
deluge OF criticisms which at times was
directed at ne.
There is but one effective answer a
public OficiaI-can make to criticism of
his policies. and that is the answer OF
results. If in the testing time what he
has done proves good, his answer is so
convincing that he need make no state
ment; if results do not attest the worth
of his policies, nothing he can say win
change the estimate of the public. AS
to abuse, which some persons shOwered
at me (observe I say at" and not upon
me, for none Of it ever touched mel, I
have learned in a somewhat varied ex-
perience that bitter attacks in the long
run react upon their authors and help,
rathsr than hurt, a man in public Office.
OF course that reflection gives no com
fort to a shOrt-winded man.
'sTARBOARD AND PORT
Is CRITICS CUE.
Ny first official experience with criti-
cism and Tidicule came when l issued an
order that after a certain date the words
"starboard" and port" should give way
to the terms right" and left"
Immediately the paragraDhers and car
toonists began TO have fur at the ex-
pense Of a Secretary Of the Navy. coun-
try editor, who had such little reverence
for naval tradition and naval terms as
to put those national words "starboard"
and port in the discard. 1t was an
evidence they thought, OF a provincial
mind, lack of knowledge Of seafaring
ways and all kinds Of a blunder, if not
crime. At least it furnished accept
able copy TO so represent it. Asked about
It my only reply was that the order
spoke for itself; that young men coming
into the Navy instinctively knew which
was right and which was left, but were
confused by port" and "starboard.'' and
the same thing was true of civilians.
And I let It 90 at that
One day a newspaper friend came into
the department and said to me:
Il have just learned the history of
your port and starboard' order about
which you have been criticized and ridi-
culed so much. It's beastly shame and
I am going to print the true story so
that the people viii see you are not
responsible for that order"
BOARD IS FOR
CHANGE.
But I an responsible for IT," 1 re-
piled. The truth is. as you have learned,
but not from me, that the order was
first considered by the general board
before l became Secretary Of the Navy,
and after a time they reached the con-
clusion, only one member doubling and
registering no dissent, that right and
left were better terms to be employed.
At the time they made their decision |
had never so much as heard that the
question was under discussion. After