Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-02-09
CHAPTER xxx
(Continued)

|
q PEAKING to me one day about
the conduct of the war, short
ly after the delivery Of his
war message, he said, 1--WE must
not in our conduct of this war re-
| peat the candals of the civil and
Spanish-Ameriean wars. The poll
tics of generals and admirals must
be tabooed. We must find the best
trained minds we can get and we
must back them up at every turn.
| Our policy must be the best man
for every job, regardless Of his po-
litical affiliations. This must be the
only test, for after all, we are the
trustees OF the boys whose lives
will be spent in this enterprise of
war"
This was not an easy policy to
pursue. Every kind Of harassing
demand came from Democratic SEN
ators and representatives to induce
| the president to. recognize political
| considerations in the conduct Of the
| war, the argument being that, after
| all, the responsibility for it's conduct
| resting with the Democrats, the ad-
| ministration of the war ought to be
under Democratic tutelage through
out. But the president was firm in
| his resolve to see the war through
| to the end without political consid-
erations. The political predictions
of generals, admirals and war work
| ers of every kind were ignored.
Mr.. Creel, by furnishing list Of
Republicans appointed by the presi-
| dent to conspicuous office. has dis.
| proved the charge against the presi-
| dent Of niggard craftsmanship. AL
| though the president would not toll
crate a coalition cabinet, he gave
to Republicans all manner of OPP,
portunities to share in the conduct
and the credit of the war. quote
| Mr.. Cree1:
"The search for the best man for
the place was instituted without re-
gard to party, faction, blood strain
| or creed, and the result was a COM
posite organization in which Demo
Gratis. Republicans and Independ-
ents worked side by side, partisan
ship forgotten and service the one
consideration.
'It stood recognized as a matter
Of course that the soldier selected
to command our forces in France
might well develop into q presiden-
tial possibility; yet this high place
| was given without question to Gen
eral John j. Pershing, a lifelong
Republican and the son-in-law of
Senator Warren, one of the masters
', of the Republican machine.
admiral William S. Sims, a vo.
ciferous Republican, was sent to
English waters in high command,
and while Secretary Daniels was
warned at the time that Sims par
tisanship was of the kind that would
not recognize the obligations Of
loyalty Or patriotism, he waved the
objection aside out of his belief that
Sims was the best man for the
job
"For the head Of the aircraft
board, with it's task of launching
Americas great aviation program,
Mr.. Howard E. Coffin, a Republi-
can, was selected, and at his right
hand Mr.. Coffin placed Colonel Ed
ward A. Deeds, also Republican of
vigor and regularity. It is to be
remembered also that when failure
and corruption were charged against
the aircraft board, the man appoint
ed by the president to conduct the
highly important investigation was
Charles E. Hughes
Non-Partisan Appointments
"Three assistant secretaries of
Var were appointed by Mr.. Baker
Mr.. Benedict Crowell, a Cleveland
contractor; DR.. F. E. Keppel, dean
of Columbia university, and Emmett
. J. Scott, formerly Booker Washing
toms secretary-and all three were
Republicans. Mr.. E. r. Stetinius Of
, the J. P. Morgan firm, and Re-
publican, was made special assistant
to the secretary of war and placed
in charge of supplies, a. duty that
he had been discharging for the AL
lies. Major General George w. Goe-
thals, after his unfortunate expe-
rience in shipbui1ding, was given a
second chance, and put in the war
department as an assistant chief of
staff. The chief of staff himself,
General Peyton C. March, was a Re-
publican no less definite and regular
than General Goethals. Mr.. Sam
uel McRobertS, president of the Ma
i tional City bank, and one of the
pillars Of the Republican party, was
brought to Washington as chief of
the procurement section in the ord
nance section, with the rank of brig,
adler general; Major General E. II.
Crowder was appointed provost
marshal-general, although his Re-
publicanism was well known, and no
| objection of any kind was made
when General Crowder put Charles
B. Warren, the Republican national
committeeman from Michigan, in
charge of appeal cases, a position of
rare power.
| 1.-THE emergency fleet corporation
was virtually turned over to Repub-
| Iicans under Charles M. Schwab and
| Charles Piez. Mr.. Vance McCor.
mick. chairman of the democratic
national committee, was made chair
man of the war trade board, but of
| the eight members the following five
were Republicans: Albert Strauss,
of New York; Alonzo E. Taylor, of
Pennsylvania; John Beaver White,
of New York; Frank G. Munson, of
New York, and Clarence M. Woo1ley,
of Chicago.
1.-THE same conditions obtained in
the Red Cross. A very eminent Re-
publican, Mr. A. P. Dawson, was
put in supreme authority, and on
| the Red Cross war council were
| placed ex-President Taft: Mr..
Charles D. Norton Mr.. Taft's Sec
rotary while president, and Mr.. Car
nelius N. Bliss. former treasurer of
the Republican national committee.
Not only was Mr.. Taft thus honored,
| but upon the creation Of a national
war labor board the ex-president was