New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-09-11
New Britannica
Anglers Many by
Slur at Baker
Calls Former War Secretary
a Politician Whose Career
in Office WAS Condemned
Widely Throughout u. S.
Unfair, Says Pershing
Bishop Brent Calls 1t False;
Correction Demanded of
Encyclop e dia Editors

Many men prominent in American
public life are aroused at the bio
graphical sketch of Newton D. Baker,
former Secretary of War, published in
new supplemental volume of the
Encyclopaedia Britannica. This arti-
Gle, Mr.. Bakers friends say, is a
slanderous misrepresentation of facts
and is biased and malicious. 1t fol-
lows:
BAKER, NEWTON DIEHL (1s71,.
- American politician, was born at
Martinsburg, w. Va, December 8, 1871.
He was educated at Johns Hopkins
GA. B. 1892 and Washington and Lee
((LL. B. 1S94). In 1898 he became
private secretary to Postmaster Cen
eral Wilson, but the following year
opened a law office in his native town.
Later he moved to Cleveland, Chic,
where in 1902 he was made city solicit
tor and in 1912 Mayor. The latter Office
he held for two terms, when in 1916
he was appointed United States Sec
, rotary of War by President Wilson
He had declined the Secretaryshipe of
the Interior in 1912. After the out
break of the World War he Endorsed
the Administration peace policy sup
ported the League to Enforce Peace
and urged that the National Guard be
tried fully before compulsory service
be decided upon. After America en-
tered the war he recommended modera-
| ton toward conscientious DIRECTORS and
he forbade men in uniform to inter
fere with anti-conscription meetings.
The charge of pacifcism was often
brought against him and his career
generally as Secretary was widely con-
demned throughout the United States
ability, and especially for his failure
to prepare adequately in the months
preceding the American declaration of
war"
Balfour q Statesman
Immediately below the biography of
Mr.. Baker is that of Arthur j. Balfour,
who is termed British statesman"
The term politician" is rarely used
in the encyclopedia.
Ralph Hayes, Mr. Bakers former
secretary, now an official of the Motion
Picture Producers and Distributors of
America, is in receipt of numerous let
| tiers of protest. Many of the writer's
also have written to the English and
American editors of the encyclopedia
asking for an immediate revision. MI
Hayes yesterday made public some of
the letters.
General Pershing wrote that the ar
| ticle was unfortunate, certainly UNI
fair" Bishop Charles H. Brent, of the
Episcopal diocese of western New
York, who was chief of the Chaplain
service during the war, declared that
"the sketch is false. 1t would appear
as though it were written by an enemy
or one determined to misrepresent."
General Hugh L. Scott, former Chief of
Staff, said he believed it was written
by some one to satisfy a personal
grievance.
Many Condemn Article
| Others who have expressed their dis
approval are Brigadier General Frank
T, Hines, Edward T. Stettinius, of J.. p
Morgan & Co., who had charge of all
munitions purchases; Harry A. Garfield,
former Fuel Administrator; General
Tasker H. Bliss, Associate Justice
Clarke, who has just resigned from the
United States Supreme Court; Major
General Peyton c. March, Raymond B.
Fosdick, Daniel Willard, president of
the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad; John
R. Mott, general secretary of the inter
national committee of the Y. M. c. A.,
and julius Rosenwald, Chicago philan-
thropistN and chairman of Sears, Roe
buck G. Co., American distributors of
the encyclopaedia.