The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-06-16
LASKER RECORD
|SLESSON To
AMERICA
Although Accomplishing a
Great Task, He Has Been
Target for Critics.
BY WILLIAM HARD.

exactly what sort OF person ne
has been, in Washington and just
exactly to what point he has taken
the development Of our Shipping
Board business and with what
future before it he now leaves 1t.
Warning to Others.
Lasker today is warning to-
other business men not to enter
the service of this Republic. The
ObloQuy, the cOntumely, the broad
and sweeping condemnation, which
from many quarters has been visit
ed upon him is out of all proper
ton to the errors which, of course.
In company with all other human
beings. he has from time to time
committed.
Those who have disagreed with
him have not been content to dis
agree with him. They have felt
obliged to irnpute to him purposes
highly discreditable and motives
basely dishonorable. Out Of Obser.
vations as a reporter in Washington,
end out Of parallel observations as
a foreign correspondent in Great
Britain. this writer ventures TO state
as q fact that one Of the main
reasons why in this country we
often are unable to attract into
our public service the men whom
we would like to see there is pre-
cisely the sort OF personal character
attack which has been lavished on
Lasker here. and which no man in
a similar position in the British
government would have been obliged
to endure.
Nobody who knows Lasker per-
sonally in any really intimate way
has the slightest doubt of his faith
fulnees to what he regards as his
cOuntry's interests or any slightest
doubt either of his patriotic cour-
age In maintaining his convictions
against all pressures from any other
interests. No person OF more cour-
age has inhabited Washington in
these present times.
Brought Leaders Here.
He brought to Washington a
group of administrators totally aloof
from politics. BY his extraordinary
powers OF personal persuasion, he
got these men here at great finan,
cial loss to thenAclves. He pro.
ceeded through them to polish Oft
the delayed business of the Ship.
ping Board in the disposal Of sur
plus supplies and In the settling of
old claims rapidly, ruthlesely. rough.
ly, with some injustices, but with q
final effect Of getting the thing
actually done. IN
The Shipping Board business to.
day is, relatively speaking, a bust.
ness up to date and on the dot.
Lasker has performed a great feat
Of public business administration.
The thanks he has got for it would
go into a thinble. The calumny he
has got for venturing to believe IN
the subsidy method Of promoting
our merchant marine business in
the future would require q ware
house.
He supported that method, though
he had called IL artificial" and
though he had even called II a
dose of morphine" only because he
had courage enough to go against
his original views on the basis of
subsequently discovered facts. It
could not be said that he reversed
his views because of any orders
from the President or from any
great financial interests.
That assertion in his favor is alb.
solutely provable. Lasker il noto.
riously an ''irreconcilahle" in his
attitude toward foreign affairs. The
great financial interests Of this
country are overwhelmingly for the
league. The President is for the
leagues world court. Lasker unin.
termittently and unswervingly has
been against both the league and
the court. To hear 1t said that
Lasker's views are made by pres
Sures political or financial Is to hear
a thing so Numerically contrary to
manifest facts that it drives despair
to the heart OF anyone who may
ever have hoped that a public
servant in this country can ever
disagree with his fellow citizens on
a point Of policy without having
them rush upon him to despoil him
of his moral reputation.
Warns Of Experience.
Lasker's experience says to Amer
lean public men:
the mass Of your fellow citizens at
any moment. Otherwise you will so
home pursued with mud whether
deserved or undeserved."
The public should know as
central fact regarding Washing
IoIl LHdl pOIltICal COWaFulCe OF
Washington is based 'solidly on its
knowledge of the totally unfair
treatment which 1t would get from
the country IL it was ever foolish
enough to show courage.
Lasker now, in the absence OF
subsidy for ships, has laid down
policy Of direct governmental
operation of ships without bother
Ing to be moved by any considera.
ton of the fact that this policy il
the policy of his bitterest oppo-
nents in Congress. He could give
no better proof of his Willingness
to subordinate all political and per-
sonal feuds to the public needs.
He has cleaned the desk at the
Shipping Board, and now on that
desk his successor is to rear the
structure of an American govern
mental merchant marine.
Must Change Methods.
On the facts. and without the In.
PRODUCTION of any theories or pre-.
possessions, this writer asserts that
the new directly operated govern.
mental merchant marine cannot
possibly be successfully mana eed
by Washington unless two things
happen.
One Is that the public shall let