Evening star., 1924-03-13
The True Story of
Woodrow Wilson
By DAVID LAWRENCE.

Mr.. Garrison's reputation on the
bench was such as to assure an alb
solutely clean administration of the
War Department with its many Ju-
dicial questions, for during peace
times there are various building prof.
ects under the supervision of the
War Department and otner admins
trative tasks in which 4 legal mind
is of inestimable value. And when
Mr.. Garrison resigned the Preside At
chose another lawyer, Newton ID.
Baker, to become Secretary of We.
Lacked n Political Mind.
Mr.. Garrison did not have a politi-
cal mind. His experience on the
bench had made him inflexible and
logical. His deliberate opinion that
a President should back up the rec
concentrations of a cabinet officer led
to the subsequent break between tire
two men. Mr.. Wilson was iii accord
with Mr. Garrison'S recommenda-
ton as to the formation of citizen
army, but when Mr. Garrison encoun-
tered the opposition of Mr.. Hay. the
chairman of the House committee on
military affairs, the President felt
that he should not make an issue as
between a member OF his cabinet and
the men on Capitol Hill, whose sup
port was SO essential to the passage
of any kind of a program of national
defense. Mr.. Garrison held to the
notion so prevalent in Europe that
when a cabinet officer does not COM
mand the support of the Executive
he should resign. 1t was a simple
difference of opinion and one which
but for practical politics would never
have occurred, for while the tenn
peraments of the two men were OBJ
respect for each other. Mr.. Garrison
was a man of dominating personality,
and it would have been interesting
to have seen him at the head of the
War Department in the days of the
great war which came after his res
ignation.
The appointment of Robert Lar
sing to succeed William Jennings
Bryan as Secretary of State was nat
ural, because Mr.. Lansing, as coun-
selor, had prepared many memoran-
da which had been useful to Mr..
Wilson in writing the notes to Ger
many and the allied governments on
questions of neutrality. Undoubtedly
Mr.. Lansing is great international
lawyer. and Mr.. Wilson recognized
his ability, but the President became
obsessed with the idea that Mr.. Lam
sing was too found of precedents
and convention. and that he was not
elastic on questions of policy. Mr..
Lansing's difficulties with Mr.. Wilson
were to large extent the same
kind that John Bassett Moore had
with William jennings Bryan. The
legal mind came in conflict with the
political mind. Policy in foreign af-
fairs cannot always be developed by
the same empiricism or intuition that
characteriZes decisions on domestic
questions. particularly party politics
International relations especially to
the minds which have been trained
to think in terms Of sovereign power
and tradition, are not as easily re-
solved by the rules of expediency
as are so many domestic questions.
Put Baker to the Test.
When Mr. Lansing resigned Presi-
dent Wilson was in ill health and
unable to give as much TINE and
thought to the selection of a Secre-
tary of State as he would nave given
in earlier days. His first Impulse Was
to transfer Newton ID. Baker from
the portfolio of Secretary of War and
have cambridge Colby succeed Mr..
Baker. The friends of Frank L. Polk,
in his behalf and it looked for a tim4
as if Mr.. Wilson might promote Mr..
Polk and make no change IN the
War Department. Mr.. Coioy was not
a democrat. but had been atiiliattG
with the progressive republican, parry
and had made the speech nominating
Theodore Roosevelt in the bull
moose convention of 1912. Mr.. Will
son cherished the hope that the nom
ination of Mr.. Colby 70 the cabinet
% would bring to his SUPPORT the lib
erals and progressives who had been
inclined to stray from him N his ,ast
An undercurrent of gossip to the
erect that Secretary Baker had con-
CURED in the View of Secretary
Lansing with respect to the supposed
disqualification of President Wilson
to continue in office because of hrs
physical disability in 1919 was
brought to Mr.. Wilson's attention
when he considered the possible ap-
pointment of Mr.. Baker as Secretary
OF State. Here again Mr.. Wilson ap-
piled the acid test of loyalty and
asked his advisers whe ther there was
truth in the current reports concern
ing MIR. Bakers supposed disaffection.
PRESIDENT wilson vas assured to the
contrary. but for reasons best known
to himself he did cot transfer Mr.
Baker to head the Department cf
State. His admiration for Newton n
Baker was by no means diminished.
in fact. their warm friendship con,
tinued long after Mr.. Wilson left tho
White House.
Copyright. 1924. by the George Fl Do-s,
Company in the United States, Canada. Sontb
America. World pubica tion rights reserved
BY Current News Features. Incorporated).
(TOmorrow's chapter will deal with