Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-03-09
Calls Wilson
One Of Best
War Rulers
Runyon: It's Because He
Put Military in Charge
BY DAMON RUNYON

M Il
w headaches running the war
with Spain. which by and large
was one of the most scrambled
up enterprises of the kind in our
history in point of arrangements.
II was thoroughly mismanaged
in all details except one. which
was the final result. We were
victorious.
This was due mainly TO the
valor of our forces. and in some
degree 10 the fact that we were
fighting what the sports writer's
used 10 call hollow she'll when
describing a gladiator who was
disclosed by competition TO be
all out Of gas.
IL was mighty good thing
for the United States that Spain
was through as a championship
contender when the war started,
as it was strictly no-prepara-
ton contest on our part.
We had little more than a
haircut and a shave by way OF
getting ready for this one. 10
continue the sporting parlance.
Mckinley had Russell A. Alger
Of Michigan as his secretary Of
war, and Ayers department
was so severely criticised for ex-
traVagance and unpreparedness
and lneificiency generally that
he finally resigned.
Afterward he wrote a book in
answer 10 the charges.
Probably, Alger was not per-
Sonally entirely 10 blame for the
disorder. Probably no one gov
eminent departmental head is
ever entirely 10 blame for the
shortcomings Of his department.
Most likely the blame, If care
fully traced, will be found spread
over a wide area.
Blu, the fact remains that in
1898 the early confusion in maxi
ing ready for war was scan
dalous.
WOODROW WILSON prob
W ably boned up on these
mistakes of the war with Spain
and most lIkel~-on our mistakes
IN other wars when he found
himself war president IN 1917.
He WIS perhaps less Of a mill
tary man than any president in
history.
He was the gentle student
who loathed force of arms. But
while like all the presidents who
ran our wars. he vas criticized
for many of his acts We can
look back now and see that he
was a good war leader.
lie came 10 the conclusion
that our past mistakes were all
due 10 the practice Of mixing
politics with the military husi.
ness. and 10 decentralization OF
the military machine.
He set the general staff up
as the centralizing BODY and fol-
lowed It's recon- men d atoms
closely Al no time did he turn
military genius on the soldier
boys lie relied strictly on
them
THlEY advised and he SUD
ported the draft. Some OF
his political master minds were
hoIrliicd by that, bat Wilson
dlsrcgardcd them. His military
mentors SAID that Gen. John j.
Pcr>hnG. then known mainly on
ms mud exploit IN chasing Villa,
was the best man IN tho army
10 Load force overseas. and
Wilson named him. brushing
aside pressure 20 lot Theodore
Roosevelt command force of
volunteers.
Alter naming pcrShlng. VIII
son brookcd no interference with
the general : Vows He stood with
hlm on every move PorShing
made including ms InSlStence
Tor a separate American army
IN France
No American soldier over had
such loya support from his COM
mandcr m cHIcf a. PcrShing cot
from wilson not even Grant
from Lincoln. Grant had his
bad days with The admnlstra-
ton during rs career.
WILSON opposed a coalition
" cabinet on the ground that
u would only serve 10 scatter
responsibility. He took no part
m the building Of The miChiicst
army m our history hut he used
his authority To insist on his
policy OF Capitalization of the
general staff
He followed much the same
line In organizing the industrial
forces of the nation. putting
men in Jobs and then letting
them do the Jobs without in.
reference.
oh yes. ne had his troubles
Nothing he did was right in The
minds of some of his critics. IIe
was lambaStcd AS much as any
man that ever occupied the
White House IN wartime. vet
now we can see that the show
went off well, all things con-
Sidercd.
The feat of his military and
naval men in trans
nearly 10000 900 soldiers over.
SnaS AIilih tho lnrr 81 .,.....---.--