James E. Webb Quotes
The most important man in the room is the one who knows what to do next.
He was very critical of Arraham Lincoln even though he was a Republican. Many percieved that Lincoln's administration could not get anything done. Lincoln might have lost the 1864 campaign but for the great victory that General Sherman's troops had in taking Atlanta. This changed a lot of mionds about Lincoln's War strategy. Actually, in the first 2 years of the Civil War, Lincoln could not get his generals to fight his preferred kind of war until he appointed Grant who brought Sherman to high command.
This is the earliest use of the “pass the buck” phrase in politics that we have found. The term originated in gambling. In a poker game, the “buck” was a physical object token that would be passed from player to player to indicate who was to deal.
President Roosevelt was on an extended Western trip and had left Taft in charge of the Government as a type of “Acting President”—See {639910} and {640479}. However, many issues were arising including foreign policy problems that had to be handled. Taft was unsure of his authority, but Roosevelt in his own inimitable style assured him with this quotation. No other President since has delegated this much authority to anyone for the operation of the government. With modern communications, it is doubtful that any president will ever do so again.
Marshall was then the chief of staff of the army. Ignoring the seniority system which was the tradition of the Army for promotions produced a necessary corps of great young officers. The most dramatic example of this was the promotion of Dwight D. Eisenhower over many men far senior to him for the Supreme Allied Commander. Marshall and FDR were driving forces to put young men in leadership positions.
James Edwin Webb was an American government official who served as the second administrator of NASA from February 14, 1961 to October 7, 1968.
