Secretary of War Quotes

You are advised that it has been determined necessary for the interest of the United States in the prosecution of the war that the property of Los Alamos Ranch School by acquired for military purposes.

[Joe Biden] has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.

The President and Vice-President of the United States, Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of War, the Secretary of the Navy, the Postmaster-General, the Attorney-General, the Chief Justice, and the Commissioner of the Patent Office of the United States, and the mayor of the city of Washington, during the time for which they shall hold their respective offices, and such other persons as they may elect honorary members, be, and they are hereby, constituted an "establishment," by the name of the "Smithsonian Institution," for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men; and by that name shall be known and have perpetual succession

A President cannot call men from all parts of the country during the time between his nomination and his election, seek their advice, their counsel, their service, their cooperation in his personal behalf and in behalf of the party ... and also tell them in the same breath, to see the Secretary of War, the Attorney General and the Postmaster General about a presidential nomination.

Now that you're Secretary of War, what kind of an army do you think we ought to have?

I know not how much is within the legal power of the government in this case; but it is certainly true in equity, that the laboring women in our employment should be paid at the least as much as they were at the beginning of the war. Will the Secretary of War please have the cases fully examined, and so much relief given as can be consistently with the law and the public service.

Secretary of War Stanton used to get out of patience with Lincoln because he was all the time pardoning men who ought to be shot.

In view of the well known facts that the sale and use in the Army of the United States of intoxicating liquors is the cause of such demoralization among both men and officers, and that such sale and use give rise to a very large proportion of the cases before general and garrison courts martial, involving great expense and serious injury to the service, it is therefore directed that the Secretary of War take suitable steps, as far as practicable consistent with vested rights, to prevent the sale of intoxicating liquors (as a beverage) at the camps, forts, and other posts of the army.

Great as is the popularity of the President [Madison], it is barely able to resist the torrent of public opinion against the Secretary of War, who, so far as I can judge, is universally considered by the people of this country as incompetent ...

Congress’s first error had been allowing the appointment of a Secretary of War in time of peace; now Congress needed to supply an Army for fear the department of War should lack employment ... give Knox an Army, and he will soon have a War on hand.

The Secretary of Hygiene or Physical Culture will be far more important in the cabinet of the President of the United States who holds office in the year 2035 than the Secretary of War.