Catoctin clarion., 1910-01-20
THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 1910.
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(FRoM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT

(FRoM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON, D. c., JAN. 10.
Mr.. Pinchot has given out a state
ment in which he praises the Roose-
, velt conservation programme and calls
upon the plain people OF the country
to protect their interests and insists
there is immediate danger that water
powers will be absorbed. He says
that the enemies of conservation IN
Congress, through the Tawney amend
ment stop the work of conservation.
He says those who steal public lands
steal homes from men and women
who need them" Congress can stop
the pillage or Congress can let 1t 60
on. He does not refer to his dismiss
al from office and he does not criti-
else President Taft but he lauds Mr..
Roosevelt in calling the conference OF
governors in 1908 which resulted in
the National Conservation Commits
sion and a message from Roosevelt
transmitting its report to Congress.
1t is now plainly realized that as a
free lance Mr.. Pinchot will be no less
potent in national affairs than he was
when a public officer. 1t is even
possible that his detachment from
office has marked him as the most
eminent advocate of national conser-
walton and made him more effective
for this cause than he was before.
The question is up to Congress, and
the people of the country will watch
with interest, not unmingled with
anxiety, the action of the national
legislature on the great question for
which Clifford Pinchot stood and
stands.
In time of war promotion is rapid.
Lieutenants and privates, who went
into the Civil War and were fortunate
enough to live through it, came out
in many cases as Colonels and Gen
erals. The Army and Navy is al
ways ready to fight, realizing, if not
expressing, the feeling that promotion
is certain through the death of a
superior officer; but in peace all this
is changed. West Point and the
Naval Academy turn out Lieutenants
in great numbers while Colonels,
Commodores, Admirals and Generals
live on with provoking persistence,
keeping the youth waiting too long
for stars and bars and the emolu-
ments of higher Office. The country
also, it is suspected, suffers from this
p ,rsistence in longevity, for the his
tory of wars, as well as of prize fights,
show that the aged man is seldom
successful except in planning. Sue
cess in all physical undertakings de-
D 'nds more on celebrity and endurance
than on anything else. There is a
plan before Congress for eliminating
the older officers from the service SC
that in case of war the corps of Com
manders, both on land and sea, may
be available of younger age and
more vigorous physique than were
those who went to battle in the early
days of the Civil and Spanish wars
Ex-President Roosevelt did all he
could to get younger and filter officers
into the Army and Navy. He had
an i'll concealed contempt for the old
fat and gouty heroes of past wars,
whom he saw in the Department Bu-
reaus and at the clubs during his long
official residence in Washington and
he doubtless had lively remember
ance of the falstaffian mountain OF
flesh that sweltered in Cuba while he
pretended to command the Army.
His pushing General Wood to the
head of the Army and his rapid pro.
motion of other young officers for dis,
tinguished service in the PHILIPPINES
has done more to shock the gouty
heroes even than his insistence that
they shall prove themselves able tC
ride and march, Curious isn't il
that policemen and army officers grow
to be fat and unfit for use SO early in
life?
There are indications that sooner
or later Congress will take up the
subject of the Parcels Post. Repre-
sentative Murdock is seeking data
lative to the package mail business
and wants to know why the Post
Office Department does not maintain
its right to carry this class of matter.
He calls attention to the Postmaster
Generals report, showing deficit OF
seventeen millions Of dollars last year,