Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1914-12-25
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL
Events of Interest from the
Seat of Government.
By j. f. JONES.
The "FiXers'' Return to Work.

al capitol and, standing on the banks
of the Potomac, the defeated are no
doubt Jared by the song of the
River, realizing as they must the
prophecy in the lines: men may
come and men may go, but l 60 on
forever" The elated victors of the
recent contest will all in time lay
down their burdens, but the stream
of political life flows constantly on,
and the waters are clearer than they
were in the time Of Lincoln or Jeffer-
son or Washington, because the ways
and designs of government have be-
come palmer and better as the years
have passed.
The president has delivered his
message and the two houses of con-
gress have started in again at their
tasks. The Democrats enthusiast
cally predict that the coming months
will be fruitful of many big reforms,
while the Republicans dissent, and
skeptically declare that the plans of
the majority are all visionary. But
who'll blame them for being dis
pleased?
The members show that they have
freshened up by several weeks rub
bling elbows" with the people in their
home districts. Every man has re-
turned with an idea that there is at
least one thing he wants to do, or
at least one bill he wishes to have
passed before the clock strikes the
final hour on the fourth of next
March. The result is that sort of
new spirit has come into the life of
the rulers of the nation. So look out
for some fireworks!
Has America q War Party?
Everyone knows what the War
Lords of Europe" have accomplished
for their country, and now it is be-
ing charged that there is thriving
war party in the United States. Army
and navy officials speak sneeringly of
the "unpreparedness" of the country
for war, and notwithstanding that
two-thirds of all money raised by
taxes to sustain the national govern
ment goes into war preparations or
pensions, we are told by very good
authority that "if we trebled both
our army and navy we should still
be mediocre as an offensive power"
Congressman Gardner of Massa-
chusetts is the leader in the move
ment for greater armament, and an
organization called the Security
League" has been started off in New
York ostensibly for the purpose Of
forcing congressional inquiry into our
national defenses. President Wilson
has been all but attacked because he
has not fallen" for the crazy war
chatterers, and eX-President Taft has
caught some of the adverse fire be-
cause he declares that " the princi-
pie of common sense must be used in
dealing with the proposed question OF
larger army and navy"
Doubtless the venerable Andrew
Carnegie still has warm spot in his
bosom for the steel trust which gave
him his millions, and though he is
pictured as the greatest peace advo-
cate in the world" he declares that
the European war must be fought
to the bitter end" Possibly the Du-
Pont family, lords of Delaware, might
be excused for membership in the war
party, and there are a lot of others
! commercially interested who are not
to be blamed because they do not
share the views of the president and
his immediate predecessor that the
American people should not compete
with Great Britain in building war
ships, or with Germany in enforcing
military duty from every male citi.
zen.
Mr.. Taft in recent addresses ex.
presses the belief that the warning
nations of Europe will be brought to
realization of the benefits of arbi-
tration at the end Of the present
struggle, and he and President Will
son will not agree with Mr.. Gardner
and those other gentlmen who appar-
emily believe that the lesson of the
great struggle in Europe means that
the United States should become the
competitor of Europe in arranging
scientific and extensive methods for
killing our fellow men.
Busy Times For American Ambassa.
doris in Europe.
The great war has multiplied the
work of American ambassadors, for
in nearly all the European capitals
the task of looking after the interests
of the natives of the various warning
countries has been placed in the
hands IF tho representatives oP tho