Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-08-28
Capitals Nose
Held to Grindstone=
Grave Natl Affairs
To the Front
The War and Americas Duty
And Bearing Toward Other
Nations-New Activities Ev-
cry Day Made Necessary
Almost Every Department Is
Under Stress-NO Rest Be-
fore the Regular Session of
Congress

Washington, D. c., Aug. 81 Especially
-September is right at hand and ac-
tivities at Washington are as forceful
and comprehensive as in the winter
season. There Is comparatively little
thought of politics. Party leaders are
coming down to Washington now and
then for conference. Arrangements
are under way for orators of all par
ties to proceed to the states during the
autumn. Speaker Champ Clark. for
example, is going away to Maine IN
early September for a speech at Ban
gor, where many years ago he adj
dressed q Democratic state convention.
The House is meeting daily and the
Senate is meeting daily. Occasionally
a gathering Of the cabinet with the
President is called off, but generally
speaking the cabinet meets twice q
week, Tuesdays and Fridays at IL o.
clock at the White House Offices And
this is the season when for many
years there have been no cabinet
meetings at all. The President is at
his office daily, early In the morning,
but does not, as a rule, stay late in
the afternoon. And for long time,
till last year, this was the season when
the White House offices were entirely
deserted and the occupant Of the White
House was away enjoying vacation
The cabinet has plenty OF business
to attend to. Momentous matters are
coming up which the President wants
to lay before his advisers. They are
largely new questions, such as would
not have been thought of hardly a
month ago. For example the censor
ship Of wireless cable stations on the
New Jersey and New York coasts.
Germany had been cut of from the
rest Of the world and desired to COM
municate in code messages through
this wireless station. Days and days
the Presidept deliberated over the
question. 1t was an entirely new one
and this Is a neutral nation, bound to
do nothing to aid any of the belliger-
ents.
International lawyers had to be call
ed In. 1t was necessary to go up one
side and down the other OF this pro-
blem to make sure the United States
would be acting fairly. But finally it
was decided that the German Ambas-
ssdor, or charge. could send code mes
sages from the wireless STATEN. This
gladdened the hearts Of Germans in
the United states. They had been
chatting over tho dissemination Of news.
which came a. claimed through Brit
ish sources. This q only one example
of the new activities OF government at
Washington as an tpcident of. the Eur.
opean war. The, questien of loans to
warning nations was broached. 1t will
be remembered that J. p. Morgan ask.
ed the President recently whether
there would be any objAction to float
ing a loan for France IN this country.
That was deliberated eyer. At, length.
In the old days it would not have been.
regarded as effenslve but President
Wilson replied that the administration
would not look upon such a loan with
favor. Those who read tho newspaper
dispatches about that decision have
little idea Of the careful work and the
comprehensive inquiries of experts
which preceded 1t. Indeed the inter.
national law end Of the government,
which means primarily the State De-
partment, has been overworked OF
late. There are only one or two good
international lawyers in the State De-
partment, one OF whom is Robert
Lansing, the councillor. But there are
several good International lawyers In
the country and most Of them have
been consulted at one stage or anoth,
er OF the recent proceedings.
J. ?. Morgan must he credited with
some patriotism for having acquissced
in the Presidents decision against a
French loan. 1t comes down to a pro-
position Of a man lending his money
where he pleases for the best interest
he can get. Nevertheless, with the