Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-14
WILSON TO DECIDE
TAX ON FREIGHT
President Is Expected to Con-
fer With House Democratic
Leaders on Return.
MAY ALSO MAKE MOVE
FOR PEACE IN EUROPE
Steps in That Direction Will Depend,
However. on What Warning
Governments Want

This weeh will prove to be a most
significant one, internationally ana
otherwise. at the White House, and
upon the return OF President Wilson
early tomorrow morning he will be
confronted by a number of big prob
lens. Nationally and politically the
most important will be his decision
to the democratic leaders of Congress
on the war tax bill that has been re-
ported, with especial reference to the
proposition to tax freight shipments.
Some days ago the President was'rep-
resented, upon high authority. as OPP
posed to this tax. A day later it was
indicated that lie had fallen in line
with House democratic leaders for that
taxation as the easiest and quickest
method of getting a "wer" revenue
bill into operation.
The President will no doubt confer
early tomorrow with the democratic
leaders of the House. and probably OF
the Senate, and the prediction today is
that upon his suggestion the House
committee on ways and means will
the amount of taxation that would
come from taxes on freight bills.
May Move for Peace.
internationally. President Wilson
may find opportunity to make the first
definite move for peace in Europe, al
though those of a practical turn of
mind do not see a chance for efforts
for peace at this time to succeed. The
determination of the allies to crush
Germany is so manifest that it is not
believed Germany could go into me
diation upon the preliminary terms the
allies will insist upon. Unless GER
many can now foresee the dereat
which almost all the ether parts OF
the world believe to he inevitable, and
prefers to start mediation upon terms
that would naturally be distasteful,
the best informed officials and diplo-
mats in Washington see slight chance
of anything definite coming out of the
talk that is already beginning OF stop
ping the war.
The opinion is that Germany. with the
tenacity and doggedness that is ma
tional trait among her people. will stick
to the job she started out to do until
the bitter end, regardless of the hnal
outcome. She will prefer to risk all
on a continuance of the war rather than
enter mediation when 1t is specifically
a basic proposition of her enemies that
she must pay Belgium a large indem-
nifty and probably return AiSace-LOr-
raine to France.
On the whole, mediation looks long
way off to practical minded officials.
despite the great moral pressure Presi-
dent Wilson and the administration can
and will exert at the right moment.
The White House viii be the cehter of
diplomatic and other tactics to initiate
a peace movement. with the State De-
partment a close second. The President
will take no steps, il is known. unless
the governments at war indicate that the
time has arrived when they are willing
to consider plans for peace.
President Wilson also is expected to
give an aud ence to a commits Ion of
Be gian statesmen, who have come to this
neutral country to place before the Prs
ident complaints against German soldiers
In Belgium.