The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1916-02-01
PREPAREDNESS"
OvERTOPS PARTIES
Average Congressman Naturally
Against II, But Fears to
Takr Stand.
SENATOR LODGE
GIVES WARNING
Compulsory Military Training
for Students Gains Support
Industrial Commission Dead

~
observation in the course OF de-
bate the other day, though the
statement does not seem to lave
attracted the attention its seri-
BUSINESS deserves. He was agree
ing with the declaration Of Pres
ident Wilson that preparedness
is not party question as be-
tween democrats and repubEl-
cans, and should not be made
one. So heartily did the Mas
sachusetts senator approve OF
this that he predicted the APP
pearance and victory of a pre-
paredness party if both the DEM
ocratic and republican organiza-
tions were to repudiate the poll
cy.
1t is just this danger in the
preparedness issue that fright
ems the average congressman to
the last gasp if he expressed his
real feelings. The average con-
gressmsan is for the pork bar
rel" principle; that is to say, he
is primarily for getting appro-
priations of federal funds to be
expended in his own district
and is against the appropriation
of such funds as a general prop
osition of his own district does
not get any of the money. But
if the people of the country are
really behind the movement for
preparedness, or if they can be
thoroughly aroused on the sub
iect between now and the next
election day, opposition to the
program may mean the loss of
the average congressman seat.
And. there's the rub!
President Wilson knows the
temper of the average congress-
man, and the executive is ap-
pealing to the country in his
series of speech-making trips to
get behind the average congress
man and influence him to sup
port the preparedness program.
This is the characteristic Wilson
ian way. The average congress
man gets very little attention
from the white house now; the
leaders are consulted personally,
and at times the president goes
himself to see them-a Seduc-
tive form of flattery; but the
president addresses the public
rather than the individual legis-
lator. The individual legislator
does not like this at all, but it is
embarrassing for him to say so
except Sotto vOce More is being
said sOtto vOce in congressional
circles nowadays than for long
time past, but the very fact of
the soft-pedaling would indicate
that the president still has the
best of it. If they do not love
him, they fear him.
At this time it is unlikely that
either of the great parties would
come out for compulsory mill
tary training. The president is
reported to have expressed him
self in disfavor of it, and poljti-
cal leaders generally have pro
nounced the opinion that its ad-
Vocacy now would sound the
khell OF any party's hopes.
However, it is quite percepti-
Die that the sentiment against
compulsory military training in
the United States is bv NO ,,oo,,
SO strong today as it was a few
months ago. The meaning of the
terrible war abroad is takino
tline to sink into the public mini
!I TOOK time to sink into the pres.
Iueht mind, as he himself adj
nuts. The meaning is simnlv
that sufficiency of defensive wea
pons and of trained men to use
them is the only safety for anv
nation in the Goth century and
more particularly so in this conn
Try Ihan IN any previous one be-
cause OF the increased intensity
vi Specialization in the milf, w
art, and because of the annrov;
mate annihilation of space bv tho
cry. @'''" oi''oV'
1t is being explained hero
that compulsory training" does
nor mean compulsory service as
the term is understood in most of
tne European countries. If e;n