Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1916-02-22
BREAK PARTY LINES
CONGRESSMAN OF MANY MINDS
ON IMPORTANT QUESTION
OF PREPAREDNESS
WILSON OPPOSED BY MANY
Republicans Do Not Think President
Goes Far Enough but Probably viii
Help Pass His Bill Through the
Lower House.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

BY GEORGE CLINTON.
Washington.-Wh is to come out
of the middle in congress on the sub
ject of preparedness, which, in sense,
is the prime legislative issue of today?
Politicians here declare that a pre-
paredness bill will pass both houses
and that in its provisions it will go as
far at least along the lines of prepare
ton as President Wilson has asked.
In his own party the president has
found many foes of preparedness in
house and senate In the Republican
party he also has found foes of any
kind of preparedness and he has found
more foes of the kind of preparedness
that he asks for.
In other words, it appears that most
of the Republicans would like to go
further than the president has asked,
that few of them do not want to go
as far as he has asked, and that ma
jority of Democrats are willing to go
to the limit of administration sugges-
llOu WlllC d llJ VI (ClAiOSA oNS Wv
not wish to have any preparation leg
islation at all.
This is the situation as it stands to-
day, but there are elements entering
into it which make for something very
much like chaos. The preparedness
bill which is under consideration in
the senate committee is entirely I'M
like that which is before the house
committee. In the former the measure
looks to the formation of a continental
army Of reserves, while in the house
committee the evident desire is to
build up the National Guard. More
over, the senate seemingly is willing
to go further in the matter of the in
crease of the standing army than the
house is willing to go.
House May Support Wilson.
Never perhaps in the history of leg
islation have there been so many vary
ing views within a dominant party as
to what should be done in a matter of
great moment and as to how it should
Nc OOut. AG pI CSlQCuL IOQl I'LL OuSA
the country on speechmaking bent was
undertaken primarily in behalf of his
preparedness measure. His intention,
of course, was to get public opinion
back of him and to make it felt in
congress. When men and women
throughout the country begin to write
letters or to send kilograms to their
senators and representatives asking
that certain things be done, the effect
sometimes is marked and it is espe-
cially so if the urgent communications
come in large numbers. 1t is def
nitely known, of course, that Mr.. Will
son hopes that the people will write to
their representatives in congress and
urge that what he wants done shall be
done.
AS has been said, there are some
Republicans who, with a good many
Democrats, do not want any prepared
ness at all. 1t seemingly is likely,
however, that so far as the house is
concerned the majority Of the Repub-
licans will follow the house leader
who recently demanded quick and alb
solute preparedness. 1t looks TO the
Washington observers as if before the
preparedness measure can come to a
vote the Republicans will speak in
behalf of something stronger than
that which the president has suggest
ed, but that when they find their own
views cannot avail they will join with
the Democrats in voting for the presi-
dents measures. Enough Republicans,
therefore, as it looks today, probably
will join with the administration Dem
ocrats to put through such a bill as
the president has asked.
Later in the session, it is expected,
the Republicans will say that the Dem
ocratic preparedness legislation did
not go far enough and that they voted
for it because if they had not there
would have been no preparedness at
all. This, of course, can be said by
the Republicans only if it is shown
on the final vote that sufficient num-
Der of Democrats have voted against
preparedness to have caused it's de-
feat in case it had not been supported
by Republicans.
Summing the thing up, the divisions
in congress over preparedness are
sharper and show less regard for
party lines than they have been in
connection with any prime matters of
proposed legislation in recent years.
Big Bills That May Pass.
Out of both senate and house today
comes the prediction that the shipping
bill, the child labor bill, the tariff
commission bill and the rural credits
bill will pass congress at this session
and be signed by the president.
The shipping bill, which was the
subject of rancorous and at times al
most riotOus debate in the senate last
year, presents itself today in a new
form. Largely it is Mr.. McAdoos
handiwork. Claude Kitchin, the Dem
ocratic floor leader in the house, has
just given his adherence to the meas
ure. The fear of the Democrats was
that Mr. Kitchin would stand against
shipping legislation as he stands
against preparedness.
In the senate there are more Demo
Gratis this year than there were last,
the margin being big enough perhaps