The Monticellonian., 1916-02-24
members of congress feel that they must give it consideration.

Preparedness and Rural Voter.
 President Wilson, it is said by his friends, is sorry that he could not carry his preparedness campaign of speech-making right into the heart of the country districts. MT. Wilson knows that the agricultural districts have the opportunity to read his speeches, but he feels, so his inti- mates say, that the spoken appeal Is much more likely to have its effect than the written appeal
 There seems to be a belief in ad- ministration circles that the residents of the big towns generally are in favor of defense preparation, while the op- position has it's habitat largely in the country districts. This may not be true, but nevertheless it seemingly is the view taken by most public men who are constantly in receipt of let ters from home.
 Not Partisan Issue.
 It must be understood that prepar. edness is not wholly partisan issue. The Democrats are divided on it, and so are the Republicans The presi- dent has made a direct appeal that political considerations be disregard ed by members of congress and that preparedness be looked upon wholly as question of patriotism. If the people of the agricultural districts are opposed to preparedness, the presi dent probably thought that he might be able to win them over by word of mouth appeal. If they are not op- posed to it, it Is his desire that the dwellers on the farms and in the vil lages and smaller cities shall write to their members of congress, urging them to stand by the administration s program.
 It has often been said that the let ter-writing lobby is the best kind of a lobby. and 1t certainly is a perfectly proper kind of one. Congress could learn in week the actual views of a majority of the people of the United States on the subject of preparedness if community meetings were to be held here and there to discuss the subject. and the results of the con ferences could be telegraphed to the congressman representing the differ ent districts.
 Peace Folks Very Busy.
 There are men in Washington who are doing their level best to induce congressman to believe that all the country dwe11ers in the land are op- posed to preparedness. Students of the situation say that this is not true by even third part. At any rate, the matter seems to be in doubt. and so it is possible that some representa- tives in congress, thinking that they should vote as their constituents want them to vote. may In the absence of direct news. vote counter to the wishes of the voters who sent them to the national legislature.
 There is in Washington what is called an anti-preparedness commit tee. It is composed of laymen, large ly of the class known as pacitists, and 1t is working as hard as it knows how to prevent the passage of prepared ness measures by congress. This committee has sent already thousands upon thousands of appeals to farmers throughout the land. asking them to protest against any legislative action looking to the putting of this country into a state of defense.
 Sentiment for Defense.
 There is no telling ds yet what the results of these appeals will be, be- cause time enough has not elapsed to have this campaign make itself felt. but there are preparedness folk here who say that the appeals will fall largely on deaf ears and that more than half of the men who are being urged to write their congressman in opposition to preparedness actually will write them in favor of it.
 Returns already are beginning to come in from the middle West as the result of the presidents last trip through the country. There seems to be a wide difference of opinion as to the result of the trip. Curiously enough, men seem to view the thing with par tisan and prejudiced eyes. Republi- cans largely say that the trip was not a success, while the Democrats say it was a huge success. There is prob ably one man in the United States who knows definitely whether the trip was a success or not, and that man is Woodrow Wilson. All public speakers say that as a result of their experience they know when a speech is ended whether or not their appeals to their audience have struck home.
 At any rate. today everything is more or less problematieal. The country will know whether it is to have ade- quate preparedness or not when the two measures have been voted on in congress.