New Britain herald., 1916-08-19
TO0 MUCH POLITICS
 LENDERS CONGRESS
Oakley RapS Democrats in Letter
 to Local Constituent
WRITES ABOUT NAVY BILL

Republican Member of National Secur-
 ity League Asks to Have Congress-
 mans Indictment of His Colleagues
 Published-CaIl For Caucus Issued
 Advancing the claim that important legislation now under consideration in congress is being acted on solely from the standpoint of campaign issues, Representative P. Davis Oakley has written to Plainville members of the National Security league concerning their appeals for the passage of the navy bill. MT. Oakley holds that the democrats instead of considering the welfare of the people whom they rep resent are fixing their fences for elec- tion day
 The National Security league was organized in the interests of military preparedness and several from here became affiliated with It. The league has been strongly in favor of the adop- tion of the navy bill and at the request of officers members from here IS we'll as elsewhere wrote to the congressman from their districts appealing to them to l-1& thGlr 1n1uonce to get the IIed9- ure through the house.
 Tn suggestion the publication of an excerpt from Congressman Oakey's re- ply. local republican says: 'It seems to me that this is an honest statement of conditions about which something ought to be done. The republicans and democrats are about 'fifty-fifty' in this political game"
 Below is the essential part of MT. Oakey's indictrlent of his democratic colleagues in Washington:
 q agree with you entirely that it is m Ost unfortunate that such measures as these, having the welfare of our people under consideration should be looked a and acted upon from any kind of political or party consideration. But such seems to be the case. It real ly is a most deplOra Ole fact that the most important legislation now pend ing is being considered almost entirely from the standpoint of campaign is sues. Those measures that will help Tn the campaign are ordered to be passed, and those which will hurt, are ordered to he stopped
 ''The majority in the House of Rep resentatives a the first instance. were very strongly opposed to preparedness legislation. That was the voice ana sentiment of the Hay army bill, which at one time, in it's original and incom- plete presentation was endorsed by the White House. The amendments to It, from the senate. however, were of a little help. but offered but very little to those of us in the house who believed in real preparedness. The navy Dill, however is very much better.
 '"The leader of the majority m the house, very strongly opposed the pas sage of the navy bill yesterday, calling 1t criminal legislatiOn,' and appealing to his partisan friends and colleagues to stand by their convictions of former days. but the legislative program had been laid out by the senate leaders Tn conference with the White House, and with the assistance of alm ost the entire republican vote passed the vital parts of the measure by a large majority
 Call For Caucus Issued.
 That E. T. Carter succeeded in his avowed purpose of remaining away from the leadership of the republican town committee, despite the fact that he was elected to that position at the last session of the G. o. P. is indicat- od b1, the call for the caucus to be held next Thursday evening, the notce bea ring the signature or Edwin II. Hills IS chairman. MT. Hills gave up +ba n1ace at the Ia caucus and MT. Carter was named to succeed him, the session adiourning- before the choice of the party had an opportunity to ex- n1ain that he didn't want to serve. La ter however, he announced that he would not accept the position on ac- co,,nt of his health and again the du +ies fell back to MT. Hills.
 The latter is said to be hopeful that