Evening star., 1916-02-13
Many About Ready to Climb
On to Preparedness !
Band Wagon. M
PRESIDENTS ATTITUDE
IS MOVING INFLUENCE
Contemplate Using Pressure on
House Leader Kitchin to Bring
Him Into Line.

large number of one-time little
navy men and small army men in tho
House have begun to see a great light.
and all signs at the Capitol yesterday
pointed to one Of the largest accessions
to the preparedness band wagon that
has been seen for a long time. The
Presidents stand with regard to the
continental army has given some Of
the wavering democrats ample az.
cuse and reason for executing q right
about-face.
The ono big piece of gossip in the
House yesterday was the fact that sew
eral members Of the southern contin-
gent got together with a view to lay
ing before Representative Kitchin, the
House leader. the advisability Of adopt
ing the Administrations views on pre-
paredness. Otherwise. Champ Clark
will be picked for the democratic lead
er and Mr.. kitchin. it IL stoutly
claimed. will lead half a dozen un-
changing pacificists like Hensley Of
Missouri. Galloway of Texas and Blu
chanan of Illinois
paredness camp yesterday was Repre-
sentative Percy Quin OF Mississippi,
who had been one Of the most satirical.
bitter and vociferous shouters against
army and navy appropriations of any
kind. He comes from the same state
as young Mr.. Venable, who took the
House by storm not many days ago
with the first really big preparedness'
speech from the southland since the
days of Representative Hobson.
Reasons for the Flop.
It may be that Mr.. venable started
Mr.. Quin thinking. At any rate, there
have been signs of a f1op from Mr..
Quin for several days and yesterday
he placed himself down in front of the
House and went through the business
of Hopping. He gave no reason at all.
other than he wanted to be with the
President. He was subjected to much
quizzing. but he planted himself right
with the preparedness contingent.
Representative Quin told the House
how he had changed his mind. solely be-
cause he wanted to stand by the Presi-
dent. He said he was not ashamed to
reverse himself. and that President Will
sons speeches had converted him to the
importance of realizing the country 8
danger.
The House members did considerable
good humored prodding of the new pre-
paredness recruit. A squad of little
navy men were on hand to poke at him.
but he paid little attention to them:
THE gentleman seems to be holding
tight to the coattails of President VIII
son." was the remark made by Repre-
sentative Mondell Of Wyoming.
Il am sticking by the President re-
piled Mr.. Quin.
Mr.. Quin said the continental army
was a waif that had been picked up
by Mr.. Garrison and laid on the Pres
ident's doorstep. "and the President
hadn't had time to inspect it,"
Il changed my mind" he repeated,
80 as to be with President Wilson.
party next November"
"cal Out Fire Department"
Mr.. Mondell had told the House that
he would not meet an impending dan
ger with million dollar bat
tleships to be built six years from now"
THE President says the world is on
fire and that sparks are hying." he said.-
IF that is so. why doesn't he call out
posing to build a number of firehouses
six months from now or several years
from now? That will not save us from
these sparks.
"The President and the Secretary of
War split on what? On the continental
army, that nobody expects to be q sue
cess. that every one has admitted would
fail, because the boys would not volunteer,
and back of it stands the sinister figure
of conscription, the conscription that must
come, and they think would come when
the volunteers fail to come to the stand
ard"
Mr.. Mondell said Mr. Garrison had been
the victim of the military atmosphere"