The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-01-18
new ERA BREAKS
IN NATIONAL life
Congress Now Under Way With
Many Momentous Questions
To Be Settled
BY ERNEST O. WALTER.

most rs though everybody were start.
ing on new ut Washington. Survey the
fields Of enterprise and activity In
whatever direction and q spirit of fresh
courage and new hoPefulness is appar
emit. Perhaps this will speedily wear
away with the stress and strain of
things that must ensue as men resume
their places and undertake the burdens
Of another year. But certainly there
is nothing but confidence and with it
Is an attitude of energy to realize. The
critics and carpers are Fastening under
proper guard to the rear. T..
The government is surely an ex..
amplar In this new era of head up and
eyes TO the front. President Wilson and
his new wife are just coming back from
afortnight's honeymoon in the mum.
tains of Virginia. The White House
and presidential Offices are accordingly
taking on an air of new Importance in
the Washington equation. officials and
non officials are swarming TO the presi
Dental threshold daily on a thousand
different errands bent The uptown sec
ton is still peopled with the very wei.
come savants of the Pan-American
Scientific Congress. The magnificent
encouragement of the Pan-American
spirit, which promises to become one
OF the lasting monuments of the Viii.
son administration, seems to be pro-
crossing beyond all expectations. And
then there is the great January influx
Of hundreds and thousands Of American
citizens who have business OF moment
70 transact ut washington. .r.G
Important Program .& r.. ~.
y The panoply Of the hour, more re-
rlete IN the volume and variety of hui,
man material, perhaps, than ever before
- not full without a glimpse of con.
Eress. II meets again after the holi,
day recess and faces what may prove
70 be one Of the very greatest sessions
since the Civil War. No one figures on
this session coming to a close before
next August, possibly not till Septem-
her or October. Army and navy in.
creaaes, additional revenue, a greater
degree Of Philippine Independence, gov.
eminent purchase and operation of mer-
ehant vessels TO an extent of, say, $780,
100000, divers conservation measures,
untold numbers of private bills, and
supply, or appropriation, bills that viii
carry close TO q billion and quarter
Of dollars comprise, in outline, the
tasks Of the next seven months.
All in all the forces that must be
depended to carry these things through
aredaifly well equipped for their tasks
Achievements will be slow and, on the
whole, pOndcrous but there has been a
thorough organ zation since early De
eember. Wranglings galore there viii.
be as differences of opinion and con
1icting interests come to the surface.
There are weak points in the hugo
machine that must grind out the great
gIist OF policies, enactments, and exc
cutiye pro edures. But thee are
probably no serious defects. A lot
reserve force can be utilized if IN
usual r.ul lie develops.
Austria Comes OF Perch
PeIplexities W thout seem on tho
wane. Accordin ly Washington lie
licves the President and his official ad
yisers, particularly the state depart
ment, need not exhaust ther energies
overmueh about Mexico and the sub
man ines Of the Central Powers of
Europe. Austria seems to have come
oil her high perch and begun to set
things right with reference to the An
coma horror. True there is fresh hue
and cry here about the destruction OF
the Persia in the Mediterranean and
the loss Of q United States consul from
North Carolina. But it is assumed,
nevertheless, that Austria-if it was an
Austrian submarine-must hasten to
emphatic apologies even as Germany
did, under like Circ instances, when the
Arabic was sent to the bottom. The
Arabic ease was settled with the state
department, it VIII be remembered,
more expeditiously than the Lui ania
ease ard there may be a striking paral
Del now with Austria.
And outward signs are that Germany
is has ening 10 make a satisfactory
settlement for the Lusitania. The Ger.
man ambassador, Count Won Bernstorf,
Knows full well how a great "drive'
against the administration is in prepar
alton by Republican opposit on in the
senate Resolutions tor information
have been framed during the holidays
and fpe ches of dennneiation have been
written. The ambassador is aware that
public sentiment toward Germany
would be Modified and that the sch
ate's hostile minority would be check
cd IL he speeded to his agreement with
Secretary Lansing.
President May Explain
III these prospects as to foreign re-
lations were in the midst of a long
sreeess of Congress, Mexico and the
European submarines probably would
be disposed Of now without great agIta
ton. II probably win be otherwise
because congress is sitting and because
Of the dire need of the political OppOsi
tion for an issue. In other words, al
though the work is well through tho
more difficult stages, at least as event
now stand, the President and his re
sponsible supporters must exi lLin WIN
is beng d ne AMI why and review il
some detail what has been done. Tn 'rC
ptv agencies Of government for bring
ing tuea, exp anati1ns and review
about Perhans, II will be well j. tt,
long run, III I thee are to be fully in
.xoked IN VII constitute part Of n
gene nj yety at Washingtrn for tn
Z next fsw weeks Rel ublicans mus
have thancc 10 tell the country tina
the Prefideut could have done muoI
better, ind q that American manN n,