The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-05-03
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL
MOREFLAGs AND GUARDS
OTHERWISE NOT MUCH CHANG
ED IN APPEARANCE FROM
DAYS OF PEACE.

/ Washington in war time is not very
different from Washington at any
other time, SO far as outward appear
ances go. And even looking beneath
| the surface there is not much differ
ence apparent to the observer. There
are more flags flying than usual; some
Of the government buildings are more
closely guarded, and there are in evil
dence a few more men in uniforms.
But as for Washington putting on
war time aspect, of WHICH much is
written and great deal more mag
med, there is little to it,
4 True, in Washington, as in other
large cities national guardsmen have
been called out to protect the water
works and bridges leading to the city,
I and two of the big government build
| ings have been placed under military
guard and been closed to the public,
but pretty much everything else looks
as it does in times of peace.
The White House.
The White House, now, as for the
past two months, is closed to the pub
lie, as are the surrounding grounds.
The White House was closed off and
given an additional guard when Presi-
dent Wilson gave Count Won Bern
storff his papers But that was the
only innovation up to the time the
president decided to ask congress to
declare war on Germany. The night
the president went to congress to de-
liver his war address the capitol
building was closed to the general
public for that one occasion, but it
las never been closed since, and the
public is admitted as freely today as
in the most peaceful times All other
public buildings are open, save the
state, war and navy building and in
terror department. The navy yard, of
course, is closed, as are all other navy
yards.
Guard Government Buildings.
The military defense of government
buildings, as inaugurated at the state,
war and navy and interior buildings,
is at the outset very much of a farce.
Ostensibly none but officials and en-
poyes and persons having business
with the officials are entitled to ad-
mission, and soldiers in uniform and
armed are on guard at the one en-
trance at each building that now re-
mains open. The state, war and navy
buildings, with dozen or more en-
frances, has all it's doors barred save
one, and through that must pass the
thousands of officials and employees
and all others having or protesting to
have business inside. And this is how
the building is actually guarded:
All Must Have Passes.
captain of the guard and at his COM
mand a squad of colored troops sent
over from Fort Myer, just across the
Potomac. All officials and clerks have
passes, which they must show as they
enter the building All others must
get special permits from the captain
Of the guard, be they United States
senators, diplomats, officers of the
army or navy not on duty in the de-
partment, or be they manufacturers or
big business men having important
engagements with the secretary of
war, the secretary of state or the Sec
rotary Of the navy. And the same is
true of negroes seeking appointments
as laborers or of any others having or
processing to have business inside the
great granite building.
Guarded in and Out.
All day long there is long line at
the entrance of the state, war and
navy building, and it is cosmopoli-
tan line. The first man Is held up and