Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-05-16
CONFUSION IN
WASHINGTON
Departments Swamped by Flood
of New Problems-Mr. Com
pers and the Labor Situation
Special Correspondence EveniHo Ledger
yNSIII N,-rnN- Ntay t6

| the public mind All this growing out OF
our war necessities and the official efforts
being made everywhere to meet the serious
conditions pointed out by the President
! The contracted quarters of the state and
Army and Navy Departments are already
| Overcrowded. while similar conditions pre-
| vail at the Treasury Department, II is
necessary for the employees to carry cards
Of identification. since the public generally
is not now admitted to any of these build
ings. The month of May Is a favorite
month for visitors to the capital, but this
year the usual railroad excursions are dis
| couraged. There is great disappointment
| among teachers and pupils of nearby in
stitutionS, who are unable to go through
some Of the public departments, even for
educational purposes. or course, IT mas
been necessary to cut out white House
functions which formerly gave so much
pleasure to visitors.
Business Men on the Ground
While sightseers are not solicited to come
to Washington. the various railroads are
not suffering for want of passengers. There
is heavy travel from the South, and aside
from the fact that the South is now pros
porous and some folk are travelling for
pleasure. there is "A steady stream Of applt-
cants for new Federal places and for ap-
pOntmcntS in the army. Business men and
contractors are also largely in evidence.
The Government is preparing to spend more
money than ever. and that If pleasing to
the business community. The captains OF
industry are here to connect with the Ma
tional Council of Defense and the various
other agencies that are springing up to
have hand in the war business. Some of
them have their grievances and contend
there are too many irons in the fire to suit
business men Others insist that one or
two of the Presidents Cabinet might be
deposed without doing harm to the general
welfare. OF course. these irritations arise
in consequence of the new and stringent
conditions. They also add to the general
confusion.
Causes of Irritation
There are two conspicuous phases Of ma
tional confusion. one relates 10 the per-
sonne and ranges from the enlistment OF
| a marine all the way up to the organization
| of a Roosevelt division. congressman nave
been concerned not only with TAX prom
| lems but with appeals from constituents
| everywhere who desired to enter the tram
| ing camps or TO obtain other positions IN
advance of oonscription. Military methods
| and those which hold in politics are so ar
ferent that it has been difficult FOR members
of Congress to convince the folk AT nome
that pull" is not so potential win miiltarN
| officers as It Is with Governors, Mayors ana
| the like. Charges Of favoritism have beeh
WHISPERED about concerning some OF the
| officers training camps, and 1t has also
been suggested that Democratic recommen-
dations are stronger in the departments
than recommendations by Republicans Bu'
these suggestions are trifling compared win
the gossip incident to the Roosevelt revival
Republicans Of the Progressive type nave
not been slow to hail the Colonel as the
logical candidate for President to succeed
Mr. Wilson after he shall have put the
punch" into the European war. some OF
them admit they voted to send nun 10
France for that reason--and that ls an IT.
ritaton to the Administration leaders
Property and Contracts
The other bothersome departmental mat
| ter affects material-the property lhteI'St9
| of the Government as distinguished lio'
| the clerk or fighting man. The navy u
working over contracts Tor shlps anu III,
army for guns and equipment. some oil
| the stories told about the paucity OF rlneS
| for the use of enlisted men ana Tor the
training camps are astonishing III view o'
| the appropriation authorized by Congress
| But ships and guns ana powder are M uo'
| the only property considerations. Ihe
| taking over of munition plants and other
establishments having to do with war Is
receiving the thought Of each or the depart
ments mixed up somewhat by the deipera-
! tions and surveys of the National DEFENSE
| Council. The selfish interests crop out 1T
| some of these deliberations and lead to mis-
| understandings which are not calculated 10
hasten the conduct of the war. yacht Is
| being rendered to the Government for sub
| marine chasing, and 1t develops that the
owner would like to have a commission
| That is one story. An ASSOCIATION passes
| patriotic resolutions and proifers its raw
| material to the Government. 1t develops
| that the tender was made when the price
! of the commodity was at the highest
| That's another story. But they are each
| war stories and were incidents to the con-
| fusion
| Influence of Mr.. Gompers
Associated with material is the labor
| question. Perhaps no man except the New
| York banker Baruch, has had more 10 dc
with the Government mobilization schemes
| in Washington and elsewhere than Gompers
| the president of the American Federation of
! Labor The bankers and the business men
| look up to Mr.. Baruch. hut the committees
and the departments all have much con-
! sideration for Mr.. Gompers If ships are
! to be built Mr. Gompers is consulted about
| labor. If railroads are to be operated on
a war basis Mr.. Gompers is interviewed
| DO we want to run mines or munition fac
| tories? Consult Mr.. Gompers. In the Depart.
| ment of Labor Mr.. GOmpers is a power
| lie is a fast friend of Secretary Wilson
| As there are workmen's organizations in
| the War and Navy Departments. Mr.
| Gompers has influence there, He is also
| of assistance to the State Department tc
dealing with organized workers in Canada
| Mexico and the belligerent countries. In
| all these war preparations Mr.. Gompers
| plays conspicuous part and in labor
| matters his is about tho last word. Which
goes to show that labor is scarce and that
the closing out of immigrants and the return
| of aliens to fight in their own countries
| have given an increased power to the or.
| ganized labor forces of the United States
No Jap Labor Yet
| The labor situation will grow more seri
Gus after conscription sets in, The 100000
| men of the first draft, withdrawn from the
| industries, will leave great void, and these
| 5000 will have to be fed Astute labor
| leaders having defeated immigration, know
| what that means Labor prices will go vi
and probably stay up until there Is peace
| or a panic. Operators in the building
| trades know what that means. Alread,
some Of them who have contracts with tho