The Washington herald., 1917-12-19

The Germans have been guilty Of
much intrigue and many atrocities.
but memgers Of the Senate Military
Affairs Committee believe that sew
eral munitions plants accidents have
been due to carelessness, and not
to the work of German spies.
This is the conclusion reached after
! a review OF some Of the facts.
The truth is that the government
| has been forced-or has allowed IT.
| self to be forced-to make contracts
for powder and ammunition with ir-
responsible firms. These firms have
not observed the safety-first princi-
pies at all in their factory construc-
| ton or factory operation. The fact
is that some Of the firms have been
wantonly negligent in this matter.
! Some of the Senators term It Grim
inal negligence"
There remains much to be gone
over in this connection. The situa-
ton has so startled some OF the Sem
ators that they intend to probe 1t
TO the bottom. They want to know
whether facts have been given to
| them in full, or whether the cries
that have been raised originate from
| firms which may not have obtained
contracts with the government at the
| high rate which they thought was
justified under the circumstances.
The current issue Of a certain mag
azine, offered in evidence to one OF
the Senators, shows a group of girls
working at an ammunition task
which is said. in the caption, not
| to be dangerous. One of the most
experienced ammunition men in the
world says this particular process is
very, very dangerous-and he sup
plements his statement with a news
paper clipping about the trial of
a powder manufacturer for the death
of girls several months ago, which
he says was brought about through
a flare-up that could have been pre-
| vented had the firm observed safety
/ first principles. In this instance much
powder was lost to the government.
| and lives were lost
The committee intends to get the
facts and to use them as a basis for
directing future/ movements Of the
War Department In making contracts.
The full truth may never reach the
public but the committee members In
tend to have 1t, and they intend.
! moreover. t1 see that the government
profits by it.
The national prohibitory amend
ment-the eighteenth IL 1t is eventual
ly added to our constitution-will be-
come n matter for each State to act
upon in the not far distant future.
1t VIII take thirteen States legisla-
lures refusal to ratify it, to defeat 1t.
The time given is seven years, accord
ing to the house amendment of the
six-year clause of the Senate.
The prohibition battle therefore goes
back to the States themselves, and
from now on State politics will be d.
rected along this line. In the recently
dry States of the Union no hard bat
ties are expected to develope. In the
states which are now wet, or which
have been dry for many, many years
1t Is expected that very vigorous bat
ties will be waged, and that the oues-
ton will be threshed over pro and
con, with the result In doubt up to the
last moment.
The effect Of the prohibition fight
may be TO change purely political con-
slderatlons and end in the elevation
OF one or the other Of the major par
ties through their stand on this legis-
ladon. In States where both parties
indorse the proposal still further COM
;plieations will result, but In States
where one party refuses to indorse It,
and the other does SO the battle will
be to the finish between them,
A reversal Of form is expected. in
some quarters, in the South, Like
wise it is believed just now that a re-
action will be noted in the West
where the recent trend Of events was
toward a dry policy.
The battles over this Amendment.
however. are not going to be char
acterized by the very active participa-
ton Of the saloon forces or the brew
ing forces. The battle in behalf Of
the cause which these interests have
always hitherto espoused will be
waged by men who have no money at
stake themselves, but who are friend
ly to the cause Of personal liberty.
1t will be a matter Of principle rather
than direct monetary considerations.
This, II is expected, will give the wet
cause more strength than as IL the
former active agents, the saloon men
and the brewers were ardentiy cham
pioning their own cause.
The dry adherents, however, believe
that they are on the road to victory.
and that no force will be sufficient
now to stop them. They will exert
every influence that 90 far has aided
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