The Monticellonian., 1917-03-01
CAPITAL 0N GUARD
STATE, WAR AND NAVY BUILD. INGS CLOSED TO THOSE WHO
 HAVE NO PASSES.
WHITE HOUSE IS PROTECTED
Offers of Service in Any Capacity Come From All Over the Country Political Pressure for Commissions Is Pleasantly Absent.
By GEORGE CLINTON.

tee of the United States senate Sena- tor Benjamin F. Tillman, chairman of the committee on naval affairs, and Gen. William Crozier, chief of ord nance of the United States army, were forbidden admission to the state. war and navy building by the sentries on guard because they did not have with them the passes necessary for admis- sion.
 This goes to show how in these days of national crises Washington is guarding it's treasury boxes of infor- nation. So far as Washington is con- cerned, 1t is still case of watchful waiting, but Waiting has Work as a companion, and a vigorous go-ahead person the companion Is.
 Washington is on guard and is guarded. No one sees q trace of ex- citement here, but the unseen exists. It is serious capital today. Even the few ordinarily flippant ones in congress seem to have felt the touch of the subduing hand
 Today one needs what Is equivalent to q lhliitdty DdSS lo St(uit thti dhNS to the state, war and navy building. Passes to the White House offices also have been issued to persons who have right to receive them. There is more than a suggestion of war days in the vicinity of every government building. Inside the armed service buildings one Is in the presence of war.
 Only one gate to the White House grounds remains open. At every closed entrance and along the iron rail fences which separate the grounds from the street, policemen are sta toned The doors to all the public buildings are guarded. It is q repro duced picture of the days just prior and during the Spanish war.
 Conscription Might Be Necessary.
 A chapter of patriotism is being written into the history of the war and navy departments today. From all over the country are coming offers of service in any capacity, helpful to a country in need. Retired army and navy officers i'll their old age are re questing that they may be allowed to get back into active service if war shall come. All kinds of industrial organizations are offering assistance. Individuals, men and women. are ask ing what they can do to help.
 It might appear from the immense number of offers of service which are being received that it would not be d difficulty thing for the United States in case of war to raise quickly an army of 500,000 men by the volunteer plan, but even with all the surface in- dieations that such an army at once could be called to the instruction camps, the officials fear that it will be hard to get such a number of phys ically fit men without resorting to con- scription.
 One of the striking things about the offers of service which have been re- ceived at headquarters in Washington is that there is nothing like the po- litical pressure being exerted that there was in Civil war and Spanish war days to secure a commission as a ranking officer for this man or that man without regard to his lack of mil itary training. The European war seems to have taught each aspiring gentleman that influence in his ward without an hours training does not entirely it him to command men on the field of battle.
 If the preaching of preparation has had it's checking effect on the poli- ticians and political heelers who other wise would have sought high army commands, it may not have been en- tirely in vain.
 Planning for Censorship.
 Newspaper correspondents in the city of Washington have taken sharp note of the possible censorship conditions which are to prevail if we shall have war with Germany or for that matter with any other for eign power. The authorities already have been approached by the standing committee of press correspondents which has charge of press gallery mat ters, and plan will be adopted which the newspaper men hope will meet their desires while in every way safe guarding the government.
 There are in existence in the war department plans formulated over two years ago and which were intended to govern correspondence sent from the field or from battleships, CT from the city of Washington, in ease War WAS declared with Mexico. It is under stood that the war department had laid down rules SO drastic as virtually to destroy the usefulness of the work of a correspondent in the field or in the capital
 It will be the endeayor of the corps of Washington correspondents to SC cure an ameltoration of the conditions laid down in the existing plan. and CO., operation will be promised, so far as the standing committee of correspond ents has authority, in the name ef ev- cry correspondent who today is admit ted to the press galleries of the two houses of congress.
 Don't Like British Methods.
 Thus far no attempt has been made by the authorities to censor dispatches from the city of Washington. Conf
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