Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-06-14
OPEEDING UP CONGRESS AND
OTHERS.

It is one thing to declare war; It is an !
entirely. different thing to conduct sue |
cessful and effective warfare. AS one
looks over the field, there appears abun- !
dant reason for profound thanksgiving |
that we are not confronting a foe on our |
own soil or at our doors. Neither Con- |
gress nor the war department on the one
hand nor the people on the other has yet
begun to show thorough realization of the
fact that we are in war with one of the
most resourceful and powerful nations.
and that we are in 1t to the bitter end.
Word from different training camps
shows that in spite of three years of
warning the war department is not in
shape to equip $4,000 men, let alone 100000.
If we can not feed and equip 5000 men in
a training camp like that at Plattsburgh.
at this late day, what would we do If we
were required to put 100000 in the field in
a month?
People are not realizing that the success
Of the Liberty loan is not to be measured
in money alone Promptness and the
spirit back of it, standing for national
unity and counting for moral effect on
both foe and friend. are as important
from a purely military point Of view as
the money itself.
Ws are constrained to admit that the
example set the people of the United
States by Congress is not calculated to
generate deep spirit of patriotism Con-
gress is joining with the administration in
urging prompt response to the Liberty
loan. That is we'll. Congress itself.
however. is not exemplifying the spirit it
would see shown by the people. however.
In connection with the provision of meas
ures for war revenue on it's part.
On the contrary. present indications are
that 1t will be two months yet before our
national lawmakers stop log-rolling tao
tics and get down to business with refer
ence to revenue legislation The House
the Senate is showing itself as hitherto to
be the rich mans refuge
Congressman Claude Kitchin. majority
floor leader. whether rightly or wrongly.
is seriously disturbed over the wrangle
in which Congress finds itself and the
hopeless tangle of revenue legislation. Dis.
gusted by the action of the Senate in tear
ing to pieces the bill passed by the House.
Kitchin says ne will not go into confer
ence over the emasculated bill. but will
draw a new measure and pass it, which
means two months more Of time wasted
Unless the two branches of Congress
get together in their ideas of war taxa
tion more closely than has been the case
thus far. 1t will be futile to predict when
revenue for our war operations will be
Forthcoming as a result of taxation. AS
could not we'll be further apart than at
present, as they have disagreed on nearly
every item with no sign Of agreement.
Mr. Gompers is urging the prompt pas
sage of a food control bill, insisting that
unless the measure becomes a law be-
fore July l. it will be too late. The Presi-
dent Is said to realize this measure is
needed to afford relief for the high cost of
living for the poorer people as well as to
prevent the boarding of food supplies. and
in addition put this nation in a position
TO aid the entente allies.
President Wilson is credited with con-
stderation Of the proposition to publish a
statement dealing with recalcitrants in
this connection as he did In relation to
armed neutrality legislation.
Be all this as II may, the entire United
States IL now ON SLOW speed in connec-
ton with our part In the great world war