Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-07-31
COngrt SIS Can't Win the War,
But CONGRESS- Can Lose It,.

Government to make effectively.
The sooner all Senators and Representatives &C
cept this wholesome truth the safer will be the ma
tons interests and the shorter the road to peace
Eventually they will have to accept it, or America
will have to accept German dctation Every IN
stance of Congressional obstruction to essential
plans for prosecuting the war adds many days or
months or, it may be- years to the continuance OF
this bitter conflict and makes just that much heaV-
Ter the grim price to be paid in treasure and blood
At least, this is true if, we take 1t, America is
fghting for principles which she cannot AFFORD 10
abandon, and accordingly is in the war TO wln' no
matter how long it takes or what it costs TO per-
sons holding the contrary view it appears of course
that the sooner make terms with Prussian mill
tarsm the better, and that, therefore they should
do their utmost to handicap the President and force
an ignominous or inconclusive peace. But such
persons belong in the Wilhelmstrasse not on Cap
itol Hill.
In the conduct of war there must be central
lied responsibility and power there will be chaos
and defeat. If parliamentary delegations and potl-
cal councils could wage effective the Russians
now would be deluging the enemys front instead OF
ebbing toward disaster Every time of storm and
peril demands that there be some one in control,
some strong hand at the helm, some dominant Will
to give orders, captain to be trusted and oDeyeo'
This does not mean that Congress should surrender
any of it's righful functions or forego any or It's
responsibilities .As the legislative branch or the
Government it should give due scrutiny to all meas
ures laid before it, strengthening those which are
weak and rejecting those which radically wrong,
But there will be possibility of serious differ
ences between the executive and the legislative de-
partments if both subordinate everything for the
time being, to the all-important consideration Oh
winning the war That is fair test for both depart
and fair test for every member or congress-
Does attitude help hinder the effective prose
cution of the war? Does he vote for against tho
that ak mil
cheney? Is his influence an aid or an obstacle 10
American victory?
Members of Congress whose records afford
satisfactory these questions are not dis
turbed at the thought of concentrating war power In
the hands of the President for they feel that as long
as he uses his power toward the defeat of Germany
he is using it in ibertys cause, and that, if in any
way he should abuse it, there are ample means OF
calling him promptly to account. They know fur
thermore that the law, as we'll the necessity, of
the present situation demands that the President,
Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, be
given free hand and full support. Senator Knox
cogently expressed this truth when he said in the
course of a recent Senate debate:
IF there ever was anything that demands
the single arm, it is the prosecution of a war.
Divided counsels in a war are always fatal, and
no one saw that more clearly than the fathers
of the Constitution and those who expounded it
plies the direction of the common strength and
the power of directing and employing the COM
mon strength forms a usual and essential part
in the definition of the executive authority"
Without centralized control and direction, the
common strength of the United States, for all its
vastness and splendor, will be impotent in war
That is true of economic we'll as of military re-
sources. Consider this seasonable example: Amer
lean. farmers laboring with extraordinary ZEAL
and nature bids fair crown their efforts with
royal autumn. But what will bounteous harvests
avail if they are to be bounced upon by faithless
spectators and monoposts instead of loyalty util-
lied for the national good? Government protec-
ton of food supplies and Government aid in con-
serving and distributing them efficiently is essential
to the welfare of producers and consumers alike
and highly essential to the successful prosecution of
the war. This fact, one would think, is SO self
evident that there would not be moments pro-
test against the principle of oodcontrol legislation
Yet for almost two months a for this
purpose has been before Congress, and conclusive
action has not yet been taken. Some of the delay
has been caused by honest efforts to free the orgi
nal bill from certain unnecessary, if not really
harmful provisions But most of the delay IL
chargeable to obstructionists, who fear profess
to fear that trending toward dictatorship.
The country is growing desperately tired of
hearing the cry Of dictatorship raised against
every war measure which some Congressman or
Senator wants to oppose without giving his real
reasons for doing So If we are to be halted at
every step by that hobgoblin Of little minds, this
war will be over and Won Tirpitz will be trimming
his sails for the Kaiser's longdreamed-of expedi-
ton to America before have bucked fairly to the
beginning of our task. If unwilling to yield
few present privileges for the country's eternal
good and unwilling to trust American leader to
escape a Prussian despot then in truth do we need
autocratic guardian to teach US the first rule of
safety, and we had we'll send for Wilhelm the
Second to come over and take charge.
Congressional support of the President will
hasten the end of the war and make victory sure;
but Congressional interference will proong the or
deal and invite disaster. This does not mean that
Congress has minor part to play. On the con-
L. = inn