The Washington herald., 1917-10-22
SERVE COUNTRY.
FOR 81 SALARY
Men Who Volunteer Aid
Are Hailed as
Patriots.
y, TRACY HAMMANp LrwIs.l


with the growth of the war there
has sprung up in Washington
group Of men who. for the want Of a
better name, have been termed
dollar a year patriots" since they
have offered their services to the
government at a nominal consid-
GRAFTON In order to make their con-
tract binding.
Shortly before the adjournment Of
Congress, Representative Dupre, of
Louisiana, emerged from his obscuri-
ty upon the floor of the House long
enough to remark anent these per-
sons:
what should like TO say pri-
marily Is this, that most of the
trouble we are having here In WASH
ington about the conduct of this war
Is due to the avalanche of patriots
who have come here to tender their
services to the government, these
gentlemen who are working for q
dollar year and apparently they
are working for about one-third Of n
day. II you have any dealings with
them, you find about Thursday they
must leave town and possibly return
about Tuesday of the subsequent
week. In the Intervening days IL you
| try to get In touch with them you
will find they have gone TO lunch"
| Qunrtermaster's Fighting.
Another observation which am
compelled to make Is because of mat
ters which have come to my attention
and possibly to the attention of my
colleagues. II Is this: If Germany
could be whipped. overnight by the
Quartermaster Corps. there would be
no trouble doing II tomorrow
1 Representative Gillette, of Massa-
chusetts, was the first TO gain his feet
and expect resentment at the injus-
| tice of the speech made by Mr.. Dupre.
| II hate to take the time of the
House." he said. but do not like to
have the slur which the gentleman
from Louisiana has just cast upon the
men who are coming here and yolun-
teering their services for 81 a year go
without some response. Personally, I
believe it is what is saving this admin
istration that the services of these
men is infinitely more valuable to the
country than those of the paid de-
serving Democrats who could not
carry the country through without
them. do not doubt the gentleman
would like everybody to be paid a
large salary SO that he could get his
friends places with what he thinks
! proper remuneration"
Both Have Weight.
There is a sufficient amount of error
on both sides of the debate to assure
one that it really took place in Con-
| gress. but of the two. Mr.. Gilletts
has the greater amount Of right and
patriotism.
1t is rather amusing to think that
| these dollar a year" patriots have
come TO Washington at the sacrifice
of the large incomes which the ma
| jority of them have been earning for
the purpose of obtaining an opportun-
| ity TO work only an hour a day and
spend most of the week as vacation.
Let's see who they are All of those
who are employed in the Food Ad-
ministration Department are dollar a
year" patriots. Herbert C. Hoover. its
head. is one, so is every other indivi-
dual In the department who holds any
position of Importance
In the Red Cross there are seSenty-
| three officials who are insulting" the
! government by refusing to accept pay
ment for their services.
| The members of the advisory COM
mittee of the Council of National De-
fense, who have been doing a splendid
work In Washington since the war be-
gan, at the sacrifice of their own per-
sonsl interests, are all of them max
ing a present of their energy to the
government. Howard Coffin. vice presi-
dent Of the Hudson Motor Car Com
pany; julius Rosenwald, president Of
Sears, Roebuck and Company: Ber-
nard Baruch, DR.. Franklin Martin,
DR.. Hollis Godfrey. president of Drex-
ell Institution; Daniel Willard presI-
dent of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road, are those heading the different
committees.