Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-07-10
Sam is trying to strike hard at des-
potism and at an enemy to all civiliza-

pretty well in advance and the effects
OF its propaganda are provided against.
1t is the group of people who hitherto
have stood or pretended to stand for
the good things of life who today in
their attempt to help the kaiser and
to hurt Uncle Sam are giving the gov
eminent most concern
In all parts of the country these
groups are continuing their efforts to
hurt. The government knows all about
them, where they are, and is well ac-
quainteI with the individual charac-
teristics or idiosyncrasies or whatever
they are of their members-prominen
and hitherto revered men and women
In Chicago, with others less prominent
and less revered but generally respect
ed; groups of men in New York recog-
nized in the past for their educational
-endeavors: organizations with head
quarters in Washington all appear to
be doing their best for Germany and
their worst for Uncle Sam-alI these
are known, all their doings noted, and
yet the means to punish is not avail
able.
Some Examples May Be Made.
1t seems to be necessary for the gov
eminent to ignore much of that which
| is being done in the name of humanity
and In reality in behalf of~the kaiser,
because it does not desire to make
martyrs of persons who in the past
have held the respect Of their fellow
countrymen. 1t seems likely, however,
that If things go on as they have been.
| examples must be made here and there
of those who in their enthusiasm in
the cause of a foreign despotism over
run the mark set at the edge of the
| field of treason.
| Thus far most of the agitators
against their country's safety, perhaps
under legal advice have managed to
keep in the main within, the law There
seemingly is a determination on the
| part of the government to do some
| thing when the extremists forget them
selves and say or do those extreme
| things which they are only too anxious
| TO say or do if they think they can
say them and do them unscathed
There is belief in Washington that
some few of the men and women who
| have covered themselves In the past
with the cloaks of public benefactors
may be found to be active in other
| ways than in merely obstructive ways.
| There are spies in the United States,
and officials say they are doing what
| they can to deliver the cause of this
country over. AS the general view of
things here seems to be, 1t would be
heart-breaking job for the govern
ment to shoot an obstructionist by or
der of a drumhead court-martial, but
when the combination of obstructionist
and spy can be had the shooting would
not hurt Uncle Sans conscience in the
least.
Food Bill Badly Named.
There are friends of the administra-
ton in Washington and among them a
| good many members of congress who
hold that the food control bill, to which
there is considerable opposition in con-
gress, is badly named measure Ac-
cording to the critics it should have
been called a regulation bill.
Notwithstanding the opposition to
the food measure as it manifests itself
in congress, it is q safe prophecy that
it will pass, because there has been a
sufficient sounding out of the views of
members to make it appear that sue
cess for it is assured. 1t can be put
down as fact also that all the other
war measures which are now before
congress, including the one for an ap-
preparation of 100000 for an intensive
and extensive air service, also will be
sanctioned by the two houses.
Concerning the matter of the food
regulation bill, or to give it what It's
friends call the Objectionable name of
food control bill, it can be said that
| from letters which members of con-
gress receive from their constituents
1t is apparent that hundreds of thou
sands of people seem to have fund
of misinformation concerning what 1t
is intended to do under the provisions
of the bill when it becomes law.
Odd Misconceptlon of the Bill.
1t is a curious thing, perhaps, but
the impression of the majority of the
protesting letter writer's seems to be
that the United States government in
tends to form gigantic trust, the OBJ
ject Of which is to put the prices of
wheat, potatoes, corn, and other neces-
saries of life, up to the top notch, and
to make the people pay twice as much
money for these commodities as they
have been in the habit of paying in the
past. In other words, there seems to
be a feeling throughout the country,
and 1t is not in spots, that the govern
ment Is about to undertake, through
Mr.. Hoover and his plenipotentiary
powers, to inaugurate a plan for gou-
ging the consumer.
1t was only the other day that the
president wrote letter to a member
Of congress in which he said the con-
| troll part of the bill was to enable the
government to control the spectators
and those who would try to make great
profits out of the necessities, Of the
people. The trouble is that Mr.. Will
sons explanation probably never will
be able to overcome the harm that has
been done by giving presumably good
| bill certainly bad name.
| The administration today is con-
| cerned over half q dozen different
things, but the food bin is perhaps the
least of its concerns, because in the
White House, as elsewhere in Wash
ington, there seems TO be stable con-
viction that the food legislation is TO
go through to passage and in time to
make ii serviceable In the still early
crop season.