Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-11-27
LEGISLATORS URGE
SHIPS AND AIRCRAFT
Representatives in Congress
Return From Front With
Word of Greatest Needs.
INSURE SOLDIERS FOOD

/ iNOOnE SUIUICnS TOUO
America must build ships and airships
| by the thousands to win the war, is the
big message that Representative Edward
d. Taylor of Colorado, speaking for the
group of congressman who went to the
war front in Europe, brings back to
the American people. The first members
of this congressional party have just
returned to Washington.
| That the spirit and morale of the
| american soldiers who are already
| over there" is superb and that it must
be kept SO is the second great consid-
GRAFTON which Representative Taylor
makes: The American soldiers are not
receiving their mail and Mr.. Taylor
| says that the members of Congress are
going to find out why. He says that
him every day since May Is has re-
ceived only two of these letters. The
members of the congressional dele
cation. he says. are going to see to it
that the men who go across seas will
be kept in touch with home, as this is
the only way by which their spirit and
morale can be kept at the high stand
ard they are now.
Scarcity Of Food Is Feared.
The need for ships before men is ex-
planned by Representative Taylor He
says the great danger is that there will
be a scarcity of food in England and
France before spring. This govern
ment cannot expect to feed its million
or millions of fghtingHmen from the
allies food supply. Ships must be built
to carry sufficient food before the men
are sent across who will eat this food.
We are going to have plenty of SOL
dfers," he said. "and we will have them
soon enough, but we cannot have the
ships soon enough. We must not let
the pressure to get men over there
move us until we have the ships to
provision them"
Representative Taylor, who had seen.
the great airship camps of the French
and British aviation forces in action,
says the United States must make i'm
mediate and big efforts to provide
thousands of powerful fighting airships
showers of explosives upon the pill
boxes" with which Germany has in
trenched herself.
May Go on for Years.
Representative William S. Goodwin of
with prominent French and British
officials as well as the military chiefs
of the allies in France, and none of
them, including Lloyd George, appears
to have any idea that the war is likely
to end for some time.
got the impression that if the war
did not end by spring it was likely to go
on for three or four years more. Lloyd
the allies consider Russia out of the war
The British and French have plenty of
ammunition to keep the Germans on the
alert through the winter"
Goodwin
spirit and morale OF the American forces
is very good.
Six Who Returned.
The six members of the House who re-
turned to WASHINGTON last night were
B. Timberlake of Colorado: D. " Ste
phens Of Nebraska, William S. Goodwin
of Arkansas. and John F. Miller and AL
bert johnson Of Washington.
The representatives plan to visit Sec
retary Baker Of the War Department and
present to him the shell casing of the first
shell fired by the American forces in
France into the German lines While in
sentatives travelled 1900 miles in auto
mobiles While the Belgian front
they narrowly escaped death. They were
in one of the front salients when a brisk
engagement was begun.
The party met King Albert of Belgium
and talked with him at considerable
length. The king expressed himself as
warmly in favor Of woman suffrage, de-
claring that the women had earned the
right to vote in this war. One of the first
internal reforms in Belgium, after the
war. the king prophesied would be the es-
tablishment of woman suffrage.
Must Prepare to Fight.
Representative Johnson Of Washington
said today that this country must prepare
to fight a long war.
eve must not rely too strongly on
the possibility of internal dissension In
Germany" he said.
Mr. johnson added that every one in
the United States must aid in the con-
servation of gasoline, which. he said.
would have an important bearing on
| thousands of tanks" would be in
operation against the Germans before
| long where there are only tens of tanks
today.
! the Belgian frontier for France the
party one evening met in a little tavern
and with the Belgian officer and his
aids and few others sat down to sup
per.
Drink to Two Nations.
| There were speeches. First came the
Belgian military man who. lifting his
glass, linked the names Of President
| Wilson and King Albert in a toast
| and the two nations" he con-
cluded. For an instant every one pres
ent was silent as the great and tragic
difference between the mighty republic
and the stricken little kingdom came
home to them.
| Representative Stephens replied
! 1--WE have entered this war" he said,
"and we will never sheath our sword
until the United States has seen the
wrongs Of Belgium redressed and the
nation restored to its place among the
| nations of the earth.
i The Belgian officer heard this mes
sage with tears streaming down his
i tshed he ran to him, embraced him and
kissed him on both cheeks.
i Representative Johnson was walking
/ along muddy road one day when his
/ rubber came off. He stopped to pick it
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