Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-04-28
GALA WEEK IN
WASHINGTON
British and French Commission
ers Have Excited the Capital.
Talk of Conscription
and Taxes

Special Correspondence Ereniuo Ledger
WASHINGTON. April IS.
WAsHlNGToN has had busy week
w The appearance of the British and
French commissioners to talk over matters
OF war and finance stirred the diplomatic
side Of the national capital to a high pitch
of interest and expectancy Nothing like 1t
has occurred in the history of the nation
The nuttcrlng Of French and British flags
by way Of compliment TO the visitors also
aroused conflict Of comment and emotions.
Staid old Americans have wondered at 1t
all. some Of them believing for the moment
that old national traditions were being rele-
gated 20 the scrap heap. They have been
asking themselves whether this new move
ment toward "a world democracy means a
larger life for America or our ultimate
humiliation Tho thrills of the week have
ranged from the surprise of the members
Of the Grand Army of the Republic at the
Introduction of tho Confederate canceing
stamp upon first class mail matter to the
conflicting proposals in one and the same
breath 10 raise S5o000o, 600 in liquor taxes
| and establish immediate prohibition to con-
scrv" the grain supply
Concerning Foreign Influences
The visit Of the foreign commissioners
! has evoked much comment with respect to
"cutauElmg alliances" so much so that Mr..
| Balfour was induced to consent to an In
! terview declaring that England. at least,
! had no desire to interfere with the politics
| of America, There is much concern in lcgis-
! lativc circles however, as to the roTk-bot-
/ tom relations between the Administration
and its official visitors. It IS known that
money Is to be used to purchase foreign
! securities to help finance tho European war.
| How far the negotiations extend beyond the
/ Of iC
Many business men are coming forward VINO
| tell their members of Congress that while
| the war in Europe should be supported, our
! negotiations should net proceed to the point
! that they viii assign any Of our foreign
| trade rights, 1t is known that the Tex
| tile Alliance. It British organizations has
| practically directed our foreign trade by
| virtue Of the British control Of the seas
/ for many months past This alliance. act
! ing with approval of the British embassy
! has also had to do with tho business and
! financial arrangements of Americans who
! have traded abroad II has been suggested
! now that England is receiving assistance
/ from the United states and both nations
! arc at war with Germany, that the Textile
/ Alliance should be relieved Of its super
! vision Of American business interests. ccr-
taiuly to the extent that it should no longer
! charge American merchants commissions
| for its oversight of their affairs. 1t is
/ believed TO be one Of the functions of the
! BRUSH commissioners to determine tnlS
| question and some decision of it is cx-
| pcCtcd before their departure.
Conscription and Taxes
The White House and the department.
have not entirely cclipsed Congress as points
of interest Congress has been oNerrur
with visitors concerned about consCriptior
aad taxes Not few persons who clamored
for war have been ClamorinG this wccl
against the enactment Of a conscriptioI
law. They have been arguing for the vol
uHtccr service some of them being very
careful to avoid references to their owl
| family connections who might be drafted
! for service under a COnsCription measure
| Such folk have had hard shedding. especially
with those members of Congress who hes
tated about going into the war foreseens
what il would involve in the matter o
service and taxes. But the biggest drive
ON Congress has come from business mer
and large operators who favored war but
who now contend that the taxes which
Congress is about to impose will beaI
heavily upon their pockets. The raid wa:
50 pronounced that the Ways and Means
Committee lcS"rtcd temporarily to the eX
BediCnt Of iHvlng a subcommittee fOrmu
late tentative tax proposal for the early
| consideration 81 the main committee. l
was realized t'at unless the work was pro
Ccedcd with ,Npeditously the protests o
| interested taxpayers would develop so many
| bhSllNt'lt.il MS bS 70 MAKE ulIllCult 1ne pas
sage Of II hill. The country, even yet. has
| scarcely rcai2cd what the imposition OF
| approximately So 100000 in taxes
means, but the committee. satisfied that
this tax bill is probably the first of seN.
cral others that must follow in rapid sue
Ccssion, has resigned itself to the cold
blooded task of raising the money. It has
not thus far succeeded in getting together
| upon the main items of taxation. but it is
almost as certain as death that the persons
Who have been making money out Of the
| var will be required To pay their proportion.
ate share, Notwithstanding the burden viii
| eventually fall upon the entire CITIZENSHIP
| of the country.
The Atlantic Coast Service
| There Is more than a bare possibility
that shippers along the Atlantic seaboard
who have been handicapped by railroad EN-.
bargoes and the limited steamboat service
may have some relief from the general
stress under which they have been laboring
| It is rumorcd that the Secretary of War
thinks favorably of condemning the Chesa-
peake and Delaware Canal as q war meas.
ure. This, of course, would help the barge
| traffic until the needed improvements mod
| ernizing the canal could be made. The prof.
! ect would have to be FASTENED to be OF
| immediate service, but the Secretary will
be in position to do the Fastening after he
obtains the tremendous lump-sum appropri-
| alton which Congress is about TO grant for
! general war purposes.
| a more immediate announcement of in
| terest to shippers comes from Secretar ry
| Daniels, of the Navy Department as to the
possible restriction of the coastwise trade
| duo to- the seizure of vessels for navy p,Ir-
poses. In a letter dated April "a the Sec
| retary says, This department is not com.
| Wandering vessels at present nor does II
| desire 10 interfere needlessly with coast.
| wise traffic" J. HAMPTON MOORE
| BALFOUR ON A FREE SEA