The Washington herald., 1917-07-22
The Grind Ends at Last. .


After demonstrating its sublime re-
sources of procrastination, the Senate
yesterday. broke the humid calm of a
typical r.Sdsummer Washington Satur-
day by Aubling up in its work and
passing Doth the food control bill
and the aeronautics measure.
For this ultimate recognition Of an
obvious duty, let US give the Upper
Chamber such thanks as We can, par
ticularly in view Of the handsome
maJorities given both measures. These
majorities show that the obstructive
and cantankerous opposition-so far
as the food bill was concerned-re-
vealed its usual ''piker" spirit by run
ming to cover at the last moment,
Only a few of the hardshells, such
as Jim Reed, stuck by their guns
to the last.
The Senate has created a board of
food control-one of those debating
societies" which Mr.. Hoover detests.
Undoubtedly this feature OF the bill
will be stricken out in conference.
The influence of the administration
may be trusted to do that much. In
fact, It is only fair to Mr.. Hoover
that he be given untrammelled con-
troll in the great task which he has
assumed, a task which Is likely to
make him highly unpopular with his
fellow countrymen before it is COM
pleted. Every belligerent in the war
has had one or more changes in food
dictators in the past two years.
Batocki, in Germany. has held his
post longer than any of the other
so-called "dictators."
Mr.. Hoover's conduct in Washing
ton the past two months-the vigor-
Gus campaign for food conservation
which he has inaugurated, and which
already has had marked success-has
been of a nature to inspire confidence.
He is going to be one of the out
standing figures OF the war. Nor is
it merely a war work that he is do
ing. One of the cardinal vices Of the
American people is waste,-waste of
the most needless and brazen kind;
and his frontal attack upon this vice
is bound to leave a deep impression
on the American character in the
years to come. He is not, of course,
the first man who has attacked waste
in the United States, but he is the
first man who has succeeded In hav-
ing written into the law certain pro-
visions against waste, and the first
who has attempted to drill the les
son in the same relentless fashion that
an officer drills his troopers. He can
hardly fail in his mission.
The supreme Importance of the
aviation bill needs no elaboration now.
1t will be a matter for pride to Amer
leans that the great science of which
Wilbur and Orville Wright were the
pioneers is at last to receive adequate
recognition in their own land. The
bill passed yesterday is the greatest
aeronautics measure in history. 1t
carries 1851 10000, a larger sum than
either Great Britain or Germany has
appropriated for the mastery OF the
air at any given time. There can
be no question that the United States
can provide sufficient men and ma
chimes to make German competition
in the air hopeless. And the undis-
puted control Of the air on the West
ern front will be a vital thing
Through the present offensive France
and Great Britain have had a dis
tinct margin OF superiority In aero
nautics, but not enough to enable
them to sweep far into the rear of
the enemys line and observe what
he is planning and doing. And late
ly Germany has shown an ability to
reduce the margin against her. for
she is building no more Zeppelins
now. but concentrating on aeropIanes.
She is building them with feverish
haste in anticipation of the coming of
American flyers. We have not a mo-
ment to waste.