The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-04-26
Everybody Working For Speedy,
Victorious End.
TAXATION PROBLEM is BIG
Rich Man TO Pay Greater Portion of
Costs, but Every One With Any
Means at All Will Be Called on TO
Contribute His Bit-Conseription Still
Has Opposition.
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.

Washington, April 20 Special. J.
Ii liz the hope and expectation that
the whole people Of the United States
viii be welded into a solid. moving
and energetic mass, with one idea fore
most In the minds of all-that is, that
every ounce of energy will be directed
toward making the war a success and
bringing IL to a close in the least time
possible.
Opposition to the war which devel-
oped when the president made his ad-
dress In the Sixty-fourth congress and
his subsequent address and the de
mand for a declaration Of war at the
beginning OF the present congress
seems TO have generally disappeared,
and today men are striving, without
regard to what they felt at that time,
to do everything possible to aid the
administration In a successful prose
cution OF hostilities against the central
powers.
Scarcely a man In public life can
now be found who will engage In a
discussion as to what ought to have
been done or whether any mistakes
have been made. 1t seems to be the
consensus of opinion that the die Is
cast and there is only one duty for
American citizens, which is to go for
ward and bring the war 10 a conclu-
sion Mt the earliest possible moment.
The Taxation Problem.
Chief among the questions which
have agitated the public mind Is the
matter of taxation. WI have come to
a point where we talk OF billions as
glibIy an we used to talk OF millions a
few years ago. The unanimlty with
which the S~7,000,O0O,O0O bin passed
showed that the nation as represented
In congress is In earnest. but there is
also the problem of raising money to
pay these obligations.
That taxes must be heavy. much
more SO than ever dreamed OF In more
than half a century. Ia evident. Those
with money must pay, and 1t begins to
look as IL those with small means
would also have to contribute their
share. Ii looks as IL taxes would
reach into nearly every part OF the
country and that few people with any
mean whatever can escape.
How TO Raise an Army.
There are more divisions ovsr the
question Of how to raise an army than
there are over methods OF taxation. The
compulsory military service idea does
not appeal TO a large number OF men
In congress, and the idea still prevails
that all the troops necessary can be
raised by the volunteer system. Ii Is
of course proposed that the pay OF the
soldiers shall be increased as an extra
inducement to serve In a foreign war,
but that will not secure 100000 or
100000 men by the volunteer system.
While conscription is an unpopular
woodland the idea does not sit well
In the minds of "a great many men-it
Is surprising TO find that men who
have heretofore championed the volun-
teer system have come to the conclu-
sion that only by CONSUMPTION can an
army be raised for the great service
which IL imminent. There will be a
vast deal OF discussion ON this subject
before final action is taken.
consorlption an Unpopular Term.
There is an idea" remarked Speak
er Champ Clark, that there is not
very much difference between a con
script and a convict The term alone
IL unpopular, and that is one reason
why we do not wan to adopt It,"
Sending Engineers Abroad.
1t is the opinion Of former Congress
man Taggart OF Kansas that 1t would
be the best thing possible to send a
number of army engineers abroad, to
be accompanied by bridge builders,
dam builders and canal constructors,
who would view the b~attlef1elds in Eu-
rope and learn what modern warfare
Is, particularly the trench defensive
system. He thinks that these men
would lie able to procure plans which
would be of great value In case United
States troops are sent to the firing line
In Europe.
Our Staff Plans Inadequate.
In this connection 1t Is pointed out
tudJ cNcT b1uCt the SpdHlSu war We
have had a general staff which has
been working on war plans OF various
kinds. 1t now appears that these plans
would be entirely inadequate under
present conditions. These plans were
made, and 1t was right that they should
be made. to meet possible contingent
cies or invasion Of this country by for.
eign troops. They also embrace plans
for operations In Mexico, Cuba and
possibly In Japan.
But they are OF little avail In In
struction or information for an army
that may be sent to the battlefields In
France. In the first place, whatever
army is sent to-the western val front
would have to cooperate with armies
already In the field and be under the
general direction Of men who have
long been In the great struggle be
tween the entente allies and the cen
tral mowers.