The Washington times., 1917-05-15
Congress and the War

A month and half since Congress
convened, with war a certainty, only
one measure of Importance has pass
ed, that providing for a bond issue
Of seven billion dollars. The bill
for creating an army is still in con-
ference, the House having in the
meantime reversed itself on the
Roosevelt volunteer division. The
espionage bill has at last passed
both houses after prolonged debate
IN each, but no one can predict when
the differences between the two
houses will be smoothed out.
That bill furnishes a good ex-
ample Of the present disorganized
and leaderless condition of Congress.
The House struck out the provision
giving the Postmaster General
power to exclude seditious and trea-
sonable matter from the mails. Then
it first struck out and later inserted
the censorship section. The Senate
first struck out and then after de-
bate in executive session, the secrets
of which were Immediately blabbed
in open session, agreed to the pro-
vision giving the President power to
put an embargo on exports. The
Senate adopted the provision con-
corning the misuse Of the mails
which the House rejected, and then
rejected the censorship provision
which the House had accepted. The
= Senate adopted by vote Of 38 to 81
the Cummins amendment prohibiting
the use Of grain for the manufacture
of alcoholic beverages, and then re-
versed itself on that. Yesterday the
. climax Of indecision was reached,
when the motion to incorporate
food control measure on the espion-
age bill was offered, then tabled,
then debated all day, and fnally're-
jected. "The King of France, with
twenty thousand men, marched up
the hill and then marched back
again"
There is still talk Of a Congress
sional committee to be appointed to
aid or perhaps check the Executive
in the prosecution Of the war. Con-
gress is furnishing every day illus
trations Of its own impotence for
such q task as conducting the war.
The people are growing impatient to
the verge Of disgust with the dilA-
toriness Of the methods pursued,
with the dreary and unimportant
speeches made for the sole purpose
Of putting one more or less valuable
opinion in the Record. If the war
could have been won by talking, we
should have been victorious ere this.
For good part of last week and
for all of this week, probably, the
House will be engaged in making
speeches, mainly for home consump-
tion, on the revenue bill. What the
Senate will do when the bill comes
before that august body, where
ninety-six men still have the right
Of unlimited talk, fatigues the imagi-
nation. According to ancient ira
dition, the eackling of the geese
once saved Rome. America seems
doomed to be endangered if not de-
feated by the aforesaid cacklings.
But there must be leadership
somewhere. If neither house of
Congress has developed a leader
whose guidance can be followed, the
only recourse is to look to the Execu-
tive for leadership. No mob can win
a war. The mark Of a good execu-
tive is the ability to decide things
quickly and sometimes right. Not
to decide at all is to decide wrongly.
One may not always approve Of the
decisions of the Executive in these
days, nevertheless the best advice
their constituents can give their Con-
gressmen today is to stand by the
President. Better that Congress
make a few mistakes in following
the Presidents suggestions than
that it make no progress whatever,
save that of exhaustinG its vocabu-
laFy,