The Washington herald., 1917-12-18

Many Amricans who think they
have not been misled In believing
that Gen. Leonard Wood was mos
efficient. and just the kind of ar
officer needed to At into our present
enormous plans. have asked from
time to time what has become OF
him.
For those who DO not know. Il IL
here set down that the General is al
present doing duty at Fort Riley, Kan
an inland post which, though i'm
poftant. is no. more important than
a host OF other posts Just now.
The suggestion has been made, In
order to find out Just what caused
this change. that the Senatorial in
vCstigating committee inquire rather
insistently into the history of this
demotion for Gen. Wood. There are
several solons who believe that such
line OF investigation might devel-
oDe interesting evidence for the Sem
ators to think about.
At any rate. the impression Is that
IL Gen. Wood deserved his demotion
it should be known Just what caused
the higher ups to arrive at that
conclusion. And II It should devel-
Ope that the General was the vic
tim of a frame-up-as some solons
rather crudely put it-this should be-
come known. too.
The Senatorial committee, 1t is un-
derstood, is loath TO go into individ-
ual cases. here and there, and will
not do SO. in fact, save where these
cases disclose some guiding principle
which actuated the man in charge
OF the war to take certain action.
II 1t has been the guiding principle
to sidetrack or shelve prominent gen.
erals, moreover efficient generals, the
belief prevails at the Capitol that
the country should be given some
information about 1t.
A surprising support for the Calling
er resolution. directing the Agricul-
tural Department to investigate as to
the advisability of permitting Chinese
farm laborers to come into this coun-
try during the war, and until we re-
coverer from the wars effects, has be-
come manifest.
In the West, the section which Il
was aimed 10 benefit directly, there
seems to be a determination to oppose
the step, however, and it is expected
that II the matter comes to a head,
not many Western members will vote
for the proposal
F. s. Lusk, a Montana banker who
stands as one of the Western spon-
sors OF the movement, has this to
say about It:
In talking with Senator johnson,
of California, and William r. Hearst,
l laid special stress and emphasis
upon the safeguard which I had pro-
vided and which they had never
known of until I brought It to their
attention personally.
My method Of controlling the Chi
nese imported under such an act
would be to limit their occupations to
house servants and to farm laborers
and to provide q very severe and
easily enforced penalty for persons
who employed the Chinese at any
other work whatsoever. This would
mean that a Chinaman engaged in
any other occupation outside of farm
labor and house work would be an
object Of suspicion to the entire MEM
bership OF organized labor-not only
would the Chinaman SO employed be
subject to suspicion and examination
out the person giving employment
would be required, upon request of
practically anybody, to show that the
Chinaman so employed was not in the
class limited as this bill would limit
them. I believe It would make It Inn
possible for Chinese to engage In
laundry work or any work outside the
Glasses named. / am not in favor of
allowing Chinese to come and compete
with out labor but to permit them to
come in and fill positions which our
people do not want to all and which
oy flling will cheaper the cost of our
food products, would be an obvious
oeneht and that there should be no
question about permitting it,
Mr.. Lusk then says that Frank
Heney, well-known Californian oppos-
Cd the plan for the reason that Il
would bring about a bad political
atmosphere-and on that account he
thought the disadvantages would out
weigh the advantages.
Congress, 1t Is expected, will
scrutinize the plan very closely before
Il admits the Celestials. There are
no end OF questions that might be
asked as to the plan by which the
workers would be taken back TO
China after their period Of service
is over here. The problem is a
sigantic one, when one thinks that
perhaps 100000 Chinese laborers
WgE % involved Tnora = uo fazi-