Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-02-27
CAPITAL ON GUARD
STATE, WAR AND NAVY BUILD
INGs CLOSED TO THOSE WHO
HAVE NO PASSES.
WHITE HOUSE is PROTECTED
Offers of Service In Any Capacity
Come From All Over the Country
Political Pressure for Commissions
Is Pleasantly Absent.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

4
Washington.-Sena f. NJ. SIM
mons, chairman of the finance commit
tee of the United States senate; Sena-
tor Benjamin F. Tillman, chairman OF
the committee on naval affairs, and
Gen. William CrOzier, CHIEF OF ord
nance of the United States army, were
forbidden admission to the state. war
and navy building by the sentries on
guard because they did not have with
them the passes necessary for adnis-
sion.
This goes to show how in these days
of national crises Washington Is
guarding it's treasury boxes of infor-
nation. So far as Washington is con-
cerned, it is still a case of watchful
waiting, but Waiting has Work as a
companion, and a vigorous go-ahead
person the companion is.
Washington is on guard and is
guarded. No one sees trace of ex-
element here, but the unseen exists.
1t is a serious capital today. Even
the few ordinarily flippant ones in
congress seem to have felt the touch
of the subduing hand.
Today one needs what is equivalent
to military pass to secure entrance
to the state, war and navy building.
Passes to the White House offices also
have been issued to persons who have
right to receive them. There is more
than suggestion Of war days in the
vicinity of every government building.
Inside the armed service buildings one
is in the presence of war.
Only one gate TO the White House
grounds remains open. AT every
closed entrance and along the iron
rail fences which separate the grounds
from the street, policemen are sta
toned. The doors to all the public
buildings are guarded. 1t is a repro
duced picture of the days just prior
and during the Spanish war.
CONSUMPTION Might Be Necessary.
a chapter of patriotism is being
written into the history of the war
and navy departments today. From all
over the country are coming offers of
service in any capacity, helpful, to a
country in need. Retired army and
navy officers in their old age are re-
questing that they nay be allowed to
get back into active service If war
shall Gene. All kinds of industrial
organizations are offering assistance.
Individuals, men and women. are ask
ing what they can do to help.
1t might appear from the immense
number of offers of service which are
being received that it would not be a
difficulty thing for the United States
in case of war to raise quickly an
plan, but even with all the surface in
dications that such an army at once
could be called to the instruction
camps, the officials fear that it will
be hard to get such a number of phys
icaily fit men without resorting to con-
scription.
One of the striking things about the
offers of service which have been re-
ceived at headquarters in Washington
is that there is nothing like the po-
lihcal pressure being exerted that
there was in Civil war ard Spanish
war days to secure a commission as q
ranking officer for this man or that
man without regard to his lack of mil
itary training. The European war
seems to have taught each aspiring
gentleman that influence in his ward
without an hours training does not
entirely fit him to command men on
the field of battle.
If the preaching of preparation has
had it's checking effect on the poll
ticians and political heelers who other
wise would have sought high army
commands, it may not have been en-
tirely in vain.
Planning for Censorship.
Newspaper correspondents in the
city of Washington have taken sharp
note Of the possible censorship
conditions which are to prevail
If we shall have war with Germany
or for that matter with any other for
eign power. The authorities already
have been approached by the standing
committee of press correspondents
which has charge of press gallery mat
tiers, and plan will be adopted which
the newspaper men hope will meet
their desires while in every way safe
guarding the government.
There are in existence In the war
department plans formulated over two
years ago and which were intended to
govern correspondence sent from the
field or from battleships, or from the
city of Washington, in case war was
declared with Mexico. 1t is under
stood that the war department had
laid down rules so drastic as virtually
to destroy the usefulness of the work
of a correspondent in the field or in
the capital.
1t will be the endeavOr of the corps
of Washington correspondents to Sc
cure an amelioration of the conditions
laid down in the existing plan. and CO.
operation will be promised, SO far as
the standing committee of correspond
ents has authority, in the name Of ev-
cry correspondent who today is admit
ted to the press galleries of the two
houses of congress.
Don't Like British Methods.
Thus far no attempt has been made
by the authorities to censor dispatches
from the city of Washington. Conf