Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-06-01
LONG WAR AHEAD
SAYS GOVERNOR
Makes Interesting Comments
Upon the Preparations
For the Struggle

The intimation that the Federal
government is preparing to wage
war upon a three-year basis was
dropped by Governor Brumbaugh
following another meeting of the
State Commission of Public Safety
and Defense last niglN.
Agricultural preparedness is to be
one of the salient features of the
government program. Before the
commission, of which the Governor
is chairman-and Lieutenant Cover
nor McClain, Adjutant General Stew
art, State Treasurer Kephart and Au-
ditor General Snyder, the other
members-met, the Governor con-
ferred with Herbert Hoover over the
long distance phone. He subsequent
ly explained that he could not even
reveal to the other members OF the
commission all that Mr. Hoover had
impaired to him as to the govern
ments plans for agricultural pre-
paredness and food conservation. He
emphasized, however, his statement
that Pennsylvania was more than
prepared to "do it's Bit" not only
on Registration Day (June 81, but
in backing up the Federal govern
ment in any other way during the
rest of the war.
"Out of the thousands of registrars
who have been asked to serve on
Registration Day in Pennsylvania 1
am glad to say that only two have
refused to do So" the Governor said,
"and when L was informed that they
had refused to serve, my answer
was, Make them"
The commission refused to appro-
pirate any more money for the pres
ent to the Pennsylvania Public
Safety Committee, despite a request
~ - 1,n nt~fn
of Philadelphia, the committees
chairman. Mr.. Peppers request was
embodied in letter dated May 26
which was not made public until
last nights eVentful meeting of the
commission.
The committee desired money for
the specific purposes of aiding in
the registration, stimulating recruit
ing, assisting in crop increases and
for the payment of secretaries of
seventy eight local units of the COM
mittee.
What caused the meeting was
Chairman Peppers reply to the let
ter which Governor Brumbaugh sent
to him ten days or so ago, inform
ing him that the state commission
had to disburse the money voted to
it under state laws and that nothing
could be given without specific state
ments being made and all bills ham
died as are all state appropriations.
At the end of the conference it de-
Veloped that the commission had left
the way open for further discussions.
The Governor said that the COM
mittee had decided not to grant any
more money just now but to have
talk next Wednesday.
In addition to the three requests
which were outlined in the Pepper
letter it developed that there had
a Z oHN
tising the Liberty Loan. The letter
is dated May 26 and last night was
the first intimation any one has had
from the Governors office that it
was in existence. When the meeting
ended the Governor gave out copies
and supplemented it by a general
talk on the situation.
I'VE have to discuss the matters
mentioned more fully" said the Gov
ernor. I'VE intend to cooperate
all we can with the committee, but
we do not want any duplication of
work, either by the state, the Fedral
government or its agents or by the
committees"
In discussing this matter the Gov
ernor brought out that a request had
been made for $4,000 for advertising
the war bonds. II am not in favor
of that. 1t is a government enter
prise and there are thousands of
men working like dogs to sell these
bonds. They are working night and
day. They ask for no remuneration
and expect none. The issue has been
thoroughly advertised. There is not
a man in the United States who does
not know of their availability. There
is no reason for advertising them.
ON every letter sent out from every
department of the state government,
for instance, there is q stamp re-
IN hI,t fIn de i
the newspapers have given much
free advertising"
In discussing in detail the re-
quests of the committee the Cover
nor said that he considered the pub
licity work of the committee as prop
er and that it would probably be
paid for, but he thought recruiting
and registration matters of national
importance on which many were en-
gagged and that until the national
government was heard from it was
unlikely that the commission would
eXpend much money for them.
"As to food supply recognize
that 1t is big one. l had a talk to-
day over the telephone with Herbert
Hoover and we aim to work along
broad, concerted lines as soon as the
government tells us. The big prob
lem now is to see that all crops are
harvested and none wasted. In York
county PROBABLY a million dollars
worth of apples were wasted because
they could not be handled. Well,
that shows that labor, harvesting
and transportation are big problems
which we will have to solve.'
The Governor said that the matter
of paid secretaries would have to be
looked into" and that he wonder
ed whether the farm bureau agents
in the various counties would not be
the logical men to handle some of
the work.