The Washington herald., 1917-12-25

Some members OF the Republican Ma
tional Committee do not care to de-
capitate Chairman Wilcox at the
forthcoming meeting OF that body.
IF we let him stay in this long
which may or may not have been too
long-we should let him remain dur
ing the balance OF his term" some of
them argue. They insist that to start
a proceeding to remove him at this
time might engender hard feelinL
throughout the ranks. Goodness
knows We have had too much Of that
as 1t is" they add.
However. there is one way open,
which is here disclosed for the first
time. and which may happily provide
the anxious committeeman with a b.
luton. 1t is being seriously thought
of by some OF Mr.. Willcox's friends
1t contemplates his voluntary with
drawal from the leadership of the COM
mittee by the resignation route. If
this can be accomplished It will bring
about the desired r, suit without tt,e
acrlmony that might follow a forced
withdrawal. Moreover. it would leave
the Republican organization in better
shape than an internal battle wouu
leave 1t and would prepare the way
for some leader of ability to take COM
mand OF the committee Just the mo-
ment Mr.. Willcox's encouragement was
formally written into the committee
proceedings.
The leaders are looking at the mat.
ter rather carefully. The insist thar
II too great haste is used in this It
may work irreparable harm on tho
party, and they are quite willing TO
admit that the party cannot stand to
take the chance at this time. Time
was when they could do anything ana
not feel that their prestige would suf-
fer greatly by It. Now they see that it
will take the most clean-cut and the
shrewdest moves they can plan TO
make the endeavor to win out in next
years Congressional elections and to
prepare adequately for the great year
of 1890 The leaders want to be in
good shape then, for the test, they be-
lieve. will come then which will de-
termine whether the Democrats ale
to keep control OF the government for
many years to come or whether the
magic spell which was cast upon them
in 1912 is to be broken.
Assimilation OF what has been trans
ms III NSSbLSttllHS COillIllllteS
is allowed over the holidays. Some of
the Senators awaited themselves of the
opportunity to talk among themselves
in a very frank way about matters. 1t
appears that the shortcomings of the
War Department and other depart
ments are being shown in some OF
the private testimony rather more
than in the public testimony, but great
good will come of it no matter If :ne
general public s never let in on much
of It.
The members argue that. with refer
ence to the suppressed testimony
which has already been taken and
which may yet be taken. it would do
no good to give it to the public. Any
good that comes of it would neces-
sarily have to result from recommen-
dations made by the members of Con-
gress, and these can be made directly
to the officials in charge without hav-
ing to give general publicity. "Pitiless
publicity" is desirable, but there are
times when it would harm a cause.
This is one of the times. The publicity
given to the representatives of the
people is quite enough, think the lead
ing members, and it is not good to 20
farther than that.
kilograms continue TO come in no.
tfying the members of Congress that
wholesalers of the country, and hotel
men, and those who are most Wig
orously hit by some phases of the
food control legislation, believe Mr..
Hoovers work has not been in vain.
Apparently the kilograms have been
prompted by the State food admins
traitors. They have the same general
ring. although rather surprisingly
some of them seem to indicate that
the writer's think Mr.. Hoover is In
imminent danger of removal or de-
capitation. The latter fears are, OF
course. groundless. The work he has
been doing, along with his very ca
pable assistants in most of the States
of the Union, has been of vast aid to
tho country's military program, and
while here and there are to be found
those who do not relish his encroach-
ment upon their domain, generally
speaking his work is appreciated.
Much of 1t, no one can deny, how
ever. has been accomplished without
reference to the food control bill
itself. The big program put through
has been in conservation lines. anu
this has meant the cooperation of
the public to the utmost. This ap.
pears to have been had to most