The Washington times., 1917-04-20
The President, the Congress, and
the People

-
the People
The lines afe- drawn for battle
royal on the military bill framed by
the War Department and so strongly
indorsed by the President, which has
been reported to the Senate, and the
bill fayoring an experiment with the
volunteer system which a majority
of the House committee favor. The
non-partisan nature of the contest is
indicated by. the fact that Kahn OF
California, ranking Republican mem
Der of the committee, will conduct
the fight for the administration,
while Chairman Dent, of the COM
mittee, will head the group who are
in favor of waging war, but Of wag-
ing it feebly.
"A study of the two measures, how
ever, will convince one-not only OF
the superior merit of the Senate bill,
but of the timidity and of desire to
shift responsibility manifest in the
framing of the House bill. In the
House bill the President is authorized
to try the volunteer,system first and,
upon its failure, to resort to the Sc
I1ective conscription system. This is
a queer compromise between politics
and patriotism. Members of the
House voting for this bill are sup
posed to be able to say to their con-
stituents that they opposed the Sc
lective system and that. the Presi-
dent was responsible for its adoption.
This is the approved method of play
ing both ends against the middle and,
while permissible in times of peace
because of the easv tolerance with
which the people regard their poll
ticians, it may prove to be fatal to
the very ambitions which seem just
now to be uppermost in certain
type of Congressional mind.
The Congressman who opposed
what they demagogically term "con-
scription," appealing to all the old
prejudices connected with the name,
are persuaded that the selective sys-
tenn is unpopular. They have doubt
less received frantic kilograms and
letters from constituents who didn't
raise their boys to be soldiers any
way, and who. believe that they
would be safe from the prospect Of
I separation from their precious
progeny if volunteer army is to be
raised. If this sentiment is general
throughout the country, then AmeFi-
ca has already been defeated, our
proudest traditions have become
parodies, and all that our worst
enemies have said and our official
enemy is saying will be proven truth.
It remains for the people them
selves, the sobet-minded, quiet
folks, who are nevertheless nerved
by the holiest motives of natriotism
and who are determined to win this
war against barbarism- tyranny
at any costs, to let their servants in
the House and in the Senate under
stand what their wishes are. They
need. have no fear of the result if
for once they will emulate the ex-
ample of the telegraph brigade and
the letter-writing crew who Ap-
parently have transmitted their own
cowardly sentiments to their Con-
gressmen as typical of the American
ism of this day.
We have no sort of doubt that the
people are with the President. III this
fight, and the President has nailed
his flag to the mast. He has re-
jected every compromise and is in
the fight to the finish. He has won
many contests before against oppo-
sition founded upon far more pa
triotic motives. If the people will
only let their public servants, now
misrepresenting them, understand
their will, the battle will be over
and war with Germany will begin
without a shameful confession OF
failure when an army has to be
raised.