New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-20
wasHINGTON, Nay 10.


yobodv can imagine it. Every
sanders Why every one else
rs not
A.. ssvs. "It is a matter OF six 20
:, months more and he might as
n No talking Of the probable in
-, Of the suns radiation OF heat
nine million years hence.
< ,,.,h.r SAYS: Beginning about
,.yrbsr /, it will be matter of life
!, d,,,b with England" After
!. and simless pause, he adds;
\ a. We are debating whether to
4 IA steel or wooden ships" Then he
r.. vp the merits of the argument
vs,n a member Of orc board meets
another board he asks: "What
r yop doing?
Nothing" is the answer. we can I
ANYTHING done. It's horribly de-
rasirg" -.
nit will comfort you any 10 know"
- N, o,her, Eve are not doing any
snr. either
r,.s, are real conversations. They
4 u, pl,es not in the void of despair,
n =, nobody is despairing; not in the
4 ain Of panic, for nobody Is panic
r,;,s,u; not in the darkness OF douo''
,,,,us. every one can sec at least a
I'll. way.
Ever, one is ready TO act. over
,,-,thins is the spell of insction.
Ordinations are offered with
,ux;ous and voluble eagerness, only
isy are never in two places alike
let y, talk frankly" says a men,
w sftke Advisory Commission. I'VE
~ prepared to act, but look at this
!. uses a large glass ash tray to
1 uh . little matchbox across his
.at blotter.
". are the matchbox. The ash
M 1. the people. The matchbox
4 sttt to be pulling the ash tray, but
ant II has no power Of its own.
las 10 wait to be pushed. II moves
vly 50 fast as the ash tray propels
/; Ths, is the situation. We wait to
sp1shed from behind"
is clear TO him where the power
: i.sld come from-as clear as
rsblem in mechanical transmission
ID with that crystal idea one goes and
his to a member Of the Defence Coun-
1 which is above the Advisoy Com
,uen.
as is enormously indignant. ANY
e. he says, "who insinuates that
sre Is inertia or any lack Of will to
1 y: IN the Council or at the White
i'gss must have his fight with me.
'ty not put the blame where il clearly
x.cngs! Congress does not know we
Cr at war. II sits there day after day
tsgling over vital war measures as II
sy we're matters Of petty domestic
slitIes. In its tenderness for Mr.
l'esevet il held up the draft bill
" weeks. We are ready TO act We
sss only the power. Congress with
slss it, IL withholds even the power
rnoney. Il has not yet appropriated
''a.y for the ships. Think of that. u
rs clear to the Council Of National
's'snee where the power ought TO come
Sr, and so you go up the great
II and talk TO Congress. There arc
ANY mines 10 avoid in the approach.
i'' cannot tell what you are going TO
rhext But above the noise OF sepa-
ne explosions there is the clysmio
rr Of complaint.
ihs Is Congress talking: "They put
y to US, do they? Well, you can say
~ Congress that it is prepared 20 act
'r as soon as the Administration.
10 Its thousand committees, knows
's II wants and asks for II. Con-
'Hn may act even sooner. II may have
nke the war over and run II. We
<nsnd only plan on which TO act and
Information that properly goes with
II We are asked to sit blindfolded
~ pass extraordinary laws without
sVsate reasons why. We do not know
'a' Is going on. We do not know
's'her the situation is critical or
W serious. We arc asked TO give
.'er. power, always more power. but
~" Is no eoordinated war programme
"Se know OF and no record Of re-
:" produced with the power already
snsd. Let the Administration tell
"sress frankly what the situation
sad what II needs. instead or send
Ssp laws to be passed as written,
~. Tor instance. as the un-American
- "s' which it took us several weeks
Precious time to kill"
IVY you 90 down of the hill and
" The other end Of Washington.
70 the first proper Official you
'no That Congress has an alibi, too.
s.1ao' act for want Of information.
can't It have the information I!
!" T" The truth withheld? Why is it
east upon Congress and upon the
ss Of something you don't