The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-08-10
National Legislators, Dazed At
First, Are Beginning To
Realize Task
WILSON KEEPS GAINING
STRENGTH WITH COUNTRY
Criticism Of President In Wash
ington Not Reflected In
Opinion Of Nation
BY ERNEST @. WALKER
Mail Special TO The Advertiser.)

WASHINGTON, July 26-Armage-
ddon has been getting very much on
the NERVES of almost everybody at
Washington the last few days. Perhaps,
this is because the people are getting
new measurement on the proportions
of the task. There is probably little
element of weather in the status. The
local atmosphere has been saturated
heavily with moisture for n fortnight,
with excessive heat and heavy electric
storms almost daily. This has been
very trying to the thousands and thou
sands of very hard worked individuals
by the Potomac. .-.... .....
But Gaping all this have been un-
pleasant reports and Recommendation
and revelations. None of these, ap.
parently, is in itself very serious, but
the several things have dampened the
general husiasm--certainly have re-
pressed the militant disposition toward
optimism, which is just as strong a
tendency here as elsewhere throughout
America. Those who analyze, think
the Russian reverses inaugurated the
pessimistic feeling. Then came the re-
Quests from Secretary MeAdoo for sew.
eral additional billions of funds for
war purposes. That was traceable back
70 the War Department chiefly but
there is no escaping the conclusion that
Secretary MeAdoo was quite as much
surprised as were the Legislators on the
Hill. who, while they can and will
HRnd" the money have been hopping
Precipitation for days and wondering af-
ter al where these additional billions
would come from.
Heat Frazzles Tempers
The great heat has not been con.
dncive TO calm elaboration. Under II
nearly the whole official population has
been little more Initiative than usual
and the big rows have fourished. The
shipping row was one of them. although
il may be that President Wilson has
settled it. Probably, the designations
Of Gen. Cocktails, the Panama Canal
builder, and Of William Denman, of San
Francisco, and the President Is prompt
designation Of capable successors, will
put this more or less famous dispute
quickly into retrospect. Nevertheless
there is some grumbling among SEN
stors Said one of them, very emf
nent Senator, today, who, however, was
shy about quotation marks:
" Either Goetbals or Denman was
right. One Of them was certainly
wrong. Responsibility goes with pow.
err aud authority. Each of them was
certainly under great responsibility to
the country But the President, instead
of siding with the one who was right
and dismissing the one that was wrong,
shipped off both heads. That was dis
tinctly Wilsonian. I have many times
had TO meet problems of this same
character. (The senator, like many of
his colleagues, had served as governor
of great state). think the President
could have met the situation much more
Justly. do not think his letters
regarding this controversy were all
they should have been"
Army Opinion Pessimistic
The widely circulated reports that
a commission of army officers return
ing from tour of observation in
Europe had concluded the German
line was impregnable proved distinct
ly shock here as evidently il did
elsewhere in the country. Secretary
Of War Baker thought il was sufi-
eiently serious 10 merit a denial and
Senator Nelson, Of Minnesota, in the
course of O speech remarked about the
wickedness Of such assertions, evident.
ly calculated 10 "unnerve" the PEG.
pie As matter of fact, kindred
comments from professional army cir
eles, have prevailed in Washington
from the very beginning of the great
war. The average West Pointer in
the Army can not comprehend how
nation that has been concentrating on.
war preparations for 40 years can fail
: 70 be victorious, even though these
West Pointers are springing vigorous
w TO the cOUntry's call for the very
best services that its trained warriors
can offer.
There will naturally como rebound
but in the meantime the lugubrations
have stiffened the backbone Of con
pressional rrities With the digging of
80 many "blue caves,n a moro robust
minority began to assert itself. The
house Republicans dared TO hold up the
food control bill for twenty-fOur hours
aud prevent It's being sent to confer
enee They relented, however, as was
told several days ago and, after all,
win likely enough stand pretty firmly
with 1.-THE President" for whatever he
saws is necessary, The President will
evidently knock in the head the efforts
Of senate coterie for a committee on
the conduct Of the war. II has been
sponsored from the start by partisan
politicians and the President has now
taken pains TO have 1t shown how u
similar committee during the Civil War
operated to the embarrassment Of Pres
ident Lincoln.
whsWi what SUM-
The loyal Willingness OF both par
ties IN congress to stand by President
Wilson has not shaken but the esti.
mates Of $4,000, 100000 for the first
wear Of war expenses has certainly set
the makers of revenue bills 10 think,
ing Al first blush there were such eSt
CARNATIONS as 1.-THE War Department