The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-03-04


 for the service of the government trains and train crews, His hope that American business might be permitted to combine. in securing foreign trade is. for the moment. a forlorn hope.
 WILSON'S PROGRAMME FAILS
 The Congress was in the hands of lclibitionists and labor leaders. Just how successfully the former played their cards is familiar story. The orawny masters who make it a busi- ness to lobby in behalf of organized lapor, played a more covert but an equally successful game. Last Sep 'ember when they threatened a rail- road strike of national proportions, they forced Congress to do their bid- ding. When modified by the passage or the eight-hour law which decreased their hours of work and increased their wages, they set about securing the defeat of legislation which would curb their power to declare other strikes They were successful to the polnt that Congress. distracted by the paclfists and prohibitionists failed for thc hrst time to do the bidding of President Wilson. His entire pro- gramme, planned as complement to the September legislation. which gave the employees their pound of flesh. en- countered conclusive defeat His ef- Tort to do common justice to the rail- roads his effort to protect the peo- pie against probability of nationwide distress through railroad strikes, fell flat
 At the beginning of the session when 1t was known that the Pres1- dent would endeavor to secure fegis- latlon curbing the power of strike pro ducers, the labor politicians gathered. In December they leveled the guns which had served them so well in Sep tember. In September they command ed Congress to act and Congress act ed In December they commanded Con- gerss to sleep and Congress slept
 THE DRAMATIC SIDE
 In exciting cimaxes Congress made up for what it lacked In real achievment In the dramatic it starred. From the beginning 1t displayed an ineptitude to labor. In sensational sport however. if continuously engaged. 4Prohibitionists. for weeks, held the center of the stage Their main efforts were directed towards secur- ing dry District of Columbia. Altar declining in the Senate to permit the neo- pie of the district to express their opin- ion on prohibition, they forced their bill. by means of an unparalleled gag rule through the House. Tn the general me lee. however, the local optionists secured the enactment of an amendment to the
 
 states bone dry-and which. it is believed by certain members of both factions. will reduce the prohibition strength by the elimination of the prohibition politician.
 But the climaxes of the session were furnished by the President. The first was his December appearance when he mapped out the administration legisla- tive programme, and subjected himself to the heckling of militant suffrag gettes. who, from a balcony, dropped into his face banner advertising themselves and their cause. The second was his Jan uary appearance before the Senate when he pronounced his theory for an inter- national brotherhood an international army, and a perpetual peace without vic tory. The third was his February ap- pearance when he announced the sever- ance of diplomatic relations between the United States and Germany and when he informed the Senate that on account of the abrogation by Germany of its pre- vious pledges, he had demanded the with drawal of the German ambassador. Count Von Bernstorn On Thursday of this week the chief ex- ecutive played his trump card in mak- ing public Information in the hands of the government that Germany had en- deavored to ally Mexico and Japan against the United States, and had prom ised the former as it's part of the spells the American states of Texas Arizona and New Mexico.
 PREPARING FOR WAR The chief service of Congress in the session just closing consisted in prelimi- nary steps which will result in putting this country on the map of the military and naval world. For present and fu- ture requirements of the navy sum approximating $500 600 was appropriat- ed. For the army sum approximating $500 0oo,0oo was authorized. This money,