The Washington times., 1918-05-15
FUSS IN CONGRESS
ON WAR PROGRESS
PROVING HELPFUL
By DAVID LAWRENCE.
Continued from First PsEe.J

presses an opposition TO broader IN
quiries that might seem to relate to
other parts Of the program.
As a matter OF fact, there Is
serious distrust at the bottom OF the
matter. which is entirely apart from
the merits OF constituting any Con-
gressional coHmittee powerful
board OF Inquiry. The executive ofh-
cisls feel that members of the Senate
committee not only have been sniping
at the War Department and the
President. but that partisan politics
is involved. The fact that Senators
Hitchcock and Chamberlain are
projected as the leaders OF the move
ment and that both are Democrats
doesn't make the movement non-par-
tisan by any means, as the amalga-
nation OF these two Senators with
the Republican opposition has been
too frequent to consider them as
representatives or spokesmen OF the
Democratic party.
Seeing motives that may or may
not be these, seeing tactics which the
general public cannot always see and
knowing OF the hymns OF hate that
are sung in the cloakrooms OF the
Senate by the men who have bitterly
opposed the President from the very
1913, il is not to be wondered that the
President says he would construe the
passage of a resolution creating a
committee OF inquiry as a vote OF lack
OF confidence in him.
But on the other hand. there are
men on Capitol Hill who think much
good already has been accomplished
by honest Congressional criticism,
however much annoyance might have
been caused by the purely partisan
kind. There may be a compromise
possible as to the scope OF the COM
mittee on inquiry, but that some
means by which popular complaints
can be sifted on their merits should
be provided is absolutely essential to
ultimate success in the war.
Officials have a way OF becoming
complacent and self-satisfed when
there is no driving force behind them.
Officials have a way OF acting arbi-
trarily when there is no check upon
them. II the Senatorial committees
had spent less time trying to get the
scalp OF certain Cabinet officers and
had directed their fire at subordinate
officials and bureaus, and exposed
the weaknesses OF the war program,
the need for a war committee in Con-
gress would be more apparent than
il Is today.
As it is. the Senatorial Committee
on Military Affairs has frequently
Ovcrplayed its hand with eXagBer-
ated statements. and the Executive Is
apt 10 feel that he is so much strong
er with the country than is the Sen
ate committee that ne can put his
foot down hard on incipient revolts,
such as the resolution for a war com
mittee implies--Without much consid-
Grafton for its members. For on a
anal showdown. IL the President
makes an issue OF II. he probably will
win.
Congress after all can always sum
mon officials OF the War and Navy
to appear before its com
mittees and accomplish by public
hearings most OF the purposes Of the
pending resolution. though a formally
committee would be OF
greater help TO the country.
Were IL not for the personnel OF the
there would be no diff
Guilty in effecting a compromise. but
the enlargement OF the committee in
such fashion as TO put the opponents
Of the President in the majority has
treated seemingly unalterabIe
pre- ejudice at the executive end OF
avenue.
Congress and the President are
hardly in harmony as yet.
The Senate Military Affairs Com
mittee stirred up in December a fuss
which practically amounted TO a de
sire TO remove some members Of MI I
Wilson's Cabinet. This the Executive
resented. He cOuntered with the
Ovcrman bin to remove legislative re ,
StriCtiOn and rcd tape II was intro I
duCed in February. reported TO com
nitees in March. and now. in the mid |
die OF May. after three months OF /
naggling and much waste Of time, T.
has been passed by both houses ex-
actly in the form asked for riGinaIIy I
by the PreSideTf
Much time has been lost. much feel .
ng has been exhibited, much con- I
roversy has been stirred up. much J
CgiSlation OF Importance has been de- I.
syed. and the only consoling thought 7
me can have il that no other democ- I
'acy fares any better when il comes ,
o making war