The Oskaloosa herald., 1918-12-19
FIGHT IhPENDS
ON PREPAREDNESS
OPPOSING FORCES IN CONTEST
TO BE cLAssED AS MILlTAR- (
IsTs AND PAclFIsTs.
BIG STANDING ARMY OPPOSED
Resolution Seeking to Take Control
of Committees Out of Hands of
Few Old Members May Bring Rev
oution in Senate.
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.

BY AK Hulk w. DUNN.
Washington.-The contest is already
on between those who win be classed
as militaristS on one hand and pacitistS
on the other. Now that the war is
many people who We're for peace, but
| supported the war because the country
engaged in 1t, will array themselves in
favor of disarmament and for reducing
| military expenditures to the limit No
doubt they will be called "pacifsts,"
but thai epithet will not carry with ii
the stigma that was attached while
! the country was at war. Iii every man
| who wants to reduce the size OF the
army and cut down military expendi-
lures is called pdcifist, they will have
a pretty good-sized party by that name
in a few months. a.
The militarists will point out how
much quicker and easier it would have
been to win the war if the United
States had been fully prepared and
equipped in the beginnings No Doubt
Il great deal will be said about lack
of ordnance, munitions, arms and 9TH
er war materials generally, as well as
| the lack of trained men, and these will
be laid down as arguments for a larg-
er military establishment in the future.
The other side, however, will insist
that the United States went in and
won the war in Is months and that
it was with comparatively little diff
Guilty that an army was raised,
equipped, trained, and put into the
field. And so the fight will be con-
Quoted, but the prospects are that
congress will not favor Il very large
military establishment.
People outside of Washington do not
care very much what happens in regard
10 the organization of committees in
congress, and so to them the Norris
resolution is not important. This res
Olution is intended to defeat the pow
er which now exists In Il coterie of old
senators because they are at the top
of and control most of the important
committees of the senate. 1t is rather
surprising that new senators, and
those who have long served on com
mittees of little or no Importance, have
allowed the good places to be mCnOpO-
li2ed by the older senator's, but that is
one OF the traditions of the senate.
The Norris resolution, in proposing to
distribute these good committee places
in a more equitable manner, may be
the germ of a revolution. However, ii
does not make very much difference
about committee assignments, for Il
man who can handle himself well in
debate can take care of all the legiS-
lation he wants on the floor of the sen
ate and is beholden to no committee
assignment for his position in that
body.
Just before the senate adjourned
Senator Ashurst of Arizona tried with
might and main to bring up bill,
which lie said he had been pushing for
three years. AS the time for adjourn
ment drew near Ashurst asked Senator
Mckellar of Tennessee, who controlled
the floor at the time to withdraw his
bill-an important one and likely to
cause considerable discussiOn-so thai
the Ashurst bill could be taken up.
II understand it is utterly impossible
to pass my bilI,p said Ashurst, "be-
cause it saves the federal government
several hundred thousand dollars. /
know, Of course. if it had appropriated
Il million ii would have passed long
ago" The Arizona senator didn't real
ly believe things were that bad, but it
ed by congress spending money while
one is being passed to save it.
The senate will lose n newspaper
man when Senator William Alden
Smith Of Michigan retircs on March l.
but the loss will be offset by Senator
Arthur Capper Of Kansas, who win
take his scat on the same day. The
other newspaper men in the senate are
Hitchcock of Nebraska. Harding Of
Ohio, and New of Indiana. New Is not
now connected with newspaper.
A -
|. One awful legacy which the Germans
have left to the Beigians, one thing
which the Belgians have in greater
quantity than they had before the Hun
overran their country, is tuberculosis.
The Red Cross is beginning a campaign
to stamp out the white plague, which
has Increased largely In those portions
of Belgium that We're occupied BY the
Germans until recently. II Is said that
the disease has gained victims especial
ly among young women who were
Obliged To work In munition and in
dustrial plants. Truly German kultur
Is wonderful thing.
Cbedicnt.