Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-21
Washington. Aug. 81.

Washington. Aug. 81.
DHILADELPHIA's celebrity as a
ship.building center was somewhat
neutralized by the press reports Of the
Fifth Ward conspiracy trial, but with
the return of Congress unfavorable
comment gives way to the discussion
OF important national topics. While
the West Chester proceedings oc.
cupied the front page. Philadelphians
known in Washington come in for
more or less favorable mention. The
effect of it all upon Senator Penrose
on the one hand, and Congressman
Ware on the other. was theme for
the national Grundies. The senior
Senator, after n brief sojourn to Hot
Springs, Va, returned to the capitol
to find ahead of him d fine prospect
for long and tedious struggle with
the revenue bill. He is the Republican
leader of the Senate Finance Com.
mittee, and as such. finds the two
months-old baby" of the Democratic
Ways and Means Committee dumped
upon his doorstep. 1t will take good
while to comprehend the meaning of
that unusual measure and to under.
stand its effect upon the industries
sylvania's interests are so vast and
will be so seriously affected by the
Governments demand for $S,000.000
600 in taxes. that, judging from en-
perience in the Ways and Means Com
mittee, the Senator may expect a
veritable avalanche of briefs, argu.
ments, protests and personal vista.
| tions. 1t is a wise statesman who
braces himself for the coming con.
test, and 1t is fortunate, perhaps, that
the Senator was able to put in few
days in the mountains of Virginia,
where the telephone and the telegraph
could not conveniently reach him. 1t
| is likely the Senate Finance Commit.
tee will take several weeks, maybe a
month. for hearings on the bill. 1t
will have a concrete proposition be-
fore it in the Ways and Means Com
mittee report. and the public will have
had an opportunity to dissect it.
IDR. HOBART a. HARE needs nc
~ introduction to the medical fra
ternity in Washington. The Doctor
who has lately become the president
of the Five O'Clock Club, of Phila
delphia. is known here in both army
and navy circles because of his in
tense interest in the medical branches
of the service. Recently the Doctor
has taken up the cudgels for officers
OF the army and navy, who he thinks
should be relieved from the payment
of income taxes because of the Other
sacrifices they are making. This is g
moot question and always will be, nt
doubt. so long as there Is SO great
disparity between the pay of enlisted
men and those who are put in com
mand. There is much to be said iI
favor of the Doctors plan, but those
who object to it contend that the eX
emption of officers from income take:
would release many wealthy men who
have been able to obtain and hold higf
place in the service. With regard tc
the Five O'Clock Club. which has done
so much in years gone by to spread
the fame of Philadelphia for hos
pitality and good-fellowship. Doctor
Hare takes the position which is helt
by the Gridiron Club in Washington
that it's activities during the wal
should be limited to such functions a.
patriotism and public spirit dictate.
TNHE unhappy fact that German!
has taken a number of American
soldiers and now holds them captive
raises a question as to the treatmen
to be accorded Germans now held II
American camps. Where two coun
tries play the game as 1t Is now belnf
played by the United States and Ger
many. it is possible for one country
which deems it's nationals to be thu
victims of unjust or unsoldier-likt
treatment. to retaliate by inflictint
similar or worse punishment upon thu
!, prisoners in it's possession. The an
nouncement that the Kaiser has con
sented to a conference in Switzerland
between Representatives of the two
nations, to deliberate upon the treat
ment and exchange o. prisoners. there
fore, is Of importance to'a numbe
of Philadelphia families whose SOM
, have recently been reported among
the missing.
Concern oyer these boys, many o
whom may now be in the hands o
l the Germans, is naturally as great a
If they had lost their bearings an
fallen into an abyss. In at least tw'
/ instances officers familiar to Phila
e delphians are known to be in Ger
i man hands. One of these is Captai
E. T. Prosper, United States Medica
Reserve Corps, who has been locate
at Cassel.Hessen, Germany. and tn
e other is Lieutenant John A. White
y who was on the staff Of residen
v physicians at the Philadelphia Genera
Hospital, and who enrered BIRTHS