Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-01-26
CONDUCT OF WAR
SETS CAPITAL AGOG
Roosevelt in Washington and
Stone and Chamberlain Speeches
Make Stirring Week
Sr,riol Correspondence Eruuog Ir,bar scco,r


WASHINGTON, Jan. 25
TNlIG week just closed has been one OF the
i busiest since the declaration Of war 1t
has been a stirring week both as to war
and political conditions, Senator Stone OF
Missouri, may not have timed his attack
upon the Republican party to chime in with
tho visit Of Colonel Roosevelt, but iC lie had
planned IT he could not have done more
to stir up - hornets nest Senator stone
evidently did not please the President 80
much as he pleased Colonel Roosevelt and
the Republican leaders,
The Democratic Senators did not relish his
speech either. They acted during it's de-
livery as if they wished he had not made it.
Tho Senator was spurrCd on, evidently, by
a few Republican ATTACKS in the House upon
the alleged partiSHuship OF the NdminiStra-
ton in making war appointment, but his
chief worry seemed 90. arise from the pub
lcation in Missouri newspaper Of editorial
articles dictated 10y Colonel Roosevelt re
ncctinE upon the conduct Of the war and
complaining of a lack Of preparedness
The Republican Senators .Chccrfully aC-
cCptcd the gauntlet thrown down by the
Missouri Senator and led by Senator Lodge,
Of Massachusetts, and Senator Penrosc, of
Pennsylvania, sat erect and jubilant through
out the entire proceedings. Up to this point
Colonel Roosevelt appeared only as an innO-
cent bystandcr at whom the Missouri Sen
ator SHE'D his brCkbats. Before the close Of
the week there We're some Republicans who
were intimatnC that Senator Stone had ac-
tually entered the lists from desire to aid
the Republican party. There were others
equally facctious who suggested that the
President might now accedc more checrfully
to the desire of Colonel Roosevelt to form
a division and go abroad to fight the battles
of his country than he was when the propo-
sition was first advanced
The Attack Upon Chamberlain
The Presidents attack upon Senator
Chamberlain, Democratic chairman of the
Military Affairs Committee of the Senate.
was an incident Of the smoldering differences
between the White House and the Senate
which found vent through the Stone
speech. Chamberlain is a popular member
OF the Senate, generally regarded as capable,
sincere and high-minded. lie had shown
marked ability as the head of the Military
Affairs Committee.
The Presidents swift reply to his New
York speech therefore, was surprising to
both Democrats and Republicans II was u
challenge from the White House more biting
than the presidential Characterization Of
the thirteen Senators who voted against war.
That Chamberlain would reply to ii was
foregone conclusion, and that he did reply
before one Of the largest crowds that ever
attempted to occupy the Senate chamber on
Thursday last Is we'll known. Almost every
Senator was in his seat the galleries We're
crowded TO suffoCaton and all available
standing room on the Senate floor was uCcu-
pied by members of the House and other
privileged persons.
Taken with the Stone-Lodge- -Penrose field
day the Chamberlain incident went far to
prove up an actual difference of opinion
between the executive and the legislative
branches of the Government which, in the
midst Of our war troubles, are unfortunate
to say the least. That Republicans have been
chafng at the bit for several months goes
without saying. They have not been con-
suited by the President and have gone
along" feeling that they were placing so
great responsibility upon the President at
his own request as to ihvite a conflict. That
the Democrats themselves should open up
the fight and so irrtate the White House
as to develop a breach was probably more
than they expected.
Roosevelt on the Scene
Enter Colonel Roosevelt! with such a
storm approaching, a congressional cam
paign dead ahead and presidential cam
paign in the Ofilng, was II to he expected
that the Colonel should keep out? Not much
About the time Senator Stone made his an
nouncement that he was going to tell the
Republicans something, word came from
oyster Bay that Colonel Roosevelt expected
to visit Washington. The little birds had
been telling OF visits to oyster Bay by GER
tain members OF the House. who believed the
Republicans ought 10 be doing something" :"
In due course the Colonel arrived. In good