The Monticellonian., 1918-03-15
PLAN FOR LASTING
 PEACE |S FIRST
coNGREssMEN CONSIDER IT IS MOST IMPORTANT OF THE
 PRESIDENTS PROPOSALS.
STRONG GUARANTY DEMAN DED
Idea Will Be to Make an Ending of Anything Like Future World Wars Why Little Interest Seems Taken In Important Legislation.
By ARThuR ". DUNN.

By ARTHUR w. DUNN.
 Washtngton.-While it is long look ahead to the time when the peace ne gotiators will gather around a table, yet peace proposals are still made and peace conditions discussed. The Il propositions which President Wilson laid down in his address of January are the basis of discussion among men In congress, and the one that many con slider most important of all Is that which refers to disarmament and guar anteed peace of the world.
 There will be no stronger article in the terms of peace" said Congressman Thomas $. Butler of Pennsylvania, a man of Quaker descent, but who votes for the vigorous prosecution of the war, than that which provides for per tnanent peace. It may be that strong navy will still have to be maintained by those who guarantee peace, in or der to police the world, but If the senti- ment of the people of this country Is to be felt 1t will certainly insist upon making the world peace guaranty as strong us possible. believe the other peoples of the world are so weary of war that they will also want to write permanent peace in the strongest pos sible terms"
 Debates Cause Little Interest. The lack of interest displayed in the proceedings of both house and senate may be attributed to the fact that the | most important legislation is now pre- pared by the executive departments and whipped Into shape" or modified to some extent. by committees. For the most part senators on the Demo cratic side have determined to support the bills which the administration asks for carrying on the war. A large num- Der of Republicans have made up their minds to do the same. There may be small minority of Democrats who would like to assert their opinion, and do assert 1t from time to time, but only two or three vote against legisla tion which the administration wants. There are on the Republican side number of senators who think that the legislation asked for Is too drastic and some of 1t unnecessary, and they are | inclined to express their opinions and discuss the bills, but few votes are cast against administration bills. The Dem ocratic side having charge of the bills must enter into q defense of them. That Is what proongs the debate in the senate, but 1t is a debate which Is not listened to by very many sena- tors.
 Even a discussion of the important railroad bill failed to keep quorum in the senate and the most interesting speeches on that subject were not lis tened to by more than a dozen sena- tors.
 Army Officers Expenses Heavy.
 naval officer sat in the gallery the other day when the senate was dis cussing bill which provided that off, cers of the army and navy could ob- tain their uniforms at cost from the government This bill was put through by the energy of Senator Jones of Washington. who upon com plaint investigated and found that most of the officers in the army were almost debarred from service on ac- count of the high cost of their uni- forms and equipment. It is not gem orally understood by the people throughout the country that an officer must purchase all of his supplies, not only his uniform. but his fighting equipment and his tent equipment, everything In fact which Is furnished to the enlisted man free by the govern ment. It costs an officer something like $500 to get into the service and there are very many of them who can not afford that sum.
 Well, to return to the naval officer who was in the gallery while the dis cussion was going on. He was very much interested and when the bill finally passed he turned to n friend and remarked that, "They no doubt think they are doing a good deal for the officers, but the saving on unl- forms will be mighty small matter. It would be a much better thing for the officers if they would increase their pay"
 And there was something in what this officer said, for the pay of the private soldier or sailor in this war has been more than doubled, but no one has yet felt 1t necessary to get an increase of pay for the officers.
 MlddIe-cIass Belgalns Suffer.
 'sThose of the middle classes are most to be pitied. for they have too much pride to go to the soup kitchens and not enough money to buy food is part of statement made by the official Belgian information service in Washington, referring to the awful conditions existing in Belgium. I, has been stated over and over again since the agitation began as far back as 1910 in regard to the high cost of living that large middle class of salaried people were among the worst sufferers on account of high prices. That is true to a great extent now, for the people ,of this class cannot stand in the bread line or patronize the soup kitchens. They and the very poor | who cannot reach the nlaceH where