The Washington herald., 1918-03-20

Holland pointed out in his letter
in this paper yesterday morning that
former Ambassador James Gerard had
made a snug sum of money out of his
publications since returning from Ger
many.
Very true, we believe.
But Mr.. Gerard appears to have for
feited the friendship of President VIII
son as result of the same publica-
tions.
For, as we hinted in these columns
before. the close friends OF Mr.. Ger
ard have complained to close friends
of the President. upon several oc-
casiOns, that the executive has not
seen Mr. Gerard to talk over German
matters with him and has shown no
inclination whatever to gather from
the former ambassador information
about the country where the latter
had his thrilling experiences.
And it is hinted that the sole rea-
! son for this was the desire of Mr..
Gerard to rush into print with all his
affairs, and to make money out of a
mission which some of the Presi-
Dental well-wishers say was not de-
signed to be commercial in its nature.
The article upon which a certain
magazine was said to have been
frowned upon by the PostoffiCe De-
partment appears to be less damaging
than the editorial which apears at
the front OF the same magazine. We
canont help but wonder IL Col. Roose-
welt was responsible for the publica-
ton of the editorial-if he was we
know now why the President said
strong things about 7. r. and indi-
Gated that the Washington monument
would walk of its own free will to the
Rocky mountains before he would
give the Colonel 50 much as a com
mission as second lieutenant, or am
bassador TO Dahoma.
Simple methods whereby soldiers in
the service of their country can vote
no matter where they may be, are be-
ing worked out by the legislatures Of
several Western States. One Western
State we have heard of does not IN
tend 10 make it obligatory 10 send
voting commissions to gather the bal
lots, but merely makes il incumbent
upon the soldier to sign his name to
his ballot and then swear TO IL before
the commanding officer OF his unit.
This, operated with a check by veri-
flying the enlistment OF his home town
in the State, will make the proceeding
safe one and will guarantee every
soldier vote.
. You have heard, as We have, the
statement that some men you know
of couldn't run for dog catcher"
w. lrtf h.
psychology of the people against this
particular occupation until yesterday,
when dog catcher was operating in
the vicinity of the Capitol.
We understand now.
Senators and congressman and Sec
retaries and soldiers and people In
general who saw the dog catcher try
ing with might and main to run down
white cur, up and down the Capitol
steps and across the lawn and hitheI
and thither all gave him the merry
ha-ha when he failed to catch the
''purp."
They heoted him and howled at him,
and, we suspect. would have secreted
the dog away from him IL he had come
within close enough reach to threaten
an actual capture.
AluiNs 10 OIlc itlal mas
no rewards. In sight of the people, all
ages alike and all classes, the dog
catcher has nothing that commends
him. Perhaps his work is a good one
and perhaps his captures sometimes
save the community from mad dog
scares. But these are never taken
into consideration when the people see
the official operating. They think oi
him as the lowest in all the official
list.
The priorities committee of the wai
Industries Board has an interesting
work. More problems are put up to II
and much more important, we wotile
add-than have been put up to Cabi'
net officers under peace conditions
The work is one that requires al
abundance of courage and the mos
acute discretion. So far the present
committee, under the able leadership ol
Judge Parker, has done great work
The judge himself and his associates
have hsS prnisiArs tn pniva the irss