Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-09


WASHINGTON, March s.
DRESIDENT WILSON'S addresses to Con-
i gress are regarded as literary MASTER
pieces, and to a certain extent are transcend
Ing the ordinary diplomatic communications.
But criticism has been leveled at some or the
recent utterances of the President because
they are either too warlike or too pacihc. ac'
cording to the critics point of view. with ms
many domestic problems of war and finance
the President has difficult role TO play anu
cannot possibly please everybody. congress-
has been going along with the fresiuens
from the beginning of the war period ana
Republicans have stood by him as sohd'y
as have tho Democrats. 1t VIII ne CON
tended In the coming congressman ci'c''onS
that the Republicans have been even more
loyal to the Presidents war measures thah
have his own political followers.
But the inclination of members OF Con-
yress to stand by the President does not
conceal the deep concern which many OF
them entertain with respect To the tuture
They insist that Congress has done It's part.
that everything the Administration asKen
for in the way Of authority and appropri-
stions thus far has been granted, and that
the time has como for producing results, or
at least for throwing more light upon me
war situation. II is now eleven months
since the United States entered the war. and
something substantial in the way of achieve
mont is demanded. The official bureau
of publicity keeps the newspapers supplied
with carefully censored Information, nut the
cry for action is now making itself heard In
legislative halls As one Senator put 1t the
other day. I'VE need less talk and more
shIps." and his reference to talk" did not
pertain to that which is printed in the Con-
gressional Record.
II is hard to define the mental attitude
of the average citizen in Washington The
routina worker is concerned about an in
crease of salary and the ordinary resident
has almost forgotten the war in his struggle
10 keep down rentals and living cost; 4; but
the thinker who tries to deal inteligently
with problems of state is up tree
Hate Stories Becoming Familiar
The city Is full of propagandists. men who
heIieye in every conceivable form of govern
ment, who criticize the Administration and
Congress and who II put IN charge OF the
war in Europe would doubtless end 1t In
n trice There are wiseacres and visionaries
40 numerous that the various departments.
10 save time and prevent meddling, are
obliged TO throw up barriers against them
In addition there are many designing fell
lows some of them paid by the Government
who keep the rumor factory going and who
prove up "spies and traitors with as much
abandon as the fly detectives of a metro
politan city sometimes produce incrimi-
mating evidence that is ruled out by the
courts.
The number of men and women put upon
the various secret service rolls of the Gov
eminent has steadily increased since the
war began, and there Is a growing suspicion
that some of them have recently been dis
covering bomb plots and other mysterious
| enemy agencies In order to hold their Jobs.
| Whether any of them are taking or not,
| II is noteworthy that since the President
| delivered his recent address to Congress, I'm
| terms calculated to catch the Austrian ear,
| there has been a "call down" on such sensa-
tionai spy stories as have emcnated, for
| instance, from an exceptionally ardent edi-
| torial propagandst at Providence, r. l.
| The Creel Information Bureau. which Is
| said TO have put out some of the early
| hate stuf," also announced recently tina,
this policy might not be wise one and that
| ofncially It should be discontinued. These
| things give some warrant for the uefier that
| the "hot stun" which comes from such un-
| compromising writer's and speakers as Mr.
Roosevelt. Mr.. Taft James NJ. Beck, Henry
| van Dyke and others. may not be who'll,
| acceptable to the Administration. At an,
| rate, these gentlemen are not being con.
suited with any degree OF regularity at the
| White House
The Bryan Incident
The recent snubbins of Mr.. Bryan in Can
ada . attributed by many 70 the ',hate'
Gr1pl& Qocpfrlng q q A ~ ~ very how