The Washington herald., 1918-03-02

the members to return home for a
week or two and obtain ideas on the
enormity and character of problems
in their home districts, has been
suggested to the Observer by a
member who feels the need of get
ting more information.
IN this time of rapidly changing
conditions I frankly believe that 1t
would be a wise step to take. L
hope the members will think 1t over.
The labor problem. particularly,
should be studied at close range by
the members
There isn't the least political tinge
to this proposal This member will
not be a candidate again for four
years-if he does then-and his only
hope in making the proposal now is
that the members will accept it and
then go home and derive great bene-
At from contact with their constit-
uents.
There have been proposals made
at the Capitol which have struck
US as being much worse than this
one. Certainly none of the members
is making any great boast just now
that he knows all about everything
at home. II he does he's a good
one. Why not let them return home
and view actual conditions?
The medical row, which, upon
many occasions in the past. has split
legislatures of the various states,
is being reflected. to some extent,
in Congress at the present time
The solution has not been thought
out, so far as we are able to deter
k,,N Sz
observable at the War Department,
to delay it for some time.
The osteopaths of the country
want recognition in the Medical
Corps of the army. The NJ. DIS of
of which the Medical Corps is COM
posed, naturally enough, perhaps,
are fighting the proposal. They in
sist that osteopathy is not a recog-
nized school of of healing, particu-
larly the kind of healing required
in a war.
Congress is being besieged with
letters, however-these letters are
having their effect-frOm men of high
standing in the various States, in
which strong testimony is given as
to the value of osteopathic treatment
in many cases such as arise in camp
and barracks life in the army.
Congress is rapidly coming
around to a place-by reason of the
strength and insistency of these
letters-where it cannot delay the
settlement of the question and
where it cannot disregard the ap-
parent wishes of hundreds and
thousands of the fathers and moth
ers of the land, who have turned
their boys over to Uncle Sam.
Liberality in settling this prob
lena IiberaIity that will break
way from the narrow medical bonds
which have restrained State legis-
latures in the past-should be dis
played now as at no time in the
past. The country not only coun-
sells It, but, from the tone of. the
hundreds of letters we have seen,
demands it. And this applies to all
established schools of healing.
"Do the people of the country
weigh legislators records carefully
and consider the good a member
does as well as the things with
which they do not agree"
We propounded the question to q
number of lawmakers in the Cap
llOl. ana VIC lOuiiu q SliIhihB Slhi
iIarity between the replies. They
all insisted that the people DO
know good records from bad, anC
that they DO know enough tc
weigh the good and the bad an6
get a members net worth to his
constituency.
But we were talking to men whC
are now in public life. They were
successful in their quests for of.
fee, therefore how could they say
other than they. did? Will as many
of them agree the, middle of mex
November? Or will many of then
| be skeptical then as to the ability
and the desire of the people to sep.
arate the legislative chaff from thu
wheat? We wonder.
Viscount Ishii is. relied upon, b!
members of Congress who met hin
during his summer trip here ant
who were impressed by his broad.
ness of vision and his fealty to higl
national ideals, to bring about q
more thorough understanding be
tween this nation and Japan.
There are possibilities. so tn,
members think, which require maj
OF Ishii's character to be in Wash
ington during the world crisis. TIL,
hope Is that he will accomplish al
the good the members think he vii