The Washington herald., 1918-06-18

about the domination of the District
investigated to the bottom by the
members OF Congress.
Similar statements have been maue
by others from time TO time, and
many things have happened which
would seem to bear out this conten-
ton. Congress should take the mat
ter in hand and either satisfy itself
that the statements are true. and
proceed accordingly. or 1t should re-
lieve the realty interests OF the cloud
thus thrown over them.
There are individual property own
ers by the score who are willing to
testify to the truth of the statemepta
Whether they are pretudiced. or
whether they are suffering from some
thing the realty men have been pow
erless to keep away. the truth should
be made known to the members of
Congress and by them to the people
of the District generally.
Building construction to a consid-
cradle degree has been going on in
certain portions OF town. we know. at
q time when 1t appears all the men
could have been used very well by
the government in necessary construc-
ton. And the high prices paid for
material and labor are being used as
reasons for the levy of high prices
on the houses. too. so that on the
basis of percentage returns for their
trouble the builders in question can
have no complaint whatever. no mat
ter how high labor goes or how much
increase is charged up against them
by the material men.
In fact, the higher prices go, the
more profit they will realize.
Some doubt as to the patriotic in
splration of the builders is shown,
! too. in the statement OF some prop
erty owners that at a time like this.
when war workers are needed in
every direction. the builders propose
to tear up perfectly good sidewalks
and trees and curbs. merely to mar
row streets and enlarge lots to suit
the builders. If this is true the pro-
ceeding obviously has the support OF
the Commissioners of the District.
For officials in their position to yiela
to such things is a proceeding which
should have the immediate attention
Of Congress. Certainly such gross
use of labor for nonessentials should
not be permitted in the District. Nor
to expense of this nature at time
like this.
There are many members getting in
a frame of mind where they are will
ing to sift to the bottom the charges
made by Mr.. Johnson. So many in
di?id:.al cases have tome to their at
tention that they can hardly disre-
gard the matter. We hope for the
Af natriNtu nf "aGh-
ington and OF the hundreds Of peo-
pie who have come here from other
sections of the country the matter
will be probed, and probed to the hilt
Congress was flooded last week
with letters from a man in Boston
who was refused newspaper space to
print three perfectly good statements
made by high officials-one by the
President, one by Mr.. McAdoo, and
the third by Mr.. Hoover. All per-
tained to the use OF luxuries, and all
suggested that the people of the ma
ton would have to cut down per-
ceptibly in this connection before
they could be said to be contributing
their share toward the winning OF
the war.
Inc Boston newspapers were sdlu
to have refused these advertisements,
which contained no words not uttered
by one Of these three notables, on
the ground that the public might be
led to decrease their use OF certain
products and that advertising would
then be materially reduced.
We are not ready to share this alb
surd belief. We believe the people
of the nation will come to a curtail-
ment Of some articles gradually, and
that when they do neither the argu-
ments of storekeepers nor the fears
of newspaper advertising managers
viii keep them from II. But we be-
lieve the American people will use
the utmost good Judgment in the
matter and that they will neither
be frightened into taking radical steps
at curtailment, nor persuaded un-
wisely to make curtailments which
are not requested or suggested.
Recognition of the Jugo Slays by
the American Congress would encour-
age the southern Slavs and possibly
might be q powerful stimulus to the
winning of the war. This Is the
opinion Of many of the alert students
Of European conditions. There are
complications in the matter which
may be ironed out within the next
week or two. II this is possible we
hope organization Of a Jugo Slav
unit for the American army will be
provided by ConRress and permitted