The Cordova daily times., 1918-02-05
CONGRESS ON THE JOB.

There is no occasion for alarm be-
cause our legislators at Washington
have finally decided to put on their
spectacles and closely scrutinize the
conduct of the war The critical at.
titude which congress has at last as
sumed is, on the other hand, most re-
assuring 1t presages a rapid return
TO reason on the part of the people and
the government. Not that we have
been altogether irrational of late, but
there has been conflict of ideas and
a confusion of activities that put the
people themselves in a sad state of
perplexity. The assurance that all
these uncertainties are now to be
cleared away promises to promote
better feeling among the people.
1t is not likely that the investiga-
tions now pending will unearth any
great scandals or glazing instances of
inefficiency in the prosecution of the
war We doubt if these searching in
quiries are inspired in spirit of op-
position. The searchlight is being
turned on, simply to determine what
IS being done by the administration
and how our war machinery is being
operated. No one should take offense
at this procedure; least of all the Of
dicials under examination. That they
have been slow in getting the work
of their respective departments under
way is chargeable in many instances
to complication of circumstances
over which they have had little or no
control. These Investigations will af-
lord them the opportunity % air thei.
difficulties and, if they make a clean
breast of the situation they are sure
to find congress and the people in Il
very patient frame of mind
The chief trouble to date has been
that the people have been kept in the
dark respecting their affairs at Wash
fHgton, Since the declaration of war
they have cheerfuily acquiesced III
every move proposed by the govern
ment and have met its every demand
.fOr men and material assistance with !
heaping measure. In return for this
it was only natural that they should
want to know how their affairs were
getting along The administration
itself might have dealt more frankly,
and perhaps more fairly, with the peO- .
ple in this respect, had it been so dis
posed, but for reasons of its own it
preferred to keep under cover much
information that might have been
made public. The people ordinarily
look to the papers for enlightment on
their affairs but the press has unfor
tunately found itself also at the mercy
of the official censors. So it is that
our only hope is congress and we
eagerly await it's disclosures.
Congress, of course, glories in inves
legations; especially so, when it feels
that it is inviting the appreciation of
the public by undertaking such action.
But at that, our representatives should
have a care, lest they allow their en-
thusiasm to carry them too far. There
probably would have been no inyesti
cations had the universal desire for
information not been impressed upon
the congressman during their recent
visit home among their constituents
Their contact with the people stimu-
lated them to stand on their own legs
and look after the peoples business a
little more closely than they did dur
ing the last session. This undoubted-
ly accounts for the marked change in
the attitude of congress this session.
But much as the people desire to learn
of the state of affairs, they simply
want the facts so as to be in position
to think for themselves, and in no
sense whatever will they countenance
any move on the part of congress to
heckle and harass the administration
unnecessarily.