The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1918-09-06
TO Strengthen Air Service.

been brought to a head by Senator
Harry S. New of Indiana. Mr.. New
has introduced bill providing for the
creation of a Department of Aeronau-
tics. The head of the Department is
to be known as the Secretary of Aero
nautics, and is to be member of the
Cabinet. Complete control of all mat
tiers pertaining to the design, pur-
chase, manufacture, and production of
aircraft for the Army Navy and
Marine Corps, is to be placed in the
hands of the new official by Mr.
! News bill. The uneXpended balances
of all previous appropriations made
for the air service are to be available
for the purposes of the new depart
ment. The military committee has
been given jurisdiction over the mea-
sure, and as Senator New is mem
Der of that committee early action
on it may be looked for.
A Valuable Conference.
The meeting of Republican state
chairmen in Chicago is another indi-
cation Of the get-together spirit that
has animated the ranks of the party
turnout the country. The meeting
| is bound to give added force to the
campaign to win in the fall elections.
"a full exchange of ideas and coun-
sell" was declared to be the purpose
of the gathering, and the state chair
men, upon whom will fall great part
of the burden and responsibility of the
campaign, are sure to derive much
benefit from association with their
brothers from other states.
Definite Policy Desired.
The present policy of the admins
tration is starving the so-called non
essential businesses by allowing them
a little of this and little of that
should, in the opinion of Representa-
tive Homer p. Enyder of New York,
give way to something more definite.
at would be BETTER" says he, "to
adopt some rule whereby certain in
dustries less essential should be alb
solutely prohibited from operating
during certain period" OF course
the ship yards, munition plants, and
other industries essential to our war
work must be supplied with labor, and
there appears to be no source from
Nsrb oh IN
essentials. That being the case Mr.
Snyder maintains that it would be
fairer for the administration to be
frank with the people and with labor
so that the public may know definitely
what industries may continue and
what will have to give way to the
greater need. The congressman's
views are shared by many of his col
leagues, who hope that some clear
cut stand in the matter may be taken
by the President in the near future.
No Leak This Time.
Congressman John M. Rose of
Pennsylvania is convinced that the
responsible for disclosing information
upon which certain Washington attor-
neys have sought contracts for the
collection of back pay of deceased sol
diers. One firm of lawyers in partc-
ular is known to have written letters
to surviving relatives asking them to
sign a power of attorney authorizing
the collection of back pay and the al
lowance of very substantial fee for
so doing. 1t is evident that the auth
ors of the letters must have had infor-
nation giving them the addresses of
parties interested, but Mr.. Rose thinks
that the casualty lists as published
each day contain the necessary data
and that the Bureau of War Risk In
surance should not be charged with a
leak.
Only Half Adjourned.
The Lewisburg (Pa.) Saturday
News very pertinently remarks that
the announcement that politics is adj
| JouiiNh IDS lOl DttH accompanied DA
the appointment of a Republican to a
place in the cabinet, nor the appoint
ment of Republicans to fill any of the
offices of customs collector, etc. No
and the administration has not made
full use of the abilities of such men
as Roosevelt and Wood. Nor has it
acknowledged its obligations to the
late Augustus p Gardner, one of the
pioneers of preparedness. Perhaps
politics is only half adjourned.
Franklin an Old FOgey
Postmaster General Burleson is
quoted as saying that it would be a
good thing for the country if half of
the newspapers went out of business.
The views of the P. NJ. G. in 1918 are
somewhat different from those enter
tanned by the first head of the postal
service, one Benjamin Franklin.
systematic Selections.
The work of selecting senatorial
and congressional candidates at the
White House seems to be in a disor-