Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-11-15
AFTER-WAR WORK
CAUSE OF CONCERN
Reconstruction Period Finds
U. S. Facing Problems al
most Totally Unprepared.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Copyright, 1918. by N. z Evening Post, Inc. ]
Reconstruction-th delicate period
in a nations emergence from war,
which the people Of England and
France foresaw-fnds the American
government almost totally unprepared
Even in the days when peace seemed
remote. the political parties in Euro
pean countries insisted upon proclaim
||iAg programs Of reconstruction, but in
the United States. except for an occa-
sional bill introduced in Congress and
sporadic discussion, the outbreak OF
peace has been ignored even as pos
sibility.
While the fault. is partially that of
Congress, it is almost entirely that
Of the executive branch of the gov
ernment, for there is absolutely no
question that both houses would have
been willing to consider any recoml
mendations on the subject which the
President would have made. And if
any partisanship had developed
American public opinion, which has
beenfso assertive during the late days
of the war, would have insisted upon
passage Of some measures that might
have seemed adequate for future
emergencies.
Officials Are Nonplussed..
As it is, something Of a panic has
fallen on government organizations.
Executives and subordinates alike are
at loss to know in which direction
they must go. how soon their work
must be curtailed, to what degree ex-
agencies must be carried and what
, must be done to preserve tho indus
trial situation and stabilize credit.
The most pressing question, when
shall the troops be permitted to come
home from France?" remains unan-
cannot answer that query without
consultation with her co-belligerents
and that American rehabilitation de-
pends to some extent on the decisions
OF the supreme war council. But
there is absolutely no information as
yet as to the extent Of Americas re.
lsponsibility for policing Europe. If
it is to be considerable then the re-
tention of certain war boards and
agencies in this country can be con-
fidently expected. Indeed, there has
been some suggestion Of a system of
relief whereby troops in American
lcantonments who were denied the op-
portunity of getting to Europe may
be sent abroad to relieve regiments
that want to come home.
The tonnage situation might inter-
fere with the sending of more troops
though. of course, there would be no
greater amount of supplies needed for
replacement divisions because of the
gradual subtraction of veteran troops
from Europe.
Doubt as to the S. A. T. c.
On the policy. of rehabilitation
shall be done about the Students
Army Training Corps and the naval
call for nine months instruction
Many of the colleges want the system
maintained for that period, as it will
not disrupt their organizations. Not
all Of the 175.ooo men in the Students
Army Training Corps would perhaps
want to stay in the colleges; some OF
them could not afford to pay tuition
Again. many of the institutions would
like to increase the amount of aca-
demic instruction and decrease the
Certainly the existence of a skele-
ton organization for the teaching OF
military subjects is going to encour-
age the advocates Of universal mill
tary training as well as universal
military service to insist that the Stu
dents Army Training Corps remain
intact. On the other hand, its oppo-
nents who have looked somewhat dis
approvingly on the scheme even dur
ing war time because Of its possible
conversion into a peace-time organi-
zation would prefer to have the
whole thing dropped by the War De-
partment.-
The Secretary Of War has before
him various plans, but it is unlikely
that he will be able to make any
decision until the big question Of
demobilization is determined, for the
students are just as much members
Of the Army as our soldiers in France,
and discrimination in the method or
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