The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1918-11-28
RENT PROF|TEERS
WILL GET AJOLT
BUILDINGS IN PUBLIC PARKS OF
WASHINGTON WILL CON- \
TINUE TO BE USED.
FIGHT ON NAVY BILL COMING
Submerged Paeifist Sentiment VIII
Come to Surface Asaln--Warm Re
ceptlon 10 Given Major La euardia
by the Lower House. "
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.

BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.
Washington.-One class Of Washing
ton rent profiteers will get jolt when
the government reaches stage where
1t can largely reduce the Office forces.
Congress will not order the many
buildings which have been erected In
public parks dismantled, but Will re-
tain them and have them occupied by
government forces, and thus withdraw
these forces from buildings which
have been rented. In the war period
everything that was vacant was taken
by the government, and at this time
scores Of old junk-piles in the city Of
Washington are paying their owners
large rental haryests. As soon as con-
gress can get to work actively on its
economy program, 1t is going to cut
ont this sort Of profiteering.
There promises to be a fight in con-
gress when the next naval appropria-
ton bill Is brought forward, especial
ly IL 1t contains the administration
measures for largely increasing the
fighting ships Of the navy. The anti
war spirit, the pacifist feeling which
has been compelled to lie dormant
since the United States entered the
war, will come to the surface, and a
strong effort will be made to prevent
further enlargement Of the navy, as 1t
will mean maintaining the present ma
val force. At the same time, If the
United States Is to become one of the
leading nations of peace 1t will need
a mighty strong force to help maintain
that peace.
Congressman LaGuardia was given
a "big hand" when he came into the
house chamber a few minutes before
the presidents announcement of the
armistice with Germany. LaGuardia
was In his khaki uniform Of a major
in the United States army. Only re-
Gently he returned from Italy, where
he has seen hard service on the Aus
tro-Italian front. Many Of his col
leagues had not seen him since he
left for the front about a year ago,
and the house rose to It's feet and
cheered as he came in. There was
added emphasis to the cheering be-
cause Of LaGuardia's defeat of his
paci6st opponent in the recent cleo
ton.
Speaking of frankness, let us con-
slider what Senator Borah of Idaho
said In the senate the morning after
Majority Leader Martin made his plea
for economy in government expendi-
lures. "If the people really knew the
method and the manner In which we
expend money and the waste Of which
we are guilty" said Senator Borah.
"they would mob us. 1t is by reason
of the fact that the details Of these
expenditures are kept from the peo-
pie that public opinion is not aroused
to Its height in regard to this matter"
Speaking Of the overcrowding Of gov
eminent bureaus here, Senator Borah
let fall this somewhat cynical remark !:
Congress has great capacity to make
twelve men do what one man did be-
fore"
It is not likely that the Red Cross
will ever go back to its old scale of
operation. Even before the war, Of
course, 1t did a vast amount Of good,
but 1t required a. great world upheaval
like this war to show people just what
could be accomplished by the organi-
zation when 1t had enough money.
Many disasters in the United States
have been softened by the power Of
the Red Cross. Among the more re-
cent were the influenza epidemic, New
Jersey munitions factory explosions.
Minnesota forest fires and the New
York subway train wreck. Many peo-
pie think that the need for national
organization like the Red Cross will
make Its operation on a large scale
necessary in future.