River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1918-04-25
Our Weekly Letter
From Washington
(By James A. Frear, M. CO.

American creed, which was selected
out of several thousand submitted,
and won the prize of $1,000 offered by
the city of Baltimore. A committee
of leading Americans passed Judg-
ment, and upon examination it was
found that Envelope 384, correspond
ing to the creed, was sent in by
Tyler Page, Republican pair clerk OF
the House of Representatives, a d.
rect lineal descendant of President
Tyler, and a splendid man, whose gen
erous words of advice to the writer IN
the past, have been greatly appre-
ciated.
The American creed will make for
better citizenship wherever it is stud
led and followed. 1t reads Il believe
in the United States of America, as
a government of the people, by the
people and for the people; whose just
movers are derived from the consent
of the governed; democracy in
Republic; established upon these prin-
cipIes of freedom, equality, justice
and humanity for which American
patriots sacrificed their own lives and
fortunes. | therefore believe it is
my duty to my country to love 1T, to
support it's Constitution, to obey its
laws, to respect its flag and to defend
il against all enemies"
Two important letters from Attor-
ney General Gregory were inserted IN
the Congressional Record of Monday,
April Is, one addressed to Represen-
tative Curry, and the other addressed
to the writer: In Currie's letter the
Attorney General states that 100000
citizens are aiding the law depart
ment in investigating rumors OF
German spies and aiding in the en-
forcement of the Espionage law
Complaints reaching many hundreds
are received every day by the Depart
ment and ali are investigated, but
the General says that vague rumors
are magnifed into definite and SEN
satioHal stories. Not one fire Of the
hundreds claimed to be incendiary
has proven to be the work of alien
enemies, and the letters further state
that while several hundred complaints
have been received of broken glass in
food, poisoned court plaster and pois-
oned drinking water, that not one
case had been found wherein alien
enemies are responsible or where
criminal intent hadr~been found to ex-
ist. The letters from the Law De-
partment suggest these rumors are
fostered by a temporary hysteria
which has no basis for it's existence.
Committee assignments for Senat-
or Lenroot are sure to give the new
Wisconsin legislator plenty of work
in the future and probably no member
of either House is Woodworking
official than Senator Lenroot. His
legislative experience on railways
commerce, public lands and finance
will be of great service at this time
when younger men are obliged to
take up additional burdens due to
many deaths which have occurred
during the last two years. In one
week recently two senator's, Stone of
Missouri and Broussard of Louisiana
and Congressman Jones of Virginia
all answered their last roll call.
Jones was the Oldest continuously
serving Member of the House, having
fourteen terms to his credit. Uncle
Joe Cannon, with broken record of
twenty terms is the Oldest member of
the House.
The River and Harbor Bill carry
ing about SIC, GGG.00, or less than one
half its old time proportions, passed
the House last week after practically
a weeks debate. Strenuous efforts
to insert new projects were put forth
in committee and on the floor, but
with the support of the Secretary of
War the bill was held down to wal
projects which included several very
important harbor improvements.
A few extravagant propositions,
that had been under way during re-
cent years, recommended by the En-
gineer Corps, were incorporated in
the bill, but it is a great improve
ment over wasteful measures of the
last, some Of which have been defeat
ed or greatly modified. 1t is pre-
dicted better policy will soon be
inaugurated in waterway legislation
due to the exposures of extrava-
gance.
Letters and resolutions have been