Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-08
BY n. o. MESSENGER.


hand. but in playin' a pore
hand WELL" wrote Alfred
Henry Lewis. quoting the
Inscription on Jack Kings head
board. in Wolfville; said King having
emerged from a game of poker with
suit of his insistence on making new
rules, as he went along, touching the
value of hands.
Which "reminiscences is suggested by
the query of how the democrats in the
House are going to play the poor hand
they hold, by reason of being in the
minority, and whether they can play
1t we'll enough to come up to the def
milton of the late lamented Jack
King, in his views of life.
Inquiries in this direction. addressed
to Champ Clark and Claude Kitchin
by the newspaper men. meet with nom
oommittal answers delivered with an
air of mystery, a kind of you just
wait and see" intimation. which leaves
dark doings later on. In point of fact.
just for the moment the democrats are
relegated to the position made IA
nous by Mr.. Micawber. They are
waiting for the republicans to furnish
the opportunity for political play
on their part, serenely confident that
sooner or later something will turn
up in the opposition camp to give
them their desired lead, whereupon
they will proceed to play their poor
hand, and endeavor to make it good.
4 X y
The republicans, unbiased onlook
ers rise to remark, are not at this
time, how
REPUBLICANS PLAY ever. giving
THE GAME&WisEIY: evidence Of
playing into
the opposition's hand. They have made
a pretty good running start in this
Congress and are keeping up the pace.
the progressive and old guard team
throwing themselves into the collar
and pulling well together.
One thing the republicans are do
ing which has not been witnessed in
recent years in the House, they are
conducting their business under
strict disciplinary methods and con-
centrated direction. The steering
committee has met practically every
day since the House organized and
has planned the work Of the House.
giving directions to committee chair
men and laying out the order Of busi-
ness for the day. By these means de-
lays and confusion are avoided and
every moment Of time is utilized. The
steering committee dictates what bills
shall be brought in, sidetracks a
measure II another deemed more ext
gent is ready and speeds up the
business. The steering committee
consists Of Speaker Gillett. Floor
Leader Mondell. Mr. Moore Of Penn
sylvania, Mr.. Madden Of Illinois. Mr..
Dunn OF New York. Mr.. winslow of
Massachusetts and Mr.. Longworth Of
Ohio. comprising as will be noted
both progressive and old guard re-
publicans.
"Yoick. Yoick! Harkawayr cry
the republicans in the House as they
unleash the
HOUNDS UNLEAsHED hounds of
FOR INVESTIGATION. inve tiga-
tion and
send them away in groups of three
to run down the little foxes suspected
of having destroyed the vines in the
war expenditures. 1t is expected that
there will be much hard riding and
L.
though whether a brush will be
brought back is considered prob
lematical. The democrats are doubt
less hoping that somebody may come
a cropper in the chase. although out
wardly expressing themselves as
being as eager for the investigation
as the republicans.
Expenditures of $16,000.000, 900 by
the War Department are to be probed
by the committee of fifteen members
appointed by Speaker Gillett under
the resolution adopted by the House
subcommittee will be formed. con-
sisting of two republicans and one
democrat. and Investigations in vari-
Gus bureaus will proceed simultane-
ously. The aircraft section will be
first under fire. the statement having
been made on the floor Of the House
that since the investigation by Charles
+. Hughes large sums have been spent
by this branch of the service. The
Investigation promises to be thorough
in all branches of the War Depart
ment.
X
There has been good deal of talk
in the Senate about economy" and
"retrenchment" in expenditures by
senators whose past records have not
squared with such reforms, but it
falls out that there is a real re-
trencher' on the job-chairman War
rem of the appropriations committee.
Heads of bureaus and departments
who have been before the committee
on appropriation bills all agree that
Chairman Warren is going to have
some sure enough" retrenchment in
expenditures. judging from the way
he has gone after them on their esti-
mates
of an old custom. Formerly it was
the fashion to lead the emaciated
House-reared appropriation bills into
The Senate. whence after being stall,
fed in the committee on appropria-
lions they would emerge quite sleek
fnd fat. The fact is we'll established
that the days of Senate stall-fed ap.