River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1919-03-06
Our Weekly Letter
From Washington
(By James A. Frear, NJ. CO.

mental work and correspondence
also grows heavy during the con
Guiding days Of the session and
measures, good, bad and Indifferent
crowd the calender toward the close.
The revenue bill. bonding bill and
several other great measures were
out through during the last week
and the first has been signed by the
President which makes it law. The
city turned out full force to welcome
President Wilson on his return and
It was a significant reception be-
cause whatever politics men may
espounse, he is the President of the
Deople and with few exceptions we
are united in praying that lasting
peace treaty may be negotiated by
him at Paris The writer has heard
Ex-President Taft and had read Presl-
dent Wilson's side of the league OF
Nations and has also heard Senator
Borah, Reed and others against the
the proposed league.
1t is non-partizen question and so
nomentous that differences should
be settled if at all possible. Two
principal objections are urged
against the proposed league because
it NAV effect the Monroe doctrine
which prevents foreign governments
from acquiring territory on this
continent and also because a just
representation for the United States
in the league should be guaranteed
Objection to policing Europe with
American troops is also strong.
These points may be reconciled
through changes in the proposed
leagues constitution.
A letter received by the writer
expresses regret because the River
and HarbOr bill went through after
opposition in House and Senate.
Until the system is changed, omnibus
bills will carry good and had items
and opposition is valuable in holding
such bills down through exposure
of their character. When the fight
was begun five years ago, such bills
were rapidly mounting in size and
waste. Vigorous attacks have re-
dnced the average total appropria-
tons nearly one half and have
stricken out many worthless projects
that were for merly carried, This
opposition has also prevented the
passage of a public building pork
barrel during the last six years. A
great improvement IN results has
been reached although such appro-
priations will not be placed on a
proper basis until omnibus appro-
priation bills carrying hundreds of
items scattered throughout the
country are relegated to the legis-
lative scrap heap A bill to lease
public oil and coal lands to private
spectators has been before Congress
for several weeks A strong lobby
is on hand and billions of dollars in
valuable natural resources are in
voIved. While the steam roller
forced the bill through the House
last week, it will be blocked in the
Senate according to present pro-
spects.
In compliance with insistent de
mands from various cities over two
thousand bills for German cannon
were introduced by the Members
prior to adjournment. All went to
the junk pile last week when the
military committee cleared its calen-
der. 1t would take several months
to bring a cannon here and all trans
ports are now used to return soldiers.
The Thirty-second Division which in
Guided the Wisconsin and Michigan
National Guardsmen is included in
scheduled shipment of troops in
May A memorandum attached to
the sauing date says the schedule
may be slower than that fixed. In
other words the troops may possibly
be in Europe until after the terms
of Peace have been signed. Every
effort has been made by Congress to
urge their earliestreturn. A British
wireless message that Germany
could re-organize its army has been
ridiculed by all army officials and
was apparently newspaper hoax.
Many regular army officers will he
reduced in rank or without jobs on
Rehabilitation and that reason has
been urged for the delay, but