The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-07-12
Washington Getting to Peace Basis
BY FREDERIC J. HAsKlN

| ------------------------------
Washington. July 1O.-Now that the
war has formally ended by the signing
| OF the peace treaty, the national CAPT,
tai, which has been under a severe
strain for the past two and one hall
years, is beginning to get back to nor
| mai again. While Washington will
never be the same lethargic city II
was before the war. it is gradually re-
suming peace-time basis.
Though the dismantling of the
| mighty war machine built here to fight
the Germans started Immediately after
| the armistice took effect, the real,
heavy work OF tearing down the war
engine is now on in earnest. A half
dozen government bureaus to which the
war gave birth either have gone out
OF existence already or will do so
within the next few weeks.
The national war labor board ended
Its activities the other day when il
announced that no new labor disputes
would be heard, but that present con-
troversies VIII be assigned to the joint
chairmen OF section OF the board for
mai adjudication. The board was or
canned under presidential proclama-
ton with former President Taft and
Frank p. Walsh, of Kansas City, as
joint chairmen. During the past year
the board received 1926 cases, made
rious causes, referred 315 cases to
specified agencies and suspended one
case.
The council of national defense and
the war industries board, probably the
greatest of the civilian agencies, are
gone, while Messrs Hoover and Gar
field, of the food and fuel administra-
tons, respectively, agencies which af-
iected the daily life of all the people,
are no longer telling the American peo-
pie how much food and fuel should be
consumed every twenty-four hours. Nu-
merous other war bureaus have been
reduced to mere skeletons, retaining a
minimum force to wind up the business.
With the army reduced to about
100000 and steadily declining to less
than half that size and the emergency
personnel OF the navy cut from 500, 900
10 hait that number, the CLERICAL forces
or these two large departments, it is
understood, are to be substantially de-
creased within the next few months
Up to the present time 1t is estimated
that about 10000 war workers have lost
their positions and returned to their
homes. However. when it is considered
that certain departments are constantly
increasing their activities, necessitating
the hiring OF additional clerks, there
has not been great appreciable lessen
Ing or the wartime population of the
capital.
Men like Schwab. Baruch, Stettinius.
John d. Ryan and julius Rosenwald
have severed their connections with the
war establishment and are back in civil
hte conducting their private businesses
and making plans for the prosperous
era of reconstruction that is certain to
follow the war. Scores of other mill
llonaires who were on the government
payroll at a 81 year have left WASH
fngton, and, it is taken, made more
profitable connections. Some of them
have left the capital only temporarily
as they became so impressed with life
In Washington while here doing war
work that they have either erected or
purchased homes here.
The war practically made Washington
n new city. II brought thousands OF
the nations leading men and women |
here who under no other circumstances |
would have been attracted to the city.
Ihese newcomers, at least a large per- |
centage OF them, brought great wealth |
10 washington. They paid eNtortion- !
ate prices for everything. One incl |
dent is told Of n dollar-a-year million |
aire paying $4,000 for a six months !
lease on an unpretentious home in this |
city. After occupying the residence for /
a month he had to leave the capital on |
business and he released the house for
the remaining five months for SOS, 900. |
Before the war that would have been a
lair sale price for the house.
Another case of this sort of afflu-
'nce Is told OF n millionaire war
worker who wanted to have some dem
.lstry work done. He loathed the idea
u sitting In a chair in a dentists Of
ice, so he engaged a dentist TO At ND
IN office in the millionaire's home
The dentists bill was SIS. 900