New-York tribune., 1919-05-05
q. O. p. Leaders
10 Put Bride
On w ar Probe
Congressional Inquiry TO
Be Limited Largely to
Administration of Af-
fairs Since the Armistice
Ncw York Tribune
WdShiNQto,l BNredN

WASHINGTON, May 4.-To investi-
gate or not to investigate the conduct
of the war is one OF the questions
that Republican Congressional leaders
viii have to pass on as soon as Con-
gress assemblies. Already it is receiv-
ing much consideration.
SO many Republican members have
announced intentions of proposing in
vestigations that it has become obvi
ous to the leaders that some settled
party policy in regard to war probings
aust be adopted. To keep the party
from being made ridiculous by such a
.-ost of Investigations as is now being
started, it is felt that there must be
some limitations on the individual
members SO far as ideas OF llmita-
tion have taken form, they are:
First-Greatly to restrict, if not
entirely forbid, Investigations of the
management of the American EXpedi-
tionary Force.
Second-To avoid Investigations of
productions of machines and materials
for the war and general questions OF
business management.
Third-To limit War Department in
vestigations largely to matters bear
in gon its administration since the
signing of the armistice.
The attitude of chariness toward in
vestigations of the American Expedi-
tionary Force and of production for
war purposes is largely based on the
idea that it will be of no benefit either
to the nation or the party to stir up
the past. The feeling in regard to the
American Expeditionary Force is that
it wrote a brilliant page in American
military history and that to try to
ascertain the truth regarding the
thousands of grievances soldiers are
bringing home with them will only
besmirch the national honor without
accomplishing any great good.
The thought is that the soldiers
should take their grievances or in
justices as part of the sutferings of
war, and that to attempt to set down
the mistakes of management made by
General Pershing and his staff would
result only in belittling what was ac-
complished in France.
This tendency is so strong that even
the effort that is to be made by Ma
tional Guardsmen to "show up" the al
legged military cabal that is charged
with making and unmaking officers
from the viewpoint of small clique
will have some difficulty in getting
through. sNS
Ireat pressure Is being brought to
bear on members of Congress from
many quarters to get them to go thor
oughly into an analysis of all the
great contracts and industrial projects
of the war. This pressure may pre-
vail in the end, but the conviction of
the party leaders as whole is that
such Investigations are politically
dangerous.
They fear that unless great scandals
and prohigate wastes of public moneys
were uncovered the Investigations
would only disgust the public and give
Democrats an excellent opportunity to
dwell on the point that the great fact
about the war was that it was won
and, incidentally, to assure the public
that they won it.
To criticise the management of the
war too vigorously might tend to ere
ate opinion that it was a Democratic
party affair, the good with the bad.
Moreover, most of the big business
men concerned in the production of
war materials and most of the men CT
the same class who were taken into
the army or as civilians to direct the
business of the government were Re
publicans. and they are opposed to any
attempt to reveal themselves as fools
or knaves.
1t is felt that Investigations as to
VIC eAteIil maui VI lNe war, SuCn as on
the settlement of contracts, the con-
tinuation of production after the ar
mistlce and the administration of de-
mobilization, may be allowed a freer
hand. In matters not so closely re-
lated to the actual conduct of the war,
such as administration of the railways,
shipbuilding, especially since the ar
mistice; government seizure and man
agement of the telegraph, telephone
and cable lines, and Postmaster Cen
eral Burleson, the disposition is that
the more Investigations the better
and merrier.
In this category will come proposed
probes of the fuel and food admin
istrations, the Alien Property Custo-
dams office, the Department of Agri-
culture, the employment service and
the disposition that has been made of
nationally owned shipping since the
armistice.
However, the prevailing thought now
Is that the Republicans must use their
control of the next Congress in pass
ing constructive and readiustment
legislation and in generally SHAPING
the nations after-the course
rather than in devoting time to study
ing the past.