Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-05-18
|SOUABBLING FACTIONS
MENACE TO CONGRESS
Threaten to Delay Organization of Houses and
Consideration of Measures OF
Vital Importance.

passed up in such fashion? the pup
lie is asking.
Already, anticipating certain and
possibly early declaration of peace
American industries which built up
certain lines of manufactures during
the war, producing goods supplanting
former German imports, are asking
what protection they shall be given
against a flood of cheaply produced
goods from Germany, possible under
the democratic tariff now in effect.
One might proceed to occupy all the
space allotted for a chapter or TINS
kind to repeat what has been publish
ed over and again about the business
awaiting Congress, the same pelng
we'll understood by the men who have
been in and those who are coming to
Congress. The big fact is that tomorrow
there convenes one Of the most inn
portant legislative assemblies of the
nation for a great many years, ana
that it's proceeding to the work In
hand appears to be likely to be ham
pered and delayed by some factional
quibblings over organization, which,
if the remarks of the men in the
street are Of any value. are worse
than useless.
This is a queer deal about the Presi-
dent being away when Congress con-
venes-not
CAN WORRY ALONG that it
WITHOUT PRESIDENT. stands to
make any
material difference, but just as sub
ject of comment. Republicans say
that of course with a democratic
Congress assembling it would be
horse Of another color, since. they
sarcastically observe, "the President
has been the democratic Congress-,
but with u.s." they say, "it Is quite
immaterial whether he is here or not.
We can worry along without him..
The Congress will be organized, the
legislation started on it's run OF the
mill and it will rest with him to
make arrangements for signing the
necessary appropriation bills before
the beginning of the next fiscal year.
Congress will cable the President that
IT Ia assembled and awaits any COM
munication he may see fit to present,
and will then proceed upon the bust
ness it knows it must dispose o.
whatever else he may have in view.
X X
Pruning the appropriations will be
the frst task at hand, and it's magni-
tude, men on the
PRUNING KNIFE hill declare, Is
USE A PUZZLE. fairly stagger-
ing. It will be
necessary to ascertain the real needs
of the departments as differentiated
from the war necessities and the ram
cied requirements as pictured by the
heads of bureaus. Congressman real
ize that it is against human nature to
expect the heads of departments and
bureau chiefs not to seek to mold
their organisations at the maximum
and to get as large appropriations as
possible. Appropriation committee
men say their experience has shown
that bureau chiefs are mot backward
about coming forward to ask for
clerks and money.
The departments have been run
upon a scale of .lavishness during the
war which, as one member expressed
it, LEAVES them now with a cham
payne taste and near-beer income"
X X X X
As senators drifted back to Wash
ington last week it became increas-
ingly evident
FIGHT ON LEAGUE that the fight
DUE AT OPENING. over the league
of nations is to
be long and bitter. 1t will not be de-
ferred until the President returns.
since senator's have the revised text
Of the covenant before them. 1t will
be opened at once. and in the absence
Of the President and his prospective
appeal to the country it will devolve
upon the administration. senators to
defend the plan until the big chief
arrives to put it over"
Administration senators, even some /
who talk otherwise in private, are
announcing their intention to stand
by the covenant through thick and
thin. Republican senators who oppose
the covenant will endeavor to brace
up their more timorous colleagues
who, since signing the round robin at
the close of the last Congress, have
shown signs of abating their. oppo-
Sition