Evening star., 1919-02-23
BY n. o. MESSENGER.


ONGRESS awoke one fine day
last week to find itself facing
Il great national issue. be-
side which former momentous
questions, such as free silver, govern
ment ownership, prohibition and the
like appeared dwarfed. Here comes
the league of nations plan. upon
which the senate ultimately must act
and which will be discussed in the
House. if nothing more.
Statesmen realize that they are nv
ing in an historic era. facing d great
crisis in ns tianal policy, presented by
The new scheme of internationallsm
which ii is proposed the country snail
adopt, Violent differences of opinion
have already developed, although the
subject has barely been hroachea-
Feeling is bound to run high. for ana
against the league. and party ties
will melt in the white heat or IN
tensity Of support and opposition.
Make no mistake as to the interest
of the public in the question. That
was shown on the first day of an an
nounced speech. The Senate GAL
.leries We're jammed long before Sena-
tor Poindexter took the floor, ana
every gallery door had a queue down
the corridor. The auditors felt deep
Iy and manifested their sentiments,
notwithstanding all the rules Of the
Senate against demonstration. The
crowds seemed rsyenous for opinion
and information upon the subject
they wanted to hear il explained.
They leaned forward in their seats
and followed every word of the de-
hate with intentness.
= x
Are sixty-four men. comprising
two-thfrds OF the Senate, necessary
for the ratification
Great Power in Of a treaty to have
the power to revo-
Few HANDS. lutionize the inter
national policy of this country. re-
sardless of what the hundred millions
of inhabitants thinkT'
That is the question one hears more
frequently than any other in connec-
ton with the league of nations sub
lect- The answer is in the adirma-
tive, of course, for such is the case;
sfxty-four men In the Senate, acting
with the President of the United States.
VIII have the power to revolutionize
the foreign policy Of the nation, and
the hundred million and more inr
hahitants Of the land will have to
abide by their action
So, IL the new plan is the paragon
Of blessings ii is claimed to be by
its proponents, sixty-four men and
the President can confer 1t upon hu-
manfty. II 1t is the monster OF men-
ace to American independence which
lis opponents charge it with being,
sixty-four men and the President can
infffct Il Upon the hundred millions
~
Appropriaiing offhand the : mere
tribe Of $3.50 o.ooo. 900 to supply a de-
fciency in the
Railroad Question cover n m ent
Remains in Air. afthsraiI-
ways, Congress is to adjourn leaving
the railroad question" in the air:
final disposition of the railroads is to
be left to the wisdom OF a future
Congress-
President. Wilson before he sailed
for France dumped the problem upon
Congress with the frank statement
that he did not know what to sug-
rest. The House declined even to-
look into the subject. while the SEN
ate, through its committee on inter
GtAte commerce. started an exhaustive
inquiry. which developed many con-
ficting suggestions. When Congress
meets in regular session next De-
cember, il the President has not
turned the roads back to private
management in the meantime, the
statesmen OF the new Congress will
have to consider ridding Uncle Sam
OF his white elephant
In the last days of the hearings.
suggestion was made to the commit
tee by Howard Elliott Of the New
York, New Haven and Hartford
railroad. which attracted wide atten-
tion. He contended that along with
the federal supervision of the roads
and regulations OF rates there should
be federal regulation of wages and
working conditions
-Just as the government should
have the power 10 prevent wasteful
use of the dollar invested" Mr.. Elliott
srgued. upon which the public will
be asked TO pay a return through
rates, so should the government have
mower TO supervise wages and condi-
ions Of service, which ultimately are
naid for by the public though those
rates
The last analysis OF this suggestion
you'd be a system which would OBJ
viate strikes pending the arbitration
Of disputes between the roads and
their employees over wages.
Congress is getting after the reds"
IA earnest. A fine of s.. .6e0 and i'm
prisonment
Drastic Punishment for five
for RED" AgitatorA- posed as ts.
nenalty for advocating the red"
doctrine, in the bill reported out OF
the Senate committee on the 3udici-