Evening star., 1920-02-08
in that conviction they await the action of
Congress in the Immediate future.

Congress in the Immediate future.
Whether not the United States is to have
universal military training is today one of the
most discussed of legislative considerations.
The foundations of such discussion are not in
volved The War Department. the military
leaders of the nation and the Senate military
committee favor such training. The House
military committee is closely divided or
member will decide either in favor of the leg
islation or involve that body in tie Appar-
universal training is of the provisions can
pass pa the Senate with a close vote in it's favor.
There is very strong opposition 10 this bill
from both sides of the House
,, Ihs ,;1 prrnclpal argument advanced in opposing
vocates of the measure urge it as essential to
the security of the nation. There other
injected into the situation from various angles
such as Is, What IT, about that armament reduction
clause: and This proposal is purposed merely
to furnish the league with a powerful police
force to be at the disposal of all Europe" The
But in the final analysis the case resolves
itself to one @ Of the need for economy my versus
what like this:
of universal military training is estimated at
from s5oo.ooo 900 to s1.oooooo. 900 per year.
military experts of the country, from the Sec
retary of War and Gen. Pershing and Gen.
tell that universal training is essential.
They ought to know. Economy is right but
to realize that in household retrenchment
does not cut out necessities. Why doesn't
that go with national economy?
Just soon as this league of nations be-
effective agency. with us on the
universal reduction in ornaments has been
established. we. Jim and Jane are for cutting
holding up our end. for telling the world We're
never going to be caught mapping again That
share Of the $500. 900. 900, something less than
5 per cent of the cost of our land forces in
men Five per cent for insurance? Necessities
come high these days, but folks are still buy
ing them"
For many months the two most pressing
industrial problems of the nation have been
the railroad and coal situation. Today it seems
that the former of these problems approaches
solution in part at least. Conferees the
Esch and Cummins railroad bill, have virtually
reached agreement upon the terms of the
legislation which will, in few days, be pre-
sented to the Senate and House. Pending the
final writing of the bill discussion thereof has
been without precision, but it is generally
known that the Cummins proposal for second
regulatory comm ssion has been dropped. to-
gether with the penal provisions against
plan for future regulation of rates prevailed
There is apparently every reason to believe
be acted upon and become law in ample time
to enable the return of the roads to, private
hands upon March 1, the date set by the
President. -+-.-s~- -,
Every indication is that this return will not
be again delayed. The efforts OF the American
Federation Of Labor to have government op-
grafton continued for two years have borne
little fruit. Director General Hines, In his
statement made during the week, to the gen
eral effect that the cost of government opera
ton has been grossly exaggerated, evidently
was far from advocating continuation of the
wartime expedient. The nation is apparen!,y
convinced that the roads can be more efnclentiy
and more economically operated by private
owners rather than the government Jim ana
Jane demand efficiency and economy Iney
are prepared to pay, either in taxes or rates,
the sum which is necessary to run the roads
that their money be economically expended and
that the profits and methods of private opera
ton be regulated by them. through the gov
ernment. They are apparently about TO get
what they want. ~
During the week the conference between
erhood chiefs, who seek wage increases Tor
1000, 900 railroad employees, progressed. Den
mite accomplishment in the matter or reachins
an agreement is not yet attained.
The hearings before the coal strike settle
ment commission have produced little in so far
as Illuminating the public is concerned. I'm
doubtedly the commission, weighing and sift-
ing the ever-conicting testimony of the lfi-
gants must be getting somewhere. But Jim
and Jane to whom the whole matter is still
one Of assertions and contradictions, of claims