Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-05-17
IS j. s. |MPOTENT?
IS D. c. UNFIT?
No. War Shows Power of Ma
ton to Give and Fitness OF
Capital to Receive National
Representation.
VICTORY THROUGH UNITY
THEODORE w. MOVES.
Editorial Correspondence Of The Star.l
III

III.
The wonderful showing OF power
made by the United States in the
world-war now ending-the power OF
self-control. self-denial. self-sacrifice
the power to sweep away every OBJ
stacle. however formidable. including
even constitutional limitations. whose
suspension was demanded by national
safety-the power to arm quickly. to de-
fend effectively and to strike irresistibly
under the Inspiration of just cause
has taught us and the world that this
nation is mighty, not impotent.
This demonstration of power shames
the plea that the nation is impotent
to provide national representation
for the people of its capital without
abandoning necessary national con-
troll of the nations city.
The suggestion of impotency to cure
the evil of n non-representative un-
American capital without undermn-
ing the republics foundation stones
and without endangering the national
welfare is an insult to American
character and capacity. No other ma
t1on in the world degrades in ma
tional representation the people of its
capital below the residents of it's
slogan. not Cant do" Nobody has
ever been able, when the real test
came. to induce Uncle Sam to permit
a confession of impotency to continue
long to be the national watchword.
National representation of the Dis
trict will remove from the nation the
shame of impotency nnd from WASH
inEtOnians the slur of unfitness.
1t will proclaim to the world that
the great republic is as devoted to
the principles of representative gov
ernment and as capable of enforcing
them as other republics with capi-
tails in nation-controlled districts.
like Mexico. Brazil and Argentina.
These nations have not found them
selves impotent to give full national
capitals.
It will proclaim to the world that
the people of Washington are as At
to participate in national representa-
tive government as the people Of Rio,
Buenos Air Aires and Mexico n City, Mashzii
tai in all the world whose people,
slurred as tainted or defective, are
unworthy to enjoy the same national
representation as that enjoyed by all
other cities of the nation.
Strength Of Organized Washington.
Not only has war shown the mighty
power of the nation. but it has Incl
dentally demonstrated the real
strength of organized Washington
when It throws itself unitedly into
any cause.
What organized Warrington has
done in respect to the seIectIve draft.
the Red Cross and United War-WOfk
and will do in a campaign for it's own
AmericanizatiOn. for the application
to itself of the vital principle of DO-
liticnl equity, upon which Ms one
foundation all these other campaigns
and activities have avowedIy been
based.
The war is over and the voices Of
the Constitution and of Equity, almost
silent in the deafenine roar Of the
war guns, speak again loudly and
authoritatively.
Washington. released from it's war
time obligation to think solely of ma
tional service and sacrifice to help to
win the war. is permitted to think and
speak again for itself. And its first
and most earnest petition is for Amer
for representation. ike
other American communities, in Con-
g ress and the electoral college.
Its first petition is for national rep
through exercise of the power which
such representation will give all other
good things municipal that a-e
strongly desired will be added to it.
Nearly all Of the citizens or
CARNATIONS Of Washington. large and
small. cooperate in the organization
OF the Joint Citizens Committee on
National Representation for the Dis
trict Of Columbia.
Efficiency in War and Peace.
The efficiency and power of organ
ICED Washington have been demon
strated in the wartime in a dozen
different ways-in securing soldiers
and sailors to help to win the war,
in applying effectively the selective
draft. in campaigns for liberty loans.
for conservation and for money for the
Red Cross, the united war workers
drive and for countless war chari
ties. The power thus developed can
and ought now to be turned into the
campaign for national representation
for the District. Our four-minute
men. for example. who have stirred
us to sustain the way against autoc-
racy and for representative govern
ment for all the world overseas, will
be inspired to fight with all their
power against autocracy and for rep
resentative government at home in
the capital of the great representative
republic. And so with the whole honor
list of Washingtonians who as war
workers have made record of execu
tive ability and patriotic devotion Of
In re al hi ton
has organized effectively in the ma
tion's defense and to secure political
equity for all the world. 1t may now
organize strongly in seif-defense to
secure political eqCity for itself.
Victory Through Unity.
Washingtonians have been accused
of unparalleled ''clannishness. 1t Is
true that of late years we Washing
tonians have been driven together by
our common. endurance of injustice.
deprivation of American rights and
undeserved vilification into an approx
innate unity of thought and action
which has been sadly lacking in
earlier stages of the city's history.
Like the revolutionary forefathers.
we have hung together in order that
we might not hang separately.
What Washingtonians have done in
wartime organization shows the
community's resources, capacity and
latent strength When we stand to-
gether shoulder to shoulder and cam
paign for political equity and ma
tional representation with the same
enthusiasm and the same power that
characterized our campaigns for the
success OF rhe selective draft, for the
liberty loans and for the Red Cross
campaign and the united war service
drive we will sweep forward irresisti-
bly, to victory.