The Washington herald., 1920-05-09
CLAMOR|
PUTSDAMPER0N.
TRIP TO ORIENT
Congressmen Having Diff
Guilty in Staging Joy
Ride de Luxe.
TWELVE NAMES LISTED
Political Bosses Back Home
Also Wanted to Hear
Ukulele In Hawaii.
TWELVE NAMES LISTED

gressmen and pep" them for their
arduous labors of telling credulous
constituencies what great sums Of
money were saved this session, is
about to fizzle. Public opinion has
batter its way into the halls of
the House and Senate. Condemna-
tion of the proposed Congressional
10y ride" at public expense has
been SO widespread and so vigorous
that the sponsors of the party are
having difficulty tempting even the
prohibition members with hints of
aya in Honolulu and sakin in Japan
Representative Charles H Ran
dali. Of Los Angeles, CAL the mem
Der distinguished by his advocacy
of prohibition. his efforts to kill
horse racing in Lower California
and his campaign to forbid cigar
ette and tobacco advertising In
newspapers. was the originator of
the pleasure trip. He has found IL
so unpopular. however. that he has
dropped out of the venture after a
few curt remarks anent Joy
killers"
Encounter DinieuIties.
J. Kuhio KaIanianaoie Prince
Cupid"-the Delegate from Hawaii.
Is trying to make the junket pos
sible. He is encountering Difficult
ties at every turn. Members of
Congress who in the past always
had their suit cases packed for "an
official Congressional inspection
trip" and for service on a Congress
sional funeral party. are finding
they are going to be very busy
this summer. So far only twelve
members have decided to brave
public criticism by making reser-
vations. Their names are being
relatives. stenographers and secre-
taries to the number of about 500.
1t was going to be a fine party.
Newspaper attacks on the proposal
added to the demands. Political
bosses" back home read about it
and decided the South Sea breezes
would do them good and their wives
were eager to visit the land of the
ukulele. They demanded that they
be taken along. Members enrolled
them as secretaries and relatives.
The number grew at an alarming
pace. Mr.. Randall began to get
nervous over SO large a party. 1t
might attract attention. There
might be inquiry as to why q Con-
gressman had twelve to fifteen sec
retaries.
Mr.. Randall served an ultimatum
that only bona fide relatives might
be taken along. Members OF Con-
gress. fearful of turning down"
valued political henchmen, turned
longing eyes toward the West, and
sent notices they were going to be
otherwise engaged" Newspaper
attacks peeved Mr.. Randall. He
served notice that no newspaper
men need apply. That angered
some members of Congress, who
thought to have their Karl Rosners
present to dispense words of
thanks" for wreaths OF roses from
the hula hula girls.
Then the ever-present profiteer
stepped in to further muddy the
waters. The War Department an
nounced that due to the cost of
raw materials" the subsistence on
withheld at present. They will be
published, however. before the
army transport sails through the
Golden Gate on July s.
Promoters of the junket now are
trying to camoufage it as a Con-
gressional inspection trip to inspect
the fortifications, naval bases, har-
Dor facilities and other activities Of
the United States in Hawaii. Guam,
and the Philippine Islands" There
is a brief reference in the ''ad-
vance notices" sent out on station
cry of the House Committee on
Territories, of which Representa-
tive Charles Curry or California Is
chairman, about a call at Hong
Kong for fuel oil supplies" and a
stop at Japan. To have the junket
bear some resemblance to an "ofri-
cial party" it has been suggested
that the future dispensers of river
and harbor and postoffice pork"
be left at home. The sea voyage
will be long and sometimes a little
too rough for the children, the
notice stated.
oOO were TO sail.
Originally, close to $50 Senators
and Representatives signed up for
the junket. They asked for reser-
vations also for wives. children,
army transports would have to be
raised as to price. Instead of the
$1.25 a day as the members had
contemplated, the unreasonable,
outrageous, thieving" price of $I75
day was fixed. That additional
-four bits" was too much. More
members began-to remember 'im-
portant business engagements" for
the summer.
To some, of course, the lure Of
cherry blossoms and rickshaws, the
land of the poppy and the coolie, Is
too strong a temptation when Of
fered for view at government eX-
pense. About thirty members are
expected ITO defy criticism and take
passage on the Great Northern.
Four Groups to Go.
They are composed of four dis
tinct groups in Congress.
t-Prohibitionists who think
they need a change Of climate from
the dry atmosphere of Washing
ton. Many are losing weight. They
are finding also that oratory does
not flow as freely as formerly. and
sojourns In Japan and China may
beneft their threats.
Second-Members whose re-elec-
tion Is not to be contested this
year. They come from the solid