Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1922-04-07
Ry EDWARD B. CLARK

BY EDWARD 3. CLARK
Washington.-It seemingly can be
taken for granted that the treaties
proposed by the recent international
conference in Washington will go into
effect. Will the world, after the agree
ments formally have been sanctioned
wherever it is necessary to sanction
them, be the same old world?
Washington officials are like other
people, and though the endeayor is to
do something to keep war forever from
the doorstep, there are those of the
officials who are saying that human
nature still is human nature, and that
dependence must be placed upon its
restraint as much as upon any treaties
looking to "placidity, concord and
peace"
The United States is going to have
agreements, treaties, alliances, or what
ever you choose to call them, with
other great nations and war no
longer is to be feared, at least so
some good folk seem to think. The
people of the United States, and the
that matter, are willing apparently
in masses of majorities to grasp at
anything which will promise peace
and which will prevent repetition OF
the much worse than untoward things
that happened between August 1, 1914,
and November IL, 1918.
Perhaps it ought not to be written
at a time when the hopes of the peo-
pie seem to be firmly fixed that peace
is to settle down for keeps upon the
world, but nevertheless it must be said
that there are plenty of seasoned ones
in Washington who believe that hui
man nature rather than four-power,
five-power, or even ten-power pacts is
to determine affairs in the future, as
it has determined them in the past
These skeptics, if you so choose to call
them, say that you cannot legislate
acrimonies out Of the world affairs,
nor can you legislate today against
the human nature which will be the
same tomorrow and the day after to-
morrow as it is this day and as it
was yesterday.
There are government officials and
members of congress of both parties
who believe that the solving of the
economic problems of the world will
be a harder task than that of solving,
or seemingly solving, its war problems.
washington recognizes the fact that
there is an instability among the peo-
pies which comes from something
other than the economic disturbances
which naturally have grown out Of the
war
There is a restlessness everywhere,
and it is particularly evident among
men who served in whatever army,
but it is also evident among the peo-
pies who never saw the front line, and
who never were found back of the
front lines. The whole world seems
to be nervous and unable properly to
get to work The diplomatic and leg
islative doctors say that the world
needs a natural sleep, one not pro-
duced by a sedative and which will
leave no headache in it's wake.
A senator said the other day that
the world has been disturbed many
times before, but that it always has
come back to it's poise. It reminds
one of the ancient story of the woman
who asked if it was going to rain, and
received the answer 1T always has,"
Committees Action Alarms.
Recently an appropriation commit
tee of congress made what was seem
ing attempt to fix policy for the gov
eminent rather than simply to make
a recommendation for an appropriation.
to carry out policy already fixed by
the government.
1t is charged in Washington chat
this act of the appropriation commit
tee takes that body far out of the
field of its rights, its privileges and
common sense. This charge is made
both by Democrats and by Republic
cans, who see danger in what the COM
rntttee has done.
The appropriation committee Of the
house virtually said it would recon-
mend that only a small amount of
money should be allowed for the army
CT the United States. 1t can be seen
st once what this will mean if it shall
be carried through to it's conclusion.
1t means that the government, through
the military committees of the house
and senate, can not fix the size of the
army or of the navy in accordance
with thoughts on safety for our insti-
tutions, but necessarily will be COM
PEELED to keep the army forces down
within the pay limits made possible by
the sum allowed by the appropriations
committee.
Here is the way that it has been put
by some Of the members who think
that the appropriations committees
suggested plan is dangerous and
wrong:
''If in a greaH city riot should hold
lis sway for four or five months, but
finally after great destruction of prop
erty the rioters should say, We will
so good would it be wisdom for the
city, simply on the word of lifetime
agents of destruction, instantly to cut
lis police force below the limits of
ordinary safety"