Evening Star Newspaper, May 29, 1921, Page 31

EDITORIAL PAGE NATIONAL PROBLEMS SPECIA L ARTICLES Past 2—16 Pages PROBE BY -+ IS NOT OFTEN FUTILE| Public Good Comes Even When Legislation Does Not Directly BY G. GOULD LINCOLN. OVERNMENT by investiga- tion? Why not? The cus- tom has grown up in this| country of calling upon Con- gTess to investigate all kinds of al- leged abuses—and Congress has in- vestigated so many different kinds of abuses and mixed in so many coptro- versies that it is impossible to enu- merate them all. Not infrequently criticism is heard of these investiza- tions. *“What do they accomplish? How many thousands of dollars do they cost™” the critics ask. Yet it does not appear that the country, or large sections of the peo- pie, would call for these investiga- tions, or would continue to sanction them, if there were not real zood ac- complished by them. A little light and ventilation usually helps in most controversies to bring about an or- derly settiement. President Is Called Upon. Now and then the President of the United States is called upon to act as an investigator and arbitrator in various disputes which threaten to, cause upheavals. Undoubtedly, he ! would be called upon more frequently if it were not realized that the l’hltfl executive has his hands fuil attend- | inz to running the executive branch of the government. But Congress has, the time and apparently the inclina-, tion to indulme in investizations. It} s scores of standing committees to which this or that subject may be turned over for “investization. At pres nt. a number of investiga- tions into matters of vast importance to the country are under Senate committecs. The Senate terstate commerce commitiee. wa in- head- ed by Senator Cummins of lowa, has tackled the railroad situation and is making a thorough inquiry into all sides of that complicated question What the committee particularly de- sires to ascertain is why it cost the railroads so much to operate since the roads were turned back to their private owners. something more than a year ago. and where, if at all, the new transportation act has fallen ¢ down in operation. Inquiry Into Mine Strike. Down in West Virginia civil war bhas been under way in part of the mining fields—an industrial strife, largely. - Martial law has been de- clared by the governor; the state militia of both West Virginia and Kentucky has been turned out to aid in preserving order. But things have not quieted down as they should. So Senator Hiram Johnson of California determined to have the Senate use its good offices. He introduced a resolution calling for an investiga- tion by the Senate committee on edu- cation anil labor into the industrial troubles that have brought about the tighting. And th has ordered the investigation. particular investigation recalls the inquiry made into industrial str in the mining regions of West Virg al number of years :go, When the Cabin | and Paint Creck war was on. estigations of Sena This Senate or ¥ such controversies. v hile they rarely. lead to e tion or action by Con- zress, have the effe of centering attention upon the troversies | themselves. Both sides are giv n full opportunity to express th i views. Usually there is 2 truce while the investigation is g & on. The hearings before the congressional | committees are given wide publicity. | Public opinioa, which in the end | largely governs decisions in this: country, i3 given an opportunity to form, and the result is beneficial Resulted in Real Bemefit. Of recent investigations conducted | by Senatc committees which appar- | ently have been beneficial to the| people is the Calder committee in- | vestigaticn of housing and recon- | struction questions, dealing particu- | larly Wit the coal situation. This | committee visited many cities and sections of the country. It showed vehere profiteering was going on in building operations. 1t showed how the coal busincis was operated and | where some of thc profits were go- ing. It helped to stir up communi- ties to further action. The conse- tence has been that the investi- zation Las aided, if it has not been the cause, in helptmg to bring about a reduction in prices of ma- terials vitally needed by the people | for housing and heating purposes. | In connection with this investiga- tion 1t may be said that the Calder eommittee drafted a number of bills to aid the yusing situation and to provide a ure of rezulation and publ rding the coal business, Whi measures hiave not yet Leen enacted into ‘law, they have in- dicated to the operators and the pro- ducers the attitude of the public, as reflected by the makers, and have pot been witie th effect. Backed by Huge Power. re, Not infrequently the demand for a congressiona! Investizatiom comes when tie partica involved In a con- troversy or local authorities have either reached an impasse or the communities failed or declined to act. Back of a Senate or House in- vestigation is the huge powers of the federal government, irdefinable to a great extent, but. nevertheless, po- tent There is a general feeling throughout thegcountry that it is not s good plan to “monkey” with Uncle Sam So a congressiomal investiga- tion sometimes gets fartier than an investigation by the local govern- meatal authoritle: During the war the Semsta mfiRtary : affafrs committee conducte® mu al- CONGRESS From Investigations, Result. icularly with reference to the prep- arations for war. It is generally conceded that this surveillance by the Senate committee did much to correct mistakes and increase effi- ciency by pointing out the errors being made. After the war, or, rather, after the signing of the armi- stice, there were a flock of investi- gations of all kinds of matters de- | veloping out of the war, particularly | with regard to expenditures of public money. There seems little doubt; that politics was behind some of these investigations. ordered by a re- publican Congress, into the conduct of affairs by a democratic adminis- tration, with a national campaisn coming on. Part of Regular Work. i Of course, committees of Congress are constantly investigating matters relating to pending legislation. Bills are introduced and referred to com- mittees, and to draft intelligent leg- islations ihe committees must call for full information regarding these mat- ters. These investigations are all in the day's work. as in the case of the investigation in tarifft and revenue matters by the House ways and means committee and the Senate flnance committee, and the investization of the proposals to reclassify the gov- ernment employes by the committees on the civil service. But the number of extraordinary in- vestigations by congressional com- mittees is very large, as hitherto in- dicated. The House has recently cen conducting an investigation of the escape of Grover Cleveland Berg- doll, the nationally known evader of the Army draft law. Bergdoll is. aceording to all reports, safe in Ger- mary for the time being, at least. But the House investigation, while it may not result in bringing back the draft evader, has stirred public opivion still further in this case. And when the technical state of war between this country and Germany comes to an end, it is very likely that an im- mediate demand be made upon Germany to turn over to this govern- ment the draft evader. Capital Gets Attention. The Congress is the real governing power of the District of Columbia. Thé District committees of the Sen- ate and House at times have under- taken by their investigations to deal with subjects which could not well be dealt with by legislation. For in- stance. the Senate District committee tackled the high cost of living prob- lem in Washington a year or two ago, and developed the fact that excessive prices were being charged. Its re- port to the Senate charged profiteer- ing in many lines. It is true that i nothing came of the investigation in the ¢ of legislation. But the in- vestigation helped to arouse the peo- ple and may have something to do with the greater care with which | buyers began to make their purchases, and which finally resulted in forcing down prices in this city, as it has in others. The House District commit- tee at present is engaged in an in- quiry into the high cost of theater- going in the District of Colupbia. The school situation in the District was thoroughly aired before a spe- { cial committee of the Senate during the last Congress. And the conten- tion is made in many quarters .that the investigation brought about a great deal of good, and is resuliing in increased efficiency for the achools. CALL CAUCUS WEDNESDAY Republicans to Decide Party,. Action on Tariff Question. Chairman Towner of the House re- publican conference issued a call yester- day for a caucus Wednesday night at which decision as to party action is expected on the resolution of Repre- sentative Longworth, Ohio, to make rates of the general tariff bill effeet~ ive from the date of introduction of the bill Representative Young of North Da- kota, the only republican member of the w and means committee who opposed the resolution in committee. said today he would carry his fight into the caucus, and it was understood Chairman Towner would advocate killing the plan. because of opposition it has developed. Supporters of the resolution had difficalty in obtaining the call for a caucus. May Quit the U. S. Senate JOSIAH 0. WQLCOTT, most contimuous investigation of the masner a which the War Depart- [t - GRS tngowes, pas- United States senator from Delaware, who has been tnated by Gov. Deme acy to be chancellar of that state, EDITORIAL SECTION - Star. - Society News l X 2 WASHINZTON., D. C.. SUNDAY MORNING, MAY 29. 1921 e MEXICO AND THE UNITED STATE President Obregon Offers an Explanation of Misunderstandings, and Insists That Official Recognition of His Government by Washington Would Bring About Improved Relations. BX ALVARO OBREGON, Preaident of Mexico. (Coprright, 1921, by The Washington Star.) OW could the relations be- tween Mexico and the United States be im- proved? This question can be easily answered, but I shall endeavor first to settle this point: What is the present status of the relations between Mexico and the United States? The peaceful intercourse of na- tions, as well as of individuals, is possible with the sole condition that the neighbors—individuals or nali*s—ad)usl their conduct to the dictates of morality and law. Similar sentiments of this mutu understanding are nasurally nece sary for the materialyand spiritual interchange of the common life whigh. fortunately. takes place, more or less, throughout the clvi ized world, and the development of such intercourse may even come to transform the simple peaceful intercourse of nations into a friendly co-operation, not only beneficial to their own interests. but also beneficlal to the general interests of humanity at large. * % kX This would be the ideal state of the world, under the rule—now unfortunately impossible—of an imperturbable peace. But wars, which are plausible as crises of evolutionary development, and de- plorable for their methads of brutal violence, as a regression to inferior states of ctvilization, either when confined within the frontiers of a single nation or when they pass beyond its borders and involve several natlons, are factors that break the interna- tional concert. They considerably disturb the commercial and friend- Iy relations amqng nations. This is ths present status of the world, in which are included, reciprocally —with the special circumstances inherent to their centiguity—Mex- ico and the United States. The relations between these two countries are affected: First, as a result of theé revelutionary con- vulsions which during ten years have disturbed Maxico, ind second. as a result of the neutrality, in which Mexico had to maintain herself during the great world ‘war. us. L latter could not have been better or worse than those of the Eu- ropean war. 4 Mexican rige, therefore, to incidents which deplorably affected between the two countries, and of such mot only the Unijed States can complain, but algo the repub- lic of Mexico. it could not be otherwise, that sev- eral American citizens have died and many hawe suffered damages in their properties as a logical consgquence of the state of war and of ingvitable er arbitrary acts of the revolutionary government, Let us examine briefly these two points. Civil war is the evolu- tionary and violent form produced in an unavoidable manmer in all the nations of the world when ever the gradua] develo] nt of thelr institutions remains behind their time In regard to the neces- sities or the aspirations of a people. Naturally, during the last internal war, as happens in ell civil and international waars, there were not applied in Mggico the moral apd legal precepts corre- sponding to peaceful times, and in this regard the episodes of the The . ALVARO OBREGON THERE is no more important question before the Amer- ican people today than the relations of this country with the republics of South and Central America. most of these Latin American problems is the relation- ship between the United States and Mexico. Today The Star presents the first of a series of occasional articles by the administrative executives of our sister republics as to their problems and aS to their relationship with The President of Mexico states his case with re- markable frankness. the revolution gave external debt, etc. the relations It is true, in fact an and, therefore, can people, such as the attachment of the rail- roads and other private property, temporary discontinuance of payments of interest on the public It is nevertheless Also true that In the United States the Interests in- jured by the Mexican revolution, or those fearful of it, carried out Intense campaign against it, against the Mexi- Brossly exaggerating its methods and its acts, and un- justly pictuning Mexico, not as e country which struggles, to the point of sacrifice, in order to win its liberties and a place of honor in the civilized world. but as a band of outlaws Incapable of re- generation. | It is also true that the Mexican people, mindful, as it is, of its soverelgnty, suffered a violation of sovereignty in thp occupation by American forces of the port of Vera Cruz and the “punitive” ex- pedition which reached the heart of Chihuahua * X ¥ ¥ As regards the second point, not- withstanding the pro-allied senti- ments of the thinking classes of Mexico, the country had to remain neutral during the great war, be- cause it was deeply engaged in its internal problems and also because in no case could it have taken part in a sufficiently decomous manner. The direct motives calling it to war were not sufficiently important, nor its contingent of forces so large as to influence, even in an appreciable manner, the course of the war. From the time of the declaration of war on Germany by the United States the neutrality of Mexico eonstituted another source of frie- tion between the two countries, be- sides the fact that, taking advan- tage of these propitious conditions, the damaged foreign interests were able to intensify to the maximum possible degree their hostile cam- paign against Mexico. * kX % Fortunately, the Mexican revo- lution and the European war are things of the past. Both the Mexi- can and American peoples daily manifest—in various and eloquent forms—their Intention to develop closer relations and friendly co-op- eration, to which they are moradly bound by their geographic propin- quity. This would be to the ad- vantage of their respective coun- tries, the American continent and humanity at large. The present government of Mexico, which is the outcome of this expression of the free will of {ts people, endeavors to carry out its high purposes. It energetically maintains the na- tional tranquillity, beginning not with soap-box oratory, but with real and tangible facts, a policy of just reparatien for the damages caused by the revolution and for the mistakes of former govern- ments. What is lacking, then, for the fulfilment of that beneficial and friendly co-operation between the Eovernments of Mexico and the United States, so mruch desired by the inhabitants of both countries? That the American government, placing itself above the the un- wholesome tendencies, transitory characteristics and absurd im- patience of a few mal al inter- ests, do justice to thafiovle and government of Mexico by applying the traditional policy initiated by Jefterson in these memorable words: “According to our princi- ples, we must pecognize as legal any government canstituted fin conformity with the will of a na- tion, substantially stated.” Fore- President Harding and His Cabinet Agree on “Full Speed Ahead” Policy ‘BY N. 0. MESSENGER. RESIDENT HARDING, in his night ad- dress ip New York city last weelk, inter- jected a sentence which was not in the prepared form of the speech.. Speaking of the affairs of the country, in all embracing tenor, he used the expressian “full speed ahead.” This hapgy utterance was seized ypon hy offi- clal Washington as descriptive of the present motive of the administration in dealing with affairs administrative and of Congress in handling legislation. “Full speed ahead” is, indeed, the motto of the men composing the maiprity political party now in charge of goygrnment and law making. ‘The throttle was thsown wide open on the very afternaon of March 4, and steam has not been shut off since. No one more than President Harding realized the great djstange to be trgveled in reaching normal and stable condi- tions mor appreciated more keenly the anxiety of the country to gain the coveted destination. Only by full speed shead could this be accom- plished, with not a slackenipg of pace for an instant. He sgnsed the deep-seated desirs of the people, with that intulgon for sympathy with the masses which seems to be a marked characteristic, and responded to it. * & X X It is a subject of comment among officials and mea in Co: that Pgpsident Harding has the !wllympflfln‘ those public men with whom he cames in contact with zeslous- ness and entbualasm. And he does it in his own way, without giving the appaarance of “driving™ or seeking to dictatg Cabinet officérs say that < cabinet meetings he is & “good lis- tener,” and the men awpugg the table have free swing with their recommgndations apd sugmes- tions, the while tha President heeds attentively and eeldom with evidence of serious disagree- ment. Then, somehow, before the close of the confergnce, they find themselves confronting a mind which has assimilated their vipwpoint and presenting clarification, elaboration or modifica- tion ef it, to the betterment of the project under discusston. And always, they say, there is that element of expediting the solution of the question, that “full-speed-ahead” wapirit, which shows out atrong and gets them “on thelr toes” He i3 not a procrastinator. At the same time he fs not rash ner uamindful of the thought ti haste makes waste, but he has a very elear | of where to draw the Une between rash haste and judicious expedition, . Fortunately, all the members of the cabinet fall in line naturally by reason of their own natures with this characteristic of the eyecu- tive. There is Postmaster General Hays, the so-called “human dypamo,” whose mind acts quickly, and who knows nothing but full speed ahead. Secretary Weeks of his long business training has learned to go stralght Into the heart of a problem, brushing away extraneous collateral issues and reaching a decision promptly. Secretary Hughes, with his judicipl mind, has nothing of the spirit of the “law's delays” usually accredited to lawyers, but pro- ceeds as rapldly as he does thoroughly. Sec- retary Denby, who has shown himself to be a born sallorman, has the trait of the commanding officer who must make decisions without undue hesitation, and carry them out promptly once they are made. Secretary of the Interior Fall, who 15 one of the President’s closest advisers, has the westerner’s habit of keen observation, prompt judgment and quick appraisal of situa- tions. And so with the others who grace the cabinet table; they all lend themselves naturally to the program of full speed ahead. * k %k X If some one should say the secttlement of the great forelgn problems are not conforming to the tdea of fulk speed ahead, he would be wide of the mark. The speed is being exerted, though the public does mot hear the rumbling of the machinery. Theso is further to o, also, to rench the terminal of decision to be announced, but the pace is kept up. It is noted by public men that when ques- tions came up which demanded prompt actlon, the administragion was by mo means dilatory. The gnswer to bolshevik Russia, the reply to the Gérman appeal for the intercession of the United States practically against the allles, the Silestan problem, the Yap incident—in all these cases there was quick dectsion. * % % % President Hardigg has been very reluctant about summoning congressman to confer vath him on legislation, rather preferring to let them work out the questions on their own initiative, but ‘makliog them feel they were welcems to Lring thelr troubles to the White House, Sen- ate and Mouse leaders liave come away from theye talks tmpressed with the feeling that the Prestdent is keeping a sharp eye on legislation, and that he has prenounced views which he does not hesitute to express, but not in a spirit of would-be dictation, ‘When, 8s has bappened in a fow instances, the dominant feeling at the Gapitol has not ac- corded with his own ideas he has refrained from insisting upon them. The President feels, his intimates say, that he yields to Congress its right and privilege of initlation, reserving his own power of veto, and that upon ssrious differences of opinion, involving to his mind downright principle, he will not hesitate to as sharply assert his right as he as cheerfully concedes the right of the legislative body. * X % X ‘Speak softly, but carry a big stick,” the most frequently quoted utterance of the late President Rgossvelt, appears to hgve been adopted as the mptto of Congress in regard to the upkeep of the United States Navy. Unques- tionably the administration is in thorough sympathy with the spirit of the expression. While President Harding and his co-work- ers of the administration are agreeable to the sentiment existent in Congress favorable to a world agreement fer the limitation of naval and other armament, the trend of events in Congre; demonstrates that there is overwhelming opin- fon that pending the accomplishment of such 2 desirable end this {s no time to weaken the Navy. ‘The most powerful argument possible to be brought to bear for curtailment of naval ex- penditures bas been urged, and without avall— the contention that the taxes of the people must be reduced and that the naval outlay furnishes the most appropriate means, €ongress is fixed in its judgment that such is not the case; that the reduction of expenditures, with consequent relfef rrom tax burdens, must be applied else- where for the present. The good faith of the men in Congress who have attacked the naval bullding and personnel program s not questioned by any one. There is no political animus in thelr attitude, since demo- crats and republicans allke aspume it. They firmly belleve what they say. But with those who take the other side it is a matter of judg- ment, & question of doing what they think is best in the long run, and they think that the burden of taxation imposed by the naval ex- penditures {s but a bagatelle compared with the greater question of the security afforded by not cutting down the Navy. ® % % ¥ “Is there some seeret menace in eur forelgn which impels rels § PLANNING TO REDUCE 'WASTE IN BUILDING BY WI NEDY. ERBERT HOOVER, Secrotary of orRaizing ali parties inter solve the housing pre much the same way that h- organ the food administration during the war. that there might be sufficient for all essential demands of the Amerfcan people and our Army and allies overseas. With the country sufferin shortage of houses as never Secretary Hoove are two course o sidize the building railroads have b Kovernment ownership and operation and guarant ani buiiding indu it « erate with maximum economy and of ! ficiency and be not only self-sup, ing but prosperous Congress is about to do its part to solve the housing problem by ing the Calder-Tinkham bill pass- which is soon to be reported favora by the Senate committee, but Secretary Hoover recognizes that legislation will not bring relief. It can serve only as an agency in facilitating the relief. The real reformation must come from within. So he is buildi a line of careful considaration through all forward-lookinz branches of the industry. Varying Bullding Codes. The first idea is waste. Secretary Hoover believes that this can be done by improvement building codes. He belie millions of doliars worth building materials are being dumped to cut off that labor employed to do the dumping. He finds that there are building codes in the country, and a very few are determined on the strength of the material. A contractor of national note has stated that he coumld erect a better building outside of St. Louis than in St. Louis and at 18 per cent less cost, on account of the build- ing code. So Secretary Hoover fig- ures out that probably about a half billion dollars a year can be saved in the industry by determining the strength of the materials and using only such width of walls and such sized beams, etc. as may be required to guarantee safe comstruction. The big idea is to bring economy and efficiency into the closest possible re- lation,. Beeretaty Hoover has made up his mind to have every industry affiliated with the construction business come forward and tell some responsible agency what is the matter with the laws now and how much good mate- rial is being wasted. But tell whom? Uncte Sam cannot pay the right sort of men sufficient to make it worth their while, and to hold the confi- dence of the industries the men must be those whose names at once will inspire confidence throughout the in- dustries. Expert Views Invited. He has invited such men of na- tional recognition in the building in- dustry to serve as a ygluntary com- mission, as follows: Ira H. Woolson, chairman, consulting engineer ma- tional board of fire underwriters, New York city; Edwin H. Brown, archi- tect, Minnegpolis, chairman commit- tee on small houses, American Insti- tute of Architeots; William K. Hatt, professor of civil engineering, Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind., specialist in structural materials; Rudolph P. Miller, superintendent of buildings, New York city, chairman of buflding officials’ conference; J. A. Newlin, in charge of timber tests, United States forest products laboratories, Madi- son, Weis.; Ernest J. Russell, archi- tect, St. Louis, Mo., well known au- thority on building construction, and Joseph R. Worcester, consulting en- gineer, Boston, Mass, specialist on structural steel construction. The next move is to send out letters to all the big national associations related to the building industry, such as lime, cement, brick, steel, lumber and other basic building materials, notifying them of the appointment of this committee and asking them to organize voluntary committees repre- senting their particular industry to form a point of contact between the industry end the national committee. This_letter will also urge that due Coming to Tell Congress the ! of costly | into economic waste, with high-priced | Secretary Hoover Will Enlist Expcrts in His Effort to Relieve Housing Shortage. regard be ziven pating materials o the rights of com. Data for rl’oposed Bure: So when Congress shall have passed is expected soon—the Calder- m bill to establish a division of housing in the bureau of standards, Department of Commerce, the or- | ®anized industries throughout the { country in all lines glated to the | building business will already have been mobilized to give t i technical and k,|~.‘x<l throush zation in bringinz ahout reforms federal div m will be a | kouse for the latest reliable informa- tion of interest to the building in- lustry. The national veluntary committee | of cxperts already appointed will get out pamphlets in the form of reports { and distribute them through the na- | tional associations, through boards | of trade. chambers of commerce and other organizatio set & forth { what the specific dificulties are, what t the expert technical and practical builders of the country recommend, jand then the membership of those or- { sanizations throughout the country i i an exert their influence locally to have the reforms adopted and build- { inf codes amended. These pamphlets i\l'xll present the best knowledge of the day from builders, engineers and architects on how to cheapen cons on and improve present m | struci ods. Secretary Hoover feels certain { that self-interest will show the pro- ple all over the country that the im- provements thus outlined should be adopted. Will Asvemble Recommendations. The national committee alr ap- pointed will put all of these recom- mendations in order, edit them and !vouch for them as the best advice of practical men who know what they are talking about. There is no at- tempt 1o write a full building code. but first to knock off some of the rough edges, and then gradually and persistently to file and smooth off and polish until the most economically efficient building codes have been de- veloped—for the best interests of all concerned. So much for the first step—to get practical and efficient economy con- sistent ‘with safety on the few ma- terials most flagrantly wasted. Then will come a second step toward stand- ardisation. The aim of this is to get improvement in having things fit to- gether and o effect a real economy on labor costs. This will be devel- oped more and more and will proba- bly result in a voluntary committee on standardization. Matters for Other Committees. Then there are other matters like ventilation, fire protection, etc., com- ing under what are termed “tenement |house laws"—making the buildings fit places to live in. The relationship of the building to the width of the street, the saving of waste through |deterioration, zoning systems and city planning are matters for other committees’that may be organized. One of the big aims is to give a guarantee to the citizen that if he buys s home it will not deteriorate while he is paying for it. and that agencies are at work to make his holding more valuable all the time. Thns Secretary Hoover is working systematically, with a definite vision to get all the people of the country— architects, builders, supply men and labor, as well as the people who are to occupy the homes—pulling with him for an effective solution of the housing problem through a realiza, tion of their seif-interest to be ad- vanced through the various steps of reform. OFFICERS SAY CONTRACT WAS IN SELECTIVE ACT Disabled Men Appear at Hearing to Plead for Retirement Pay and Privileges. A delegation of disabled men who served as officers in the world war appeared Friday before the Senate military committee in support of leg- islation to give disabled emergency officers the retirement pay and other privileges of Regular Army officers. They said several thousand former of» ficers were entitled to legislative re- ltef. Only those disabled in line of Of Philippine Conditions duty would be eligible under the bil before the committee, which was in- tsoduced by Senator Borsum, repub- ican, New Mexico. Capt. Victor Heints, representing the American Legion, and other wit- nesses said there was a “contract” in the selective service act to give the emergency officers retiremant benefits equal to the regular stafl Those affected by the Borsum bill, he said, would be reserve officers, those of the National Guard and National Army. and men promoted for bravery or temporarily from the regular ranks. “We think the case is ome of oon- " satd Capt. Heints. ~“We were promised the retiremaent privileges under the selective service act. We say that it is an unfair breach of con- tract to deny retirement privileges. GEORGE A. MALCOLM, Associate justice of the supreme court ot the Philippine Islands, now on his way to Washington to appear before econgressional committres handling : w Harry S Monell, formerly of the New York National Guard, told the committes that the emergency of- ficers, greatly outnumbering the regu- lars in the world war, had done the bulk of the work, and had “sacrificed e than the regular officers.” Action on the bill was deferred. —_— NAMES SPECIAL ASSISTANT. Charles 8. Jones of Brookville, Ind, has been appointed a special assist- aat to the Attornsy General. Y