Show Repeal of War Laws m THE saying that largo large bodies move more slowly is verified J- J L by tho the deliberation with wilh which tho the greatest S lie on earth gets geLs back to a peace basis Here it is more than than sixteen months since the tho S signing ng of the armistice and all hostilities c ceased ed yet Jet technically wo we are still at war war with Germany and Austria and all th the emergency laws Jaws and md war time restrictions considered necessary in inthe inthe inthe the days ays of our belligerency arc still in force Investigation of extraordinary powers in boards and department heads concentration of authority in officials officials officials of of- of the war and the navy nary and supreme command of the government in all its functions in tho the President are arc considered imperative when danger threatens but when the blasts of war have ha ceased to blow and peace shoWS shows a persistent determination det to brood over over the land landall landall landall all of these special assumptions of authority power and command are highly repugnant to tho the spirit of a self- self I governing people and always ought to be abrogated as as soon soon as possible They smack too much of autocracy and militarism and have havo no place in the permanent S. S processes of a republic like ours The They make our oar public men men masters instead of servants of or the tho people They lead us into forbidden paths far removed from the beaten beaten track blazed by the fathers They retard busi- busi ness The protracted discussion in the Senate has not b been cn over the terms of peace with our former enemy as these were readily acceptable but over ocr the provisions of the covenant of a league of or nations which wo we were in invited in- in riled to enter So that wo we virtually have been at peace with all 2111 nations and the tho peace terms actually understood for nearly a a. year yet tho the war legislation with its absolutism ab nb- ab- ab and its insidious perils jj s and its handicaps to business remains upon our statutes It is comforting to read in the dispatches that there thero is a unanimity of sentiment sentiment sen sen- t in Congress that the tho emergency laws which place restrictions on business and commerce at least should be wiped off tho the books without delay in order that the country may get ba back k to a 3 normal basis as soon as possible pos pos- si sible The Tho resolution declaring that a state of peace exists may get into the whirlpool of or politics polities and involve involve in in- volve olve more time and md perhaps more bitterness Wore before it emerges el but nt the necessary measures specifically lly repealing repeal repeal- ing ng the laws and restrictions deemed doomed necessary when we entered the war may possibly be passed without much dissent diset The House in taking the initiative seems first to feel f 0 the public pulse |