AMERICAN WAR MEASURES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16672, 17 October 1917, Page 6

AMERICAN WAR MEASURES.

, * Thf latest proclamation issued by , President Wilson indicates a growing ! realisation in the United States of ? the necessity for prompt and vigor- • ous war action. When a state of ' war was declared there had been ; practically no military preparation. America was unready, and her , natural capacity for speedy organisa- [ tion was checked at every stage by i' discussions upon constitutional ques--11 tions affecting chiefly the powers of i: the President to act in emergency i J without the authority of Congress. sEven Congress was doubtful of its ■! powers, and at times appeared more !, concerned to arrive at a decision 'which was strictly " conutitutional" ■. j than to take steps that would be I effective in the war for American liberty. The first Compulsory Ser- ! vice Bill took six weeks to pass I through Congress, the first power given to the President to check j exports to neutrals was a half measure hesitatingly given by a Con- • gress uncertain of itself. The right jof America to take over and use German ships was questioned, the suggestion of a censorship aroused a clamour which prevented any effective supervision of pro-German newspapers. This was a mood, perhaps, inevitable in a country which has thought so little of wari as the United States. Fortunately j it has passed. America is now face ; to face with the realities of the situa- 1 iion. The President is exercising a much wider authority than any of < I his predecessors. He is taking com- j » plete control of exports and imports, , seizing enemy property, using enemy patents, controlling the German- 1 language newspapers, and generally leading the country in vigorous war action. America, like other free nations, has decided that it is foolish to place an exaggerated value on mere constitutional forms at a time when the very foundations of liberty and self-government are endangered, j