The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-03
GRAVE QUESTIONS BEFORE CONGRESS RECONSIDERATION Foreign Relations and Pre- paredness Will Be DOmi-
 mating Features
.SOLONS RESUME
 WORK TOMORROW.
Revenue Situation Will Command Im- mediate of War Revenue Law Will Be
 First to Be Considered

Washington, January 2-Congress re- convenes Tuesday to begin serious con sideration of momentous legislation con- fronting it. Before the holiday recess little was accomplished, but during the preliminary two weeks there were as- surances that foreign relations incident to the European war and preparedness would be the dominating features of the session, fraught with far-reaching possi- bilities.
 Important international events since the recess have served to make indica- tions stronger than ever that the leg islative branch will seek all available information in possession of the govern ment relating to foreign complications. Administration leaders probably will find it difficult to prevent speech making inn mediately after Congress reconvenes re- garding the recent sinking of the British steamer Persia in the Mediterranean sea, in which an American consular official is believed to have perished
 SMITH RESOLUTION UP
 The Senate committee on foreign rela- tions will take the lead in actual con sideration of international affairs. Pend- ing before the committee is Senator Hoke Smiths resolution urging nvestiga- 1l into British interference with neu- tral shipping and the lodge amendment directing also that investigation be made into the law and the facts" concerning destruction of the Lusitania other at tacks upon vessels imperiling American lives and the conspiracy against neutral ity within our borders," to which Pres ident Wilson referred in his annual ad- dress to Congress.
 About this resolution and amendment will center the committees deliberations over foreign problems Senator Hoke Smith has prepared another address on the commercial situation with cotton as his particular subject which he expects to deliver soon after the Senate meets.
 The military and naval affairs commit tees of both houses have been studying the national preparedness programme during the recess. The House commit tee plans to get to work on these at once and public hearings are contem- plated. The Senate committee, meantime. will study the bills submitted and map out programme of procedure.
 TO CONSIDER REVENUE
 The revenue situation also will com mand immediate attention. Representa- tive Kitchin, chairman of the ways and means committee, plans to call his com mittee together without delay to take up this problem. Senator simmons. chairman of the finance committee also contemplates frequent meetings of demo- cratic members to study fiscal problems. First to be considered will be the amend ment of the war revenue law, which was re-enacted hurriedly just before recess with the general understanding that amendments would be proposed to ln- crease its revenue producing power ln- yolyed in this are issues likely to pro- yoke wide divergence of views, among them the suggestions to tax gasoline, au- tomobiles, horse power, steel products and other articles of commerce, and stamp tax also Is to be given serious thought. Much general legislation is on the pro- gramme for consideration as soon as the preparedness and defense questions are out of the way. A bill to creat lana loan banking system and another to de- yelop mineral resources on pubic lands
 have been practically completed py House committees during the holidays.