Evening star., 1917-04-14
Test of Strength Regarded as
Assuring Success of War
Revenue Measure.
LEADERS ON BOTH SIDES
URGE PASSAGE PROMPTLY
Insist Early Extension of Financial
Assistance to Allies Severest Pos
sible Blow to Germany.

| Overwhelming defeat at the
outset of the discussion of the
81, 100000 war revenue au-
thorization measure today in the
House of a proposal by Represen-
tative Towner of Iowa to eliminate
the proposed S3,ooo,ooo,ooo allies
loan provision left no doubt as
to the imminent passage of the
bill with only slight amendments.
Cheers for Loan Advocates.
| Speeches by Republican Leader Mann
and Representatives Rainey of Illinois,
Fitzgerald of New York and Gardner
of Massachusetts,. urging adoption by
the House of the broad features of the
administrations financing plan as out
lined in the bill were roundly ap-
| plauded.
| Representative La Toilette of Wash
ington, Heating of Colorado and Hud-
dleston of Alabama were the only three
members voting against the proposal,
while 217 members voted for it. Mr..
Towner did not vote.
! The measure was taken UP in the
House at IL o'clock this morning under
an agreement to begin discussion of
the amendments under the five-minute
rule General debate closed last night.
Voting on the bill itself is to begin
| this afternoon.
| Limitations on Loan.
| An amendment was added to limit
| specifically distribution of the <pro-
posed $4,000. 000. 200 foreisnslo which
the bill would authorize, to countries
actually at war with Germany End only
during hostilities. 1t was approved by
Secretary McAdoo and agreed to by
trainers of the bill after several mem
bers had insisted that without limi-
tations the Secretary of the Treasury
might make loans to European neu-
trails after the war ends.
! A feature of the debate was the alb
| sence of partisan spirit.
| An amendment by Representative
Shackleford to levy an additional in
| come tax Win a view TO preventing any
net income of over $50.000 annually to
any person was ruled out of order on
| objection by Democratic Leader kitchin.
| In supporting his proposal to elm
mate the three -billion-dollar loan to
| the allies Representative Towner eX-
| planned he did not think power should
| be vested in the Secretary of the Treas
| ury and the President alone to manage
| the loan without more assistance from
| Congress. He declared he was not op-
| DOSed the proposed loan itself,
Deemed Test of Strength.
Supporters of the bill. however. saw
| in the result of the vote on Towner's
proposal a test of their strength. and
they attacked it with fervid and pa
triotic argument.
| France. 40 years ago. when our
| credit was gone" declared, Representa-
! tive Rainey. amid applause. loaned US
| millions and millions without discus
| sion or debate. The thing to do is to
pass this bill. and pass it quickly. and
| say to the world that we propose to
| help our friends, and to do it quickly"
| Representative Fitzgerald aroused
| great enthusiasm by declaring he ia
| vored making the loan at once, not be-
| cause of a desire to help another ma
ton. but to help maintain the rights of
| the United States.
| "Whatever we may owe France is
not enough to justify our entering this
war" he said I'VE have been dragged
into this war by another nations viola
ton of our rights. 1 have no sympa-
thy with the statement that we may
not get our money back. We may or
| we may not, but that is Of no differ
ence."
Money Only Present Aid.
Money being the only aid that this
| country now can give the allies. Rep
resentative Mann declared, it should not
be denied them.
I'VE are not prepared" he said, ito
place men in the field. We are not
prepared to do much with our navy,
not because we have no navy. but be-
| cause of lack of an opportunity to use
it. But there is one way we can en-
gage in the war. That is to help finance
| those who are fighting our enemies.
This proposed appropriation is for
$4,000 O00, 900. l doubt not that before
a year that amount will be doubled
| Let us hope that we can end the war by
| extending our credit. Our highest duty
| is to give aid to those who are fighting
our enemies. / hope and pray that aid
thus given will be effectual enough to
| end the war before we send our boys
into the trenches.
| Several amendments, including two
by Representative Lenroot. to exclude
neutrals from the loan and make its
|
| accepted by the ways and means COM
| mittee.
No Worry About Repayment.
| Representative Madden of Illinois
said he did not care whether the
So. 900, 600. 900 loaned the allies was paid
back or not. that the United States is
not prepared to send men now and the
loan was the only way in which the
United States could act promptly and
effectively at this time.
! For Gods sake. let's get into action. -
he cried, either tn cough the armies
| now in the field o. in our own army
and everybody knows we can't get an
! adequate army for a year. The time
/ for talk is past and the time for action
| is here"
There was much opposition to a pro-
posal by Representative Moore of Penn
sylvania to limit the maturity of the
issue. All the leaders spoke for leav-
ing that to the discretion Of the Presi-
dent or of the Treasury Department
| Representative Montague of Virginia,
democrat, said he hoped that in the
present eXigencies the debt of graft
tude America owes to France in the
j. Continued on Second Page.)