The Washington herald., 1917-07-25
PRESIDENTS REQUEST
DELAYS FOOD BILL
Congressman Disagree on Proposal
to Eliminate Buying Committee.

Echoes Of President wilson's letter
to Mr.. Lever protesting against the
appointment OF a committee on war
expenditures rang through Congress
yesterday.
The matter of the committee APP
pointment delayed the progress of the
food bill still another day.
Senators Lodge and Weeks both
stopped in the midst of the attack
on the Creel bureau to state en-
phatically that President Lincoln
never objected to the war committee
during his administration.
Administration Democrats sided
strongly with the Chief Executive
against Senator Owens section to the
food control bill. But the majority
of the House Republicans. headed by
James r. Mann. are in favor Of the
committee. II think practically all
Of the men on this side Of the House
are for the committee" said Mann.
1t was Mann's insistence upon the
committee that stopped the food con-
troll bill. He was determined that
Section - created the committee,
should be considered separately from
the other amendments inserted by
the senate.
Lever wanted the House to dis
agree to all Senate amendments, and
agree to the conference. Mann
asked the House to disagree to all
the amendments except Section g."
So when Lever asked unanimous con-
sent that the bill be sent to confer
ence. Mann objected.
Mann's action forecasts a stIff bat
tie by Republicans to retain the war
committee in the bill. The Rules
Committee yesterday voted a special
rule to send the bill to conference,
and Chairman Lever will be armed
with this weapon today. 1t is con-
coded that Democrats have sufficient
votes to pass the rule and shove the
steam roller over the Republicans.
Nevertheless, Republicans will work
hard to defeat the rule, and bitter
criticism Of the President Is antici-
pated.
Opposition by Republicans on send
ing the bill to conference is because
they fear that the war committee
will be thrown out of the conferees,
while a straight House vote might
show a different aspect Mann init
mated yesterday that the majority
Of the conferees would be Democrats,
and would side with the President in
the belief that the creation of the
committee could only be interpreted
as lack OF confidence in myself. Z"
The Senatorial allusion to the
stand taken by the President was
brought out by Hardwick. of Georgia.
Democrat, but not always in SYM
pathy with the administration. He
asked II the supposed objection of
Lincoln to a war committee was based
on interference with the conduct of
campaigns, or because the committee
checked expenditures.
Notwithstanding that Mr.. Wilson
had said the civil war committee was
"a constant source OF trouble" Sem
ator Lodge declared that a careful
perusal of Nicolay and Hays life OF
Lincoln did not show that the COM
mittee lever harassed the President
in the conduct Of the war"
Besides Section 23'' there was other
opposition to the Senate amendments
in the food control bill. RansdalI
wanted a separate vote on prohibition,
Barclay wished beer and wine pro-
hibited. Shackleford desired the s.
wheat provision retained. Thompson.
of Oklahoma. did not think a little
more delay would be dangerous. But
Lever said amid applause:
THE delay upon this food control
bill amounts almost to a national
scandal.
Il do not want to put my colleagues