The sun., 1917-05-18
WILSON YIELDS;
CONGRESS WINS
Closer Relations Between
President and Legisla-
tors Expected.
SHIFT BLAME FOR DELAY
Senator's and Representatives
Resent Charge They Held
Up War Measures.

terday's debate in the Senate in which
vent was given to much Of the criticism
that has been slowly crystalllzing here
better spirit prevailed to-day at the
Capitol. Several Senators who took a
leading part in the discussion of the war
up to date expressed the belief that 1t
had cleared the air" Closer coopera-
tion between the Executive and Con-
gress is looked for as a result Of what
happened yesterday.
That the object Of those who ven-
tilated their views yesterday was to at
tack the President for usurpation was
stoutly disavowed to-day. The Presi-
dent. 1t was asserted, had not assumed
powers not belonging to him but had
sought to attain powers necessary to
stead OF expediting matters had been
productive of delay and Of hostile
spirit in Congress.
The chief object OF those who reviewed
these matters yesterday was to relieve
Congress of the blame which has been
attached to 1t for the delay In legisla-
tion and place 1t at the Presidents door.
and secondly to convince the President
of the necessity of greater cooperation
with members of the legislative branch.
publicans Joined.
Drafting of the Bills.
-
persisted in having all important war
measures, with the exception OF tho
revenue BILL drawn either by Attorney
General Gregory or by the heads of de-
partments and bureaus affected Once
drawn they have been sent to the chair
men of the appropriate committees. who
have been expected merely TO hand them
in. The trouble began with the espio-
mage bill. whose looseness and scope as
tonished many Senators. and reached its
climax when Chairman Denman of the
Shipping Board sent in a shipping bill
drawn by himself which conferred such
broad powers upon the board that 1t
caused Democratic and Republican meNi-
bers OF the committee 10 gasp.
Not only did Mr.. Dcnman seek the
power OF regulating the rates on Ameri-
can vessels but he sought to give the
board powers almost equal TO the State
Department with reference to American
commerce. Moreover, the bill was
clumsily drawn and filled with ambi-
gulties. This bill. II was asserted. had
been prepared at the instance of the
President and Secretary McAdoo. The
Senate committee gave one look at II
and put 1t aside. The general plan OF
providing ships was then incorporated in
the pending war budget bill, leaving out
many of the features OF Mr.. Denman's
bill
Much OF the long delay over the es-
pionage bill. a delay which has held
back the entire war legislation might
have been obviated. leaders In Congress
insist. had the President followed the
having Attorney-General Gregory draw
up the bill and then expect Congress to
pass II after a short debate.
spanish War Methods.
Legislation needed in the Spanish war
was initiated by Congress after the
President called leaders of both sides
before him and explained what he de-
framed by the Congress leaders went
through promptly and with little change
President Mckinley began an era Of
good feeling at the very outset OF the
war by taking into his confidence the
leaders OF both sides and by appointing
Democrats like Fitzhugh Lee and Joe
Wheeler to high rank in the army.
This has not happened up to date in
the present war. Instead, with every
bill that has come from Attorney-Gen-
eral Gregory or other executive heads,
the feeling Of resentment has grown. n
resentment not only against the manner
N yxh lxa1
also against the state Of almost COM
plete ignorance in which Congress was
kept regarding the information in the
Presidents possession. II was this that
virtually Obliged the President to hold
the White House conference the other
night on the food measure.
The one concrete result OF Yesterdays
debate was the adoption of an amend
ment delmiting the power OF the Coun-
Gil OF National Defence. This would
limit the Council to its original function
of collecting information and reporting
to the President IT Is not believed that
II will curb the present activities OF the
council or Its advisory commission, be-
cause technically all administrative acts
of the council and the commission are
acts Of an executive department made
on recommendation OF the council
Plants of AIiddlemen.
Members OF the commission said that
middlemen who had been deprived OF
their usual commissions were RESPONSE
BILE for the criticism In the Senate. There
has been considerable complaint that
the bidders and middiemen who formerly
received contracts with the Government
for army and navy supplies were not
getting fair deal.
"This situation cannot very we'll be
avoided" said julius, Rosenwald, chair
man OF the committee on supplies. I'VE
are here to see that the Government gets
its supplies as speedily and as economi-
cally as possible To do this we have
to deal exclusively with the manufac-
turers. The Government thus has
avoided paying two or three profits and
wa have obtained cooperation among
manufacturers that we could hardly
have obtained otherwise.
when the army or navy has needed
certain supplies we have not advertised
for bids and had the prices bid up on us
by spectators and middlemen, but we
have gone out among the manufacturers
and got their bids. with the result that
the Government has been saved thou
sands Of dollars. middleman who
wanted to sell the Government some
blankets serves as recent example.
We went to the manufacturers instead
and thereby saved the eGovernmentslO,O 900
on 10000 blankets. This Is largely the
reason. imagine. that there is the COM
plant about tho advisory commission
disturbing business"