Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-24
YIELD TO WILSON
ON WAR BOARD
Congress Won't Keep Com
mission Provision in
Food Bill
VOID RESPONSIBILITY
WASHINGTON, July Q

WASHINGTON, July "a,
President Wilson will carry his point.
The Congressional Committee on Conduct
Of the war will be eliminated from the
food bill In addition. indications today
were that further commission government
has ended in Washington for a few months
at least.
Congress is not yet ready openly 10
oppose the President II has made him
responsible for the conduct of the war and
the members feel that they can take refuge
behind that action should disaster come,
which would make the people demand that
responsibility be placed
Careful canvass of both houses made this
fact clear today. 1t also showed there is
a deep feeling OF resentment against the
Administration In certain quarters This is
certain to come to the front when the regu-
lar session begins next December. The men
who believe that the President has been
given power which Is dangerous under the
Constitution have refrained from open op-
position at the special session. because they
were not willing to accept responsibility for
delaying war preparations. But the pres
ent special session will dispose of all this
When the regular session begins II will
have to do with the orderly management
of the affairs of the nation. And then It
is admitted, even by the lieutenants Of the
President in the Senate and the House, that
the constantly increasing friction must
come to head.
One development that necessarily must
follow the Presidents attitude and the
Welding of Congress to II will be the pro-
longing of the present extraordinary ses-
sion The men who believe Congress should
remain In session continuously throughout
the war-and there are many OF them
now will oppose hurrying up pending legls-
nit n.
with a congressional committee on the
ground sharing responsibility, many Of
these men were willing to hurry through
the rest OF the war program and go bacK
home. They will be loath to do this now
AS a result of the Presidents attitude II
ia very unlikely that any adjournment OF
Congress can be looked for before october
at the earliest. thus giving members a
chance to return to their homes Tor 1e"
weeks before the regular session COM
mences
Officials in close touch with the Adminis-
tration say that the Presidents objection 10
a war committee of Congress was brought
| TO a head by an intimation that TINS com
mittee planned to devote all OF It's attention
| TO the operations of the advisory commit
| fee of the Council of National Defense.
| Men were to be placed on the committee, the
| president was told. who had led the oppo-
| sition to the plans of the various advisory
| committees. In addition, the badly tangled
affairs of the Federal Shipping Board and
certain other commissions now operating In
| Washington we're recalled to the President
as evidence that commission government
during the war was not success.
| Through the Administration lleutenants
an effort is to he made to try to get Con-
| gress to rush matters and go home. But II
| already is certain that this program will
| fail.
The revenue bill. reported today, will be
| utilized as a vehicle for many speeches In
| the Senate and no one cares to venture a
| guess as to when II will reach n vote,