Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-12-15
EVENTS OF A>WEEK

The interesting feature of congressional work dur
ing the week has been the senate committee inquiry
into the operations OF the war department, General
Crozier, chief of the ordnance department., has been
sharply quizzcd by the committee, and in reply to in
quiries as to the cause of delays in providing arms and
other material for American troops he has ascribed this
in part to the red tape which has tended to interfere
with prompt action, and in part to the action Of Secre-
airy Baker in ordering Investigations of certain types of
arms. These, and the changes ordered, are said to have
consumed much time.
The committee has displayed a disposition to grill
the "Ar authorities and to hold them responsible for
della Which General Crozier holds to have been unavoid-
able, fe has pointed out, for instance. that to perfect
a change in the type of rifles for the German army has
tAken seven years, and changes in other lines Of weap-
ons has involved much time, here as elsewhere. The
general explained to the committee that a vast amount
of preliminary work was necessary in the building Of
machinery with which to manufacture new types of
guns, and that the letting of contracts was also a work
requiring time. The committee displays some resent
1nent at what was thought to be the intent Of tho gem
erals remark to the effect that much Of the delay was
due to the delay Of congress in providing funds, and,
while General CroZier disclaimed any intent to reflect
on congress, the committee fired sharp inquiries at him
as to what his department had been doing when it was
evident that war was next to inevitable, and when he
might have been expected to be preparing for it
The inquiry has aroused great interest, and many
people are specializing on what effect, if any, it will have
on the standing of Secretary Baker before the country
us an efficient official. While it was admitted that there
had been delays, and that the government was Tar from
being supplied with full equipment for its troops, Gen.
eral Crozer stated very emphaically that there were
on hand ample supplies Of all kinds for all the men
who had been sent to France. and for all who would be
sent in the near future. The inquiry is likely to last
for some time.
The disposition Of the Presidents emergency fund
Of s1oo,ooo,0 900 has been up for discussion. According
to information supplied there has been allotted of this
sum n little over S31, 900, 900 to various bureaus and de-
partmenS, and of this about s21. 900. 900 has been ex-
pended. Tho executive has asked that the period dur
ing which the remainder of the appropriation holds
good be extended from December 81 to June 80, the end
of the fiscal year. and a bill to that effect has been IN
troduced in the house.
Two constitutional amendment propositions are
pending in congress. The prohibition amendment has
already passed the senate, and has been reported to
the house. 1t is generally expected that it will pass
that body. The suffrage amendment resolution has not
is in doubt.
Each of these proposed amendments contains a
feature relating to the method of ratification which was
overlooked in the framing of the constitution, The pro-
vision for constitutional amendments is that II shall be-
come Il law when ratified by the legislatures of three
fourths of the states. Nothing is said as to a time limit
Tor these Publications. For all that tho constitution says
to the contrary an amendment would become a law if
ratified by the requisite number Of states ton years. or
fifty years, or a century after its introduction. To each
of the two pending amendments there has been added
the provision that unless it shall be ratified or rejected
within seven years it dies.
Slight progress seems to have been made in the So
luton of the railroad problem of the country. The pres
ent arrangement under which the eastern roads are oper-
ated by their officials under tho direction Of the govern
ment does not appear to be adequate, and the authori-
us are wrestling with the question of placing all the
roads OF the country under the direct charge of the
government as to their operation, with a complete pool
ing of receipts, and it is expected that unless the pres
emit plans work out more successfully than they appear
to be doing, this plan will be adopted.
Federal supreme court decisions have been rendered
in several important cases, one Of which involved the
right Of members of labor organizations to solicit MEM