The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-06-29

wAsHIxoToN. June 2s.-Ths debatsr
over the food bill which opened IN the
Senate to-day Furnished opportunity for
the really heavy artillery of the ma
tional legislature to uniinber and 20
into action. The House food control bill
as amended by the Senate Agriculture
Committee was substituted IN the Senate,
for its original draft and debate pro.
ceeded. The bill as It now stands would
prohibit the manufacture Of all into4is
eating beverages. but would empower thsS
President to permit the making of wines.
lapse of several days In general
discussion and the delivery Of Get
speeches on other provisions before the
prohibition nsht develops in earnest IL
in prospect. There Is pending q motion
by Senator Hardwick to send the bill
back to the committee on the ground
that the prohibition ana other important
sections are unconstitutional,
'sA
Senate sentiment 10 said reneral,v ~
favor stopping the manufacture Of dts
titled spirits. SO the debate will centrs
on beer and wines. Resort for the f,rsr
time to the senate's new cloture rule In
an EFFORT to hasten action may be At
tempted. although there Is such a marked
division Of opinion over tho question OF
permitting brewing to continue that
leaders say 1t would be impossible to ss-
cure cloture
Much Is involved In the debate hs-
sides prohibition, important as that
ssue In. The delegation of the lexis-
lative nower to tho Executive IL likely
to he defended and attacked. But while
at heart many Senators feel that con-
stitutional landmarks are being swept
away by the measure as drawn, few
OF these are likely to speak out on the
subject Doubtful as they are OF the
right of Congress to pass on its powers
to the President. they seem to feel that
because the President has insisted thar
such powers ara necessary they must be
given TO him. Thus far but a handful
Of Senators have oven attempted to as
sert the independence OF Congress and
to demand that whatever powers arc
granted ehal he specific and vested In
a tribunal created by Congress itself In
pursuit of It's legislative functions.
To-day Senators johnson. California:
Hardwick. Georgia Kellogg, Minnesota,
and Lodge, Massachusetts,. engaged In
the discussion Senator johnson. gen
erally a sturdy opponent Of executive
ercroachments while protesting not to
like the spectacle Of Congress surren-
dering It's powers. took the position that
as the President has said they were
necessary Il was not for him TO object.
senator Kellogg. like Senator Knox yes
terday. took the Affirmative view OF tho
consttutionality of the measure.
! Senator Lodges speech.
senator Lodges speech was preem!-
nently the brilliant effort OF the brilliant
day OF debating. He devoted Q oonsid-
4rablc part OF his address to the mad
visibility, the unfairness and the false
psychology of including prohibition leg
| IsIation in the food administration bill.
Senator Lodge said:
.The one dominant desire IN my heart
| the one wish that l have overmasterinR
| everything else, is to win this war
am ready to subject everything TO that
| all my personal prejudices. anything
have in party feeling. / want to win
| this war That Is the only road TO
peace. Whatever l think will retard US
! in winning the war that l Will vote
against.
III complete prohibition of every form
/ of alcoholic beverages. in my opinion,
would aid us most to win this war
would vote for IT, II thought no pro-
/ hibit,on at all would help us win this
| war | would vote for that. II be-
| lleved prohibition OF certain things ana
not prohibition of others could help us
most toward winning this war ] would
vote for that would cast any -una
OF those votes without any regard what
ever to my personal prejudices, views OF.
hopes.