Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-01
WAR LEADING SUBJECT !
OF COMING CONGRESS
Military Policies, Enacted and
Future Measures Chief Items
of Consideration
ALSO CUSTOMARY ISSUES
Wealth Conscription Versus Bond Sell.
ing and Railroad Financing Other
Leading Topics
WASHINGTON, Dec. I.


Congress meets Monday primed to ask
officials running the war u number OF
questions about war policies. war laws
passed last session and future war meas
ures. congressman arriving today stated
their constituents asked the same questions
of them
They Will also try TO find out what steps
nave been taken ID insure payment of the
money loaned to Russia. why pneumonia
ana other ailments are so prevalent among
men in cantonments and about the Lansing
lshit agreement on China.
THESE and the shopworn issues of suf-
rage. prohibition. conservation. appropia- =
TONS taxes. censorship. free press and war
expenditures foreshadow long session
The wealth conscriptlon" forces are
lining up against bond advocates on the
expected drive for more war revenues.
prominent Administration leaders are i'm
favor of issuing adj itional bonds and
avoiding further revenue legislation at this
| session. The application of war taxes i'm
posed IN the last session still remains TO he
worked out by the Internal Revenue DE-
partnleut with legal clashes over the en-
cess profits section Impending
IL appears certain that among appro-
priation measures will be relief for rail-
roads Government credits for the carriers
and outright purchase for them of needed
4 1Cn
high legislative circles
Bitter lights are in prospects over the
press clauses in the espionage and trading
Win the enemy laws. 4 measure will be
introduced to prevent barring of any uub.
lication from the mails except after a full
nearing ny regular court Some advo-
Gates or free press and free speech claim
| the Postofhce department is given too broad
! judicial powers
slightly related was criticism today BY a
| House member of the present censorship
as giving pro-'ierman rumor mongers u
| fertile field
The country's fun Of rlImors." he said.
| iheE are mostly wild and on their face
unbelievable. But people have heard so
much about the censorship preventing pub.
hcation OF certain matters that they are
ready TO believe almost anything, particu-
| larry il they don't see II printed. Some
thing ought to make the censorship sen.
sible."
The ten.year fight over the Governments
conservation policy will come to u head
early In the approaching session. War.
time demand for enormously increased pro
duction of coal oil, gas and cheap power
makes utilization Of national resources one
of the biggest questions of the hour. Widely
divergent views held by members re-
gardinE the Government leasing policy
Some hold with clifford Pinchot that leases
should be "airtght" with drastic recap
ture clauses to prevent the public losing
control of the land and water power. Others
hold with the Department Of the Interior
that liberal long-term leasing policy must
be adopted to attract capital.
Senators Myers, Montana Pittman, Ne
vada: Walsh. Montana: Shields. Tennes-
see, and Phelan, California, will introduce
leasing bills Representative Ferris Okla.
homa. will look after conservation meas
ures in the House.