The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-08-08
WILSON Is NOW
MOST POWERFUL
OF ALL RULERS
Believed to Have Greater
Authority Than Any
Dictator in World
CONGRESS PILES ON
RESPONSIBILITIES
Congressman Mccormick
Sums up Powers Dele
gated Since the War

Washington, Aug. s.-War and
congress have made Woodrow Will
son the virtual dictator OF the Unit
ed States and the most powerful rul-
err in the world.
Slowly and cumulatively congress
has been piling power and respons-
| Utility on the chief executive ssince
the European war began, increasing
the speed and the load of authority
| ir the few months since the United
States entered the conflict.
The public has been too busy to
watch the development of this tre-
mendous growth of executive power.
Even members of congress who par
| ticipated in the grants were surpris-
ed when Representative Medill Nc
| Cormick submitted yesterday a sum-
| mary of extraordinary authority
which has been bestowed on Presi-
dent Wilson. Congressman McCor-
mick made public his summary Of
the more important grants of power
without comment:
Food Bill-Under the food bill the
president is given practically abSo-
lutte control over the transportation
and distribution of foodstuffs; he is
given power to fix prices, to fix
standards and grades of certain
foodstuffs, to commander supplies
and even to take over plants, to
license the importation, expectation,
manufacture, storage or distribution
of necessaries, to prevent waste and
so prevent. boarding, to purchase,
store, and sell necessities at reason
able prices, to prohibit the use of
food materials or feeds in the pro-
| duction of distilled liquors, except
for governmental, industrial, manu-
featuring, or medicinal purposes; to
control the making of beer and wine
and to prevent, if he sees fit, during
the period of the war.
Bond Issue-Under the bond issue
law Mr.. Wilson was given power to
issue $7,000,000,000 in bonds, and to
loan not to exceed $4,000, 900, 900 to
the allies. Congress gave him abso-
lutely free hand in the distribution
of the $4,000, 100000. The secretary
of the treasury was given the i'm
mediate handling Of the bond issue.
but provision was made he should
exercise it only with the approval Of
| the president.
Espionage Act-Under the espion-
age act. approved June 10, the presi-
dent was given broad embargo pow
ers, as we'll as absolute powers over
the clearance of ships.
Urgent Deficiency BilI-Under the
urgent deficiency bill the president
was given power to commander
ships, and ship plants and ship
building material needed during the
war, and to expend $750,0o0,000 to
carry out the purposes of the act.
Public Law No. 2-Under public
law No. . the president was given
the right to take over vessels within
the fYRriGHfNtinR Of fhn TTniin6 States
owned wholly or in part by any
citizen, corporation or subject Of any
nation at war with the United
States.
Public Law No. l2-Under public
law No. IL the president was given
the right to raise, organize and equip
the regular army; to draft the ma
tional guard into the federal service,
and to raise an additional army by
selective conscription, and to fill the
national guard to it's war strength.
The president was also given almost
absolute control Of exemptions in the
selective draft.
Appropriations-In the matter of
appropriations President Wilson was
given $100,000,0O0 to spend in his own
discretion and without report to
| congress for the prosecution of the
war. The naval appropriation bill,
passed in the closing minutes of the
last session of congress, appropriated
l15,000,0O0 for the speeding up OF
construction. The aviation law rec
emily passed by congress appropriate
ed $40, 100000 for an increase in the
air forces. This money Is to be spent
under the direction of the president.
Trading with the Enemy%The
trading with the enemy act gives the
IresidenD almost absolute powers in
the matter of determining what is
trading with the enemy and In the
prevention Of such business.
At the outset, of course, congress
granted the president the power to
use the armed forces of the United
States, both land and sea, as he
deems proper for the successful pro-
secution of the war.