The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-06-23
FOOD CONTROL BILL.
DEBATE OF LEVER MEASURE IN
BOTH HOUSES.
"ro"p OF Senator's Show Determined
Imposition to BiII-EHort to Pre-.
vent Passage of Bill by July Is,
May Succeed.


depate today in both branches Of con-
COD oii the second administration
iood bill-for governmental control Of
'ooostuffs and other necessaries-dis.
c'osed determined opposition, particu
'"riy by q group of senators, which
threatens to prevent it's enactment bv |
july as urgently requested bv Presi-
dent Wilson.
rassage of the bill by the house
'ate this week is confidently expecte.l
oy administration leaders. but advo-
Gates as well as opponents in the SEN
ate say debate will be protracted
there for several weeks and unless
the president adopts some eytraordi-
nary steps to hasten action the law
hardly can be enacted in time TO SET
mp the food administration machinery
before harvesting begins
administration supporters privately
expressed fear tonight of a senate fill
louster. They prepared if necessary
10 invoke. for the first time, the SEN
ate's new anti-filibuster rules.
In the initial discussion of the bill
administration spokesmen urged the
mobilization of food supplies during
the war and demanded radical steps
ana vesting Of new and wide powers
IN the president. The opposition pro.
tested that a dictatorship and inter-
Terence with business and individual
rights were proposed and questioned
the constitutionality of the legisla-
ton.
Both houses made the measure
'helr pending business with the pur-
pose Of keeping it continuously under
discussion until disposed of. The
house held the first of a series of
night sessions to expedite the de-
bate and night sessions may be re.
sorted to later in the senate.
Senator Chamberlain of Oregon,
chosen to have charge of the bill in
the senate, urged it as a war necessity.
declaring government control of
food as essential as men and muni-
: tions.
In the house Chairman Lever of the
agricultural committee, also empha-
sized the necessity of the legislation
lie said the president could be trusted
with the powers proposed and that
they would be invoked against "crooKs
} and not against legitimate business
interests"
THE contest between German au-
tocracy and American democracy. -
said Representative Lever, will be de-
termined in the end by the character
and strength of the organization which
one can put against the other. A loose
Jointed. unorganizcd democracy has
no ghost of a chance in a contest with
such an autocracy as is Germany. Or
ganization is the only weapon with
which organization can be overcome.
An organization, as the terms is used
here, means not only the whipping
into shape the man-power of the ma
ton. the money power Of the nation
but as we'll every resource of the ma
ton which may be used in the con
test"
Anticipating attacks on giving tho
president extraordinary powers, NJ,
Lever contended the situation war.
ranted them.
I'VE must either confer the socalled
autocratic powers upon the constitu-
tional head Of our government or bc
prepared to have them assumed b,
the German kaiser" he said. mo wal
was ever won by n debating society
The time is upon us for getting down
to brass tacks. Every man, woman
and child must be prepared to make
sacrifices-great sacrifices and no
man is going to be permitted to stand
behind fine spun theories and techni-
calities in his opposition to this meas
ure. This is no pink tea affair, nor
Is 1t ladies' sewing club matter. 1t
is war against the most powerful au-
tocracy the world ever saw.
| The supreme duty, as well as the
supreme necessity. is to feed our fight
ing forces. the fighting forces of the
allies, and absolutely provide neces-
saries at living prices for our own peo-
| pie and as largely as we can the
civilian population of our allies"
Opposition i'm the senate was voiced
by Senators Gore, chairman of the ag-
riculturc committee; Reed and Varda-
man. Democrats. and Gallingcr, Re
DnbliCDp I'm rho hnnSn nnnncitin,, ,ra =.