The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-04-10
WOULD PUT WAR
PLANS IN HANDS
OF COMMITTEE
Senator Weeks and Repre-
sentative Madden In
trOduce Resolution.
ADVOCATE BOARD OF II
Move in Congress to Ap-
point Advisers to Presi-
dent Wilson.
ADVOCATE BOARD OF II

WASHINGTON, April "a plan for
the creation OF n Joint legislative COM
mittee on the conduct of the war, to be
made up Of members Of the Senate and
House. which has been under discussion
, for several days. was formulated to-day
| In resolution introduced by Senator
Weeks in the Senate and Representative
Madden, Illinois, in the House.
| The resolution provides:
THAT a joint committee shall be ap-
, pointed. composed OF six members OF the
senate, including four Democrats and
two Republicans. and six members of
the House. including three Democrats
and three Republicans. to be known as
the Joint Committee on the Conduct OF
the War The membership OF such COM
mittee shall be designated by the re-
spective committees which select the
members of the regular standing COM
mittees
such committee shall sit during the
| sessions or the recesses of Congress,
shall make a special study Of the prob
lens arising out of the war. shall con-
fer and advise with the President of
| the United States and the heads OF the
various executive departments and shall
make reports to Congress from time to
| time in its own discretion or when re-
Congress.
Asks $4,000 Appropriation.
such committee shall have the power
| TO act through subcommittee or other
wise and to send for persons and papers.
administer oaths. to summon and COM
pei the attendance of witnesses. and TO
employ such clerical, expert and steno-
aphic assistance as shall be necessary
and to pay the necessary expenses of
such committee there is hereby appro-
priated ou: OF the Treasury not other
wise appropriated the sum OF $4,000
| TO be paid upon the audit and order of
the chairman or acting chairman of said
committee"
In the Senate the resolution for a
joint Congress war committee was re-
ferred to the Rules Committee at the re-
quest of Senator Weeks, who explained
, that It was designed to have this Con-
gress follow the course followed in the
civil war.
at would furnish n direct connecting
link between the executive and legisla-
tive branch OF the Government" said he.
I'VE should correlate all the forces OF
Government In the conduct Of this war.
Check on Expenditures.
"It is reported that we are TO be asked
to appropriate vast sums or money. and
we have no direct knowledge how or
where the money is to be spent. II is
the duty OF Congress 10 know the meth
DDS of expenditures made and the pur-
poses OF appropriations By Congress II
Is no reflection on any one TO have ex-
penditures so considered. We are going
TO war, and +. seems to me We should
keep before the people at all times the
methods OF making expenditures"
Some Democratic members OF the
Rules Committee were said tonight to
favor the resolution, which is virtually
certain to receive general Republican
support. Chairman OverInan will call a
| meeting to consider II later IN the week.
Its passage by both houses might make
IL possible TO end the special session OF
F, Congress as soon as the Adm!nistra ton
war legislation programme has been
enacted. and Il would furnish a means
I by which Congress could keep In close
touch with the conduct Of the war, even
during a recess