The sun., 1917-06-17
CONGRESS AND
WILSON PUT ON
WAR PRESSURE
Senate Passes Priority Ship
ment Bill and Gets Lever
Food Measure.
HOOVER Is TOLD TO ACT
President Directs Him to Or
ganize Voluntary Forces
Of Country.
HOOVER Is TOLD TO ACT

of Country.
WASHINGTON, June 16.-Congress and
President Wilson took three distinct |
steps to-day in furtherance Of the plan |
to put into the Presidents hands a die |
tatorial power Unprecedented in the his |
tory Of the United states. These steps.
by which considerable progress was
made toward the early enactment OF leg
islation which would give President Will
son greater control over the nation than
has ever been welded by the executive
head Of any democracy in the world. are
Passage by the Senate OF the prior
ity shipment bill, which authorizes
the President to control interstate
commerce and designate what COM
modities shall receive preference In
shipments.
Reporting to the Senate without
recommendation, by it's Committee
on Agriculture, Of the Lever food con-
troll bill exactly In the form 1t was
originally presented to the House OF
Representatives.
The writing OF a letter by President
Wilson to Herbert G. Hoover, pro-
spectiye food controller. in which the
President gives Mr.. Hoover full au-
thority" TO proceed with the organiza-
ton Of the new food administration
plans under the proposed law. SO far
as II contemplates conservation and the
elimination OF waste through the CO.
operation OF volunteer forces.
Food Bill Up Monday.
TIE Senate has placed the food control
bill next on the calendar. The measure
will be taken UP Monday morning.
when debate upon II will also begin In
the House. The action Of the Committee
on Agriculture In reporting the measure
furnished the first signs of any willing
ness on the part OF the committee to
comply with the Presidents insistent re-
quests that the food bills be expedited.
The action furnished, however. no index
to the intentions of the committee men,
bers in regard to the bill other than dis
closing the fact that a considerable num-
ber OF them, undoubtedly n majority and
probably two-thirds. are opposed 10 the
measure in Its present form.
The report without recommendation
was made by the committee exclusively
to save time In getting the bill on the
senate ChleIudT. II IN TcCOknlLtu tnAt
the battle both in the House and the
Senate against the bill will be one OF
the bitterest ever waged on any meas
ure offered in the sixty-one months OF
the Wilson Administration. Senator
Chamberlain OF Oregon has been chosen
to represent the Administration on the
floor OF the Senate while the measure is
being debated He was selected be-
cause Senator Gore. chairman OF the
Agriculture Committee. Is opposed to
many features of the Lever bill. He
refused earlier in the committee hear
ings to father It and undoubtedly viii
he listed among the opponents Of the
hill
Early Passage Not Expected.
No one In the Senate has the slightest
idea that the bill can be passed by that
body before July l. 1t is promised that
the Senate. even IL 1t gets the measure
whipped into such shape that a favor
able vote on 1t Is possible. will not vote
before the House has acted. Primarily
this delay Is predicated upon the fact
that there are two items of the measure
an appropriation Of s150.000,000 for
carrying 1t out and another authorizing
the President to elevate or depress tarifi
rates to protect the Federal Govern.
ment in its assumed responsibility for
the maintenance OF a nxed minimum
price for food products--which properly
should originate in the House OF Repre-
sentatives. 1t Is the legal aspect of the
situation which the Senate will consider.
! Much OF the Republican opposition to
! the food control bill will be concentrated
on the tendency toward autocracy dis
| played by followers of the Adminlstra-
| ton in Congress in the form OF proposed
! legislation granting to the President
power to appoint officials who would
have virtually absolute authority in
their respective fields.
Republicans and not a few Democrats
will also enter their opposition to the
bill on what they hold are its unconsti.
tutional provisions. This is particularly
true of the new executive power ex.
tended In the matter of tariff fixing
Letter to Hoover.
In his letter directing Mr.. Hoover tc
proceed at once with the organization
Of the new food administration Mr.
Wilson wrote:
at seems to me that the Inauguration
OF that portion of the plan for food ad
ministration which contemolates ma
tional mobilization Of the great vo!un. ar,
forces of the country which are read,
to work toward saving food and elim
| mating waste admits of no furthe-
| delay.
The approaching harvesting, tNe i'm
mediate necessity for wise use and sav
ing, not only in food but in All othe
expenditures, the many undirected an,
overlapping efforts being ma l. towar,
this end. all press for national direction
and Inspiration. While II woulr in man
ways be desirable to wait cJmp,eta .ey
islation establishing the food adnins,ra
tion. IL appears to me that so far n
voluntary effort can be a.J.n.tlca. IL W
should not wait ANY 'onetr anj there
fore | would be very glad II YOU wcul
proceed In those directions at once
"The women Of the nation are alread,
earnestly seeking 10 do their part In this
our greatest struggle for the mainte
nance Of our national ideals, and In n
direction can they so greatly assist a
by enllsting in the service OF the foo
administration and cheerfully acceptin
its direction and advice. BY 10 doin
they will increase the surplus of foo
available for our army and for expor
to the Allies.
'"To provide adequate supplies for tn
coming year Is OF absolutely vital i'm
portance to the conduct Of the war, an
without a very conscientious eliminatio
Of waste and very strict economy In ou
food consumption We cannot hope I
fulfil this primary duty.
II trust. therefore. that the women Q
| Continued ON TAtrd Psss.