Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-12-04

other nation. WE MUST MEET IT'S
1 FORCE WITH OUR OWN AND RE-
GARD THE CENTRAL POWERS ASl
BUT ONE. THE WAR CAN BE sue
CEsSFULLY CONDUCTED IN MOI
1 OTHER WAY. THE SAME LOGIC
/ WOULD LEAD ALSO TO A DECLA-
! RATION OF WAR AGAINST TUR-
KEY AND BULGARIA. THEY ALSO
ARE IN THE DIRECT PATH OF
OUR NECESSARY ACTION. We
shall go wherever the necessities of
this war carry. us but it seems to me
that we should go only where immed-
late and practical Considerations lead
as and not heed any others.
NEEDED LEGISLATION.
The financial and military meas
ures which must be adopted will sug-
| gest Themselves as the war and it's
undertakings develop, but l will take
the liberty of proposing to you GER
/ tain other acts of legislation which
seem to me to be needed for the sup
port of the war and for the release
! Of our whole force and energy.
ut will be necessary to extend in
certain particulars the legislation of
the last session with regard to alien
! enemies; and also necessary, I believe,
to create very definite and particular
control over the entrance and depar-
ture Of all persons into and from the
United States.
Legislation should be enacted de-
fining as criminal offense every will
| full violation of the presidential proc
lamations relating to alien enemies
promulgated under section 4067 of the
revised statutes'and providing appro-
pirate punishments; and women as
well as men should be included I'M
der the terms of the acts placing re-
straints upon alien enemies. IT is
LIKELY THAT AS TIME GOES ON
MANY ALIEN ENEMIES WILL BE
i WILLING TO BE FED AND
HOUSED AT THE EXPENSE OF
THE GOVERNMENT IN THE DE-
| TENTION CAMPS AND IT WOULD
I BE THE PURPOSE OF THE LEGIS-
| LATION l HAVE SUGGESTED TO
/ COMBINE OFFENDERS AMONG
THEM IN PENITENTIARIES AND
| OTHER SIMILAR INSTITUTIONS
I WHERE THEY COULD BE MADE
TO WORK AS OTHER CRIMINALS
! DO.
LIMITS TO PRICES.
/ recent experience mas convinced
me that the congress must go further
in authorizing the government to set
Limits to prices The law of supply
and demand, l am sorry to say. has
been replaced by the law of unre-
Strained selfishness. While we have
eliminated protiteering in several
branches of industry. it still runs i'm
pudently rampant in others. The
farmers, for example, complain with
a great deal of justice that while the
regulation of food prices restricts their
incomes, no restraints are placed upon
the prices of most Of the things they
must themselves purchase; and SINH
lar inequities obtain on all sides.
1T is imperatively necessary that
the consideration of the full use of the
waterpower of the country and also of
the consideration of the systematic
and vet economical development of
such of the natural resources of the
country as are still under the con-
troll of the federal government should
be Immediately resumed and affirma-
lively and constructively dealt with at
the earliest possible moment. The
pressing need of such legislation is
udiiS pttbliiils obNiouS'
The legislation proposed at the last
session with regard to regulated COM
binations among our exporters in Or
der TO provide for our foreign trade a
more effective organization and meth
Tod OF CO. operation ought by all means
to be completed at this session.
TO CENTER RESPONSIBILITY.
And ] beg that the members of the
house of representatives will permit
me to express the opinion that it will
be impossible to deal in any but a
very wasteful and extravagant fash
ion with the enormous appropriations
of the public moneys which must con-
tinue to be made ii the war is TO be
properly sustained, unless the house
will consent to return to Its former
practice of initiating and preparing all
appropriation bills through a single
committee, in order that responsibility
may be centered, expenditures stand
ardized and made uniform, and waste
/, and duplication as much as possible
avoided.
Additional legislation may also be-
come necessary before the present
| congress adjourns in order to effect
operation Of the railway and Uther
) transportation systems of the country;
r but to that I shall, If circumstances
| should demand. call the attention of
, the congress upon another occasion.
WAR BUSINESS ONLY.
IF have overlooked anything that
: ought to be done for the more effect
i've conduct of the war, your own
counsels will supply the omission.
What ! am perfectly clear about is
. that in the present session of the con-
: gress our whole attention and energy
, should be concentrated on the vigor-
Gus, rapid and successful prosecution
of the great task of winning the war.
I'VE can do this with all the greater
zeal and enthusiasm because We know
that for us this is a war of high prin-
HI III