South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-10-05
Congress Passes MANY
Important War Measures
In remarkable Session
InLeInlLLonaI -. serrL.e

International News Service
WASHINGTON. Oct. When
I the 65th congress adjourns tomor-
row until December. il Will have con-
Guided the most remarkable session
ever held by "a legislative body in
the history of the world For i'm
portance of work accomplished and
for the stupendouS total of money
appropriation. the war session
eclipses everything on historical rec
ord
"A Stacker congress" as it has
been unjustly characterized at times
since the declaration of war. has
supported the -adminiStra ton war
program and responded TO every de
mand for legislation and money with
a harmony not to be found in any
foreign parliament not even in the
German reichstag.
Rapid Action.
beginning with the adoption OF
the resolution declaring war on Ger
many early in April. congress has in
rapid succession passed the draft
bill, the enormous bond bills. the
staggering appropriation bills the
espionage bill, the food control bill
the trading with the enemy bill. the
soldiers and sailors insurance bill.
and the war revenue bill. All Of
these measures slid through the
house like CREASED lightning" and
while they were subjected to careful
| discussion in the senate, they were
passed with unparalleled rapidity in
the upper house.
With only one exception. the ad-
ministrat ton has had its way all
through the session. Every import
| ant measure passed by large mar
gins. The only exception was the
| censorship provision of the espion-
age bill. The senate declined to fol-
low the administration in its insist
ence on control over the newspapers
in war time.
Three Stubborn Fights
Three stubborn fights were staged
in the senate. The first of these was
/ on the draft bill. The fight conferred
about the effort to amend the meas
ure TO compel the administration to
/ follow the volunteer system III rails
| ing an army against Germany.
The bitterest of all the contests
was over the food control bill. Sen
| Reed of Missouri, led fight lasting
more than eight weeks against the
! measure. and succeeding in forcing
| radical amendments.
The revenue bill designed as the
| cornerstone of Americas fiscal pol
| icy in the conduct of the war. was
the object Of bitter attack on the
! part of the progressives on both the
] democratic and republican sides of
the senate. but its supporters forced
! its acceptance
Prohibition Submitted.
The senate found time i'm the
midst Of war legislating 10 adopt
the Sheppard resolution submitting
a constitutional amendment to the
states for nation wide prohibition.
The resolution has not been acted
on in the house, but it will be taken
up in December, and the "drys'
claim 70 have the votes necessary
for its adoption.
A financial resume of the session
shows that bond issues. war savings
certificates, certificates of indebted
ness and the revenue expected from
the new law and the old law. viii
raise a total of S19,4O3,0OO,000.
Twenty-One Billion.
| Appropriations for the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1913, and expendi-
| lures already authorized but not
appropriated for. will total S21,3S9,-
100000 This means that the first
job TO confront congress when il re-
turns. 10 Washington in December,
will be To issue more bonds or 20
impose taxes to meet the 80, 600. 600,
600 deficiency carried over from the
| present session. Another Of the un-
usual incidents Of the session was
the reception Of the special missions
from the allied governments. Both
the senate and house We're addressed
by representatives Of the British.
French, Russian, Belgian. Italian
and Japanese governments. estao-
fishing another precedent in con
|