Arizona republican., 1917-07-24
WILSON SAYS MUST BE FREE
 HAND FOR ADMINISTRATORS
 IN CARRYING ON OF WAR
LRepublican A. p. Leased Wirel

WASHINGTON. July 23.-President Wilson asked congress today to e.imin- ate from the food control bill senate amendment creating a joint committee of senators and representatives to con- fer and advise with executive officials on war expenditures. In a letter to Chairman Lever of the house agricul- ture committee. the president pointed out in frank terms that such a com mittee would he likely to constantly harass those directly responsible for the conduct of the war Retention of the section, he notified congress, he would be compelled to interpret as sig nifying |" lack of confidence in my self
 MT. Lever and other house leaders are understood to be ready to make de- termined fight against the provision which was voted into the bid near the close of the long senate debate. The house leaders also are planning to op- pose vigorously the senate's provision for a food control board of three mem- bers instead of one administrator. and there are many indications that in this likewise they will have the presidents unqualified backing
 MT. Wilson wrote to Mir. Lever in re- sponse to a letter promising to hasten the food bill through conference, and asking advice on the war committee provision. The presidents reply fol- lows
 T am very much obliged to you for your thoughtful courtesy in stating to me the circumstances of the present ac- tion on the food administration biI, and l am particularly obliged to you for calling my attention to section 23 deem it my duty to express my opinion about that section and it's effect upon the whole administration of the war very frankly indeed, since the public interest manifestly demands that I should do so.
 Section 2S is not only foreign to the subject matter of th> rood administra- tion bill in which it is incorporated but would, if enacted into law. render my task of conducting the war practi- cally impossible. l cannot believe that those who proposed this section scrutin- lzed it with care or analysed the ef- fleets which its opeyations would neces- Sariy have. The Constant supervision of legislative action rAicf it cOntem- plates would amount to nothing less than an assumption on the part of the legislative body of the executive work of the administration.
 There is a very ominous precedent in our history which shows how such d supervision would operate I refer to the committee on the conduct of the war constituted by the congress during the administration of MT. Lincoln. It
 's the cause of constant and distress ing harassment and rendered MT. Lin coln's task all but impossible.
 'l am not, l beg you to believe, in " irbt hn the motives or the purposes of the members of such committee; I am ready to assume they would wish to co-operate in the most patriotic spirit but cooperation of that kind is not practicable in the circumstances. The esponsibi ity rests upon the admins- tration. There are abundant existing means of investigation and of the eff fective enforcement of that responSibi- ity. I sincerely hope that upon the re- consideration of this matter both houses of congress will see that my ob- jections rest upon indisputable grounds and that could only interpret the final adoption of section 23 as arising from alck of confidence in myself
 The cestion objected to by the presi- dent was embodied in an amendment introduced by Senator owen. democrat, to take the place of similar propOs- al by Senator Weeks, republican. It was adopted by the senate B. to 31 after a brief debate. Briefly, it would create committee of five senators and five representatives to ascertain just how contracts were being let and money spent in the conduct of the war and to report to congress whenever it so desireH
 The president and the executive de- I be compelled Ito keep said committee fully advised as to such expenditures and contracts" and the committee could
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