The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-04-14
GREATEST BOND ISSUE
IN WORLDS HISTORY
TO Be vOTEO TO-DAY
Seven Billion Dollar Credit VIII Have
Practically No Opposition In
Either House.
kITCHIN POINTS TO
SPLENDID NON-PARTTSAN ACTION
Every Member Of Committee, Inciud-
ing Members OF Three Parties, Voted
To Favorably Recommend War
Money Measure.

Washington. April 13.-The house
of representatives tomorrow will pass
the seven billion-doilar bond bill,
thereby completing the first step in the
enactment Of the most stupendous ex-
tension of national credit ever written
into the law of any country OF the
world
BY special unanimous agreement
the house today confined the activities
of the members TO general debate on
the bond issue. Tomorrow the bill
will be read item by item and the de-
bate will be restricted by the five
minute rule. Not more than three
hours will be consumed in this fashion
and a vote will be reached late in the
afternoon.
Todays consideration Of the bond
issue measure developed little or no
opposition to the general terms of the
measure. Representative Lenroot of
Wisconsin, expressed the view that
there should be included in the bill a
proviso that none OF the money to be
loaned to foreign governments should
be loaned to nations other than those
now at war with the imperial German
government Also he thought the bin
should stipulate explicitly that the
credit was not to be extended except
during the course OF the war. The
disposition among the administrat ton
leaders is to permit an amendment Of
this character. 1t was said that to
accord the Republican leaders this
concession would not materially affect
the usefulness of the act as II was
neither the purpose nor the intention
of the administration to finance any
of the European or other foreign gov
ernments except those potentially the
allies of the United States in the war
against the imperial German govern
ment-
Worlds Greatest Project
In introducing the bill Chairman
Kitchin said
This bill represents the most mo-
mentous project ever undertaken by
the United States. This bill contains
an authorization for the largest
amount of bonds ever provided for in
any legislative body in the history of
the world. The bill comes TO you with
the unanimous vote OF every member
of the ways and means committee
Democrats. Republicans and Progress
sives. There Is no politics about it."
In the course of his speech advo-
eating the bond issue Chairman
Kitchin was subjected to a fusillade
of questions. The most of these dealt
Win thS QuSctioh VI Sho
dollar foreign loans. In answer
Kitchin explained that he was not at
liberty to detail the distribution Of
the vast fund, but said that 1t would
be loaned individually to the enemies
OF Germany and not as an aggregated
or funded credit to group OF tho
entente belligerents.
In support Of the bill and In a sar-
castle attack upon the members who
showed a disposition to be captious
with regard to the foreign loan. Repre-
sentative Gardner of Massachusetts,,
Republican, said:
Thank the Lord every man jack Of
them (the ways and means commit
tee) voted to lend three billion dollars
to the allies. You can't beat that for
a good beginning. Now. let's stop
boggltng and give the president the
army ne wants. We've been talking q
lot about rising above partisanship.
Now let's quit talking about 1t and
proceed to do It,"
The senate committee on finance Is
prepared to rush the bill to final
passage Just as soon as 1t can be dis.
posed Of in the house. Today's session
of the cabinet considered the general
situation and agreed that every hour
saved Is valuable and sent Secretary
McAdoo to the Capitol to urge the
speeding up OF the passage of the
bond bill and the other numerous and
important war measures which xollou