Evening star., 1917-09-27


hitherto In the United States will have
been witnessed to an extent not dream
ed of In America. yet yielded ungrudg-
ingly. The historian will look in vain
to find the ruler of any other civilized
people of these times possessing the abb
solute and autocratic authority granted
gladly by the American Congress to
this nations chief executive.
Limited to War Period.
To be sure, many Of the most radical
innovations In governmental paternal-
| ism, control and authority are limited to
| the period of the war. 1t is SO nomi-
| mated in the bond: expressly stipulated
| in the enactment. 1t is for the future
| to determine to what extent they will
| be modified or how much OF their es-
| sence way be embodied in permanent
! law.
Thoughtful men in Congress are con-
vinced that out of the legislation for
this war will grow many salutary
changes in national policies. It Is gem
orally conceded. for instance. that com
pulsory military service will be adopted
for all time in legislation to be care
| fully framed after the war.
Military preparedness upon an ade-
quate scale Is regarded as another GER
| tainty. 1t was but yesterday that Con-
gress was wont to be convulsed over
the question whether three battleships
| or two should be the measure OF the
Will there be any little navy men"
in other Congresses? And the same
with the army? VIII the years to
come ever surprise the United States
ana clothing Tor . sunieisnt defensive
force? s,--.--.
Taxation and revenue raising may be
| revolutionized., Only few years age
customs duties and tobacco, beer and
whisky taxes furnished the revenue.
Then were added the corporation taxes
| and income taxes. @s
Now the Congress has learned to
reach into the profits OF business. dig
ging deep therein. This for war pur-
such a form of revenue raising. how
far will 1t be adopted for the future?
Who can tell now. it is asked. how
much Of the anti-liquor legislation may
cannot be erected at a stroke, as
was done under the emergency of the
| war. but there Is way where there Is
a will. The country will have had
practical experience and will be able
to decide what it wants.
More rigorous regulation OF neu-
trality. Of espionage, of loose and vi
cious attacks upon the nation Is as
sured. The glaring defects OF the easy
going laws Of the past are now recog-
nized and will be remedied.
Prevention of food and commodity
monopolies will. it is thought. be fea-
| ture of permanent law for the future.
Not. of course. so broad in scope as
necessitated by wartime conditions.
but effective for ordinary purposes.
Regulation of the foreign language
press is expected to survive on the
press hitherto enjoyed by all has been
abused to an extent which warns Of the
necessity Of control of one section Of It.
To what extent price fixing by the
government may be authorized in per-
manent legislation after the war is re-
garded in Congress as problematical.
Price fixing even in time of war is but
an experiment, thus far not tried out to
demonstration Of effectiveness. No
man is willing to prophesy whether It
may survive a peace policy or not.
The people will have been given a taste
of paternalism and it will rest with
| them whether they acquire the habit,
! the statesmen say.
Presidents Vast Powers.
Reviewing the laws thus far enacted
and nearing enactment. the solons at
the Capitol comment upon the scope
and Significance of the changes. even
, for the emergency of the war. regard
! less of effect upon the future. The vast
| discretion and power vested in the
President for the period of, hostflities
alone are not underestimated. Under
| the food control act the President Is
given power to control absolutely the
| ing or distribution of any necessaries.
| He may require any one engaged in
these lines Of business to secure a
license issued by him before contin-
| law is absolute and allencompassing.
! The word "necessarles" Is not defined :
| 1t may include anything entering into
the daily life Of the people.
strict or prohibit the Importation into
| this country Of any article Of foreign
| manufacture or production he may
specify. Under the espionage act he
may embargo the expectation Of any
| article, except as lie inay direct and
| under license duly issued by him
| Thus the President holds in his hands
| the actual control Of the production of
necessaries and the importation and ex-
portation Of any article of merchan-
and operate for the use Of the govern
| ment any factory. packing house, oil
pipe line, mine or other plant produc-
tions for the disposition Of any article
produced by such plants and may dx
wages Of operatives and employees
! He may fix the price of wheat and
coal by arbitrary announcement and
regulate the price dealers in coal NAV
ask He may purchase. store and sell
wheat. -four. meal. beans and potatoes.
He may enter into the voluntary agree
tments for the fixing of prices of steel.
copper oil or other commodities
The manufacture and importation of
distilled spirits is forbidden. With a
stroke Of the pen he may prohibit alto
gether or regulate the production Of
malt beverages. Under the paternalis-
tic powers granted the general govern
ment 1t Is made possible for the gov
ernment to estimate the amount of food
products in storage, ascertain the cost
| ah 70 20
portation and ownership. Seed may be
J sold at cost to farmers.
1t is made unlawful to hoard food, to
waste 1t OF destroy II for the purpose
/ OF enhancing prices. The President may
| ldetermine. and Ax reasonable charkes
i for storage. commission and profits OF