The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1918-09-13
WATER POWER BILL
HAS SOME CHANCE
DRASTIC MEASURE INTRODUCED
BY Mr.. SIMS Is LABELED
sFoR NATIONAL DEFENSE"
SENATORS LIKELY TO YIELD
Government Can Easily Procure All
the Money Necessary to Garry on
the War, says Prominent offIclaI--
Senator Weeks Congratulated.
BY ARTHUR W. DUNN.

which has been before congress for
SO many years is still dragging its slow
length along and there Is yet great
doubt whether the senate and house
can get together after the house passes
the pending bill, The water power bin
has never been pressed as a war meas
ure, but there are indications that 1t
viii be placed In that category and
urged by the president, which will
mean action of some kind. Congress
will not refuse to pass what Is consid-
cred q necessary war measure. Con-
gresham Sims Of Tennessee, who has
charge Of the water power legislation.
has introduced very drastic bill and
has put the usual title upon II which
provides '.for national defense and
greater security during the war;" II
gives the president authority to take
over all kinds Of water power plants
and to utilize such water power as
may be deemed necessary for war pur-
poses. Under this bin all the water
power In the country can be taken over
by the government, and all Of the sites
In the western country over which
there has been so much dispute, be-
cause the states claimed the water
rights, could be taken by the govern
ment and utilized, in which case all
Of the ideas Of the most ultra-conser-
vationists would be carried out. II
VIII be quite a serious thing for many
men In the senate to surrender the
rights Of the states in water power,
but they would have to do II If the
bill comes up In the form Of war
measure
There ought to be an object lesson
for the socialist German sympathizers
OF America In the method which Ger
many has adopted Of making petty
German Kingdoms of Russian provinces
that have long been seeking to es-
tabllsh a republican form Of govern
ment OF course the object is TO Ger
manize these provinces and bring them
under the control Of the German EN-.
pire and make use Of them to carry on
the war against republican institup
tons and democracy the world over.
There can be no doubt about the In
tentfon Of Germany and It is surpris-
Ing that she should have any support
by people who are proclaiming their
love Of freedom and liberty.
The least Of our troubles Is the rails
Ing Of revenue to carry on the war;"
was the comment OF prominent on
cial, when the talk turned upon the
worry the ways and means and senate
finance committees were INDUCING in
over the revenue bill. "There will
never be any question about money"
he continued, because every govern
ment is able to get money to carry on
q war, no matter how poor It Is This
big. rich country can easily get the
money. II II doesn't get It one way
It'll get Il In another. OF course, the
easiest way for the people Is to give
their money for Liberty bonds, in
which event they are sure to get II
back. and while the government has
It they win get good interest. That
is much better than paying out money
and getting tax receipts. But In one
way or another the money win come
In, even II there has to be a forced
loan, or the issuing Of fat paper. As
long as the war lasts there win always
be money enough to pay for It"
Almost without regard to party af-
filiations, senators congratulated John
w. Weeks when they heard that he
had clear field for reelection in
Massachusetts,. Weeks has been
very effective senator. He has been
a coed example OF the business man
In the senate. taking particular inter-
est In all legislation and especially IN
war measures. he IL a member Of the
COMMITTEES on military affairs which
has handled so many important bills
since the war began
The government Is still troubled with
the publication OF insidious articles
which often turn out to be German
propaganda. There seems to be no
way In which the government can
reach such publications except to
take note Of them and then write to
the editor Of the paper pointing out
the harm they do. Government on
Gals are now fully aware Of the man
ner In which the country has been IN
tested with German agents. Much Of
the propaganda develops In opposition
to the governments plan for carrying
on war work. No doubt great many
people are inconvenIenced by govern
ment interference with their usual
vocations but 1t should be remembered
that as a general rule everything the
government Is doing to carry on the
war has been the result Of careful
consideration before action was taken.
Instead OF making complaints # Is bet
ter to lay the blame upon the internal
German machine which has brought
about all cur troubles.
One way to help the govern
ment Is for everybody to coop