The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-01-15
CONGRESS BUSY
WITH WAR BILLS
CONTINUED from page

! to be avoided. 1t is not being done
now, Clifford said. The council OF ma
tional defense, he said, has no author
/ ity to do it.
ut must be done, or the strain will
wreck our INDUSTRIES said Clifford.
! "And we won't get the goods, SAID
| Senator Wadsworth. Il think the
strain on our resources is going to in
crease in the next eighteen months
and if we aren't better prepared, Wen
fall down."
What is the great lack in our war
program?" asked Senator Chamber
lain.
at is ne lack of one policy, one
program, one executive head. to pro
duce our needs without endangering
our industries through the forcing of
tremendous expansion" said Clifford.
do you think there ought to be
single directing head? asked Chamber
lain.
81 do" responded Clifford. The fault
with Secretary Bakers plan for cen
Trailing purchases, Clifford said. is that
nobody is given power to make 1t
work"
| He agreed in this with Daniel VIII
lard and Bernard Baruch, council mem
bers, who testified yesterday.
| Clifford also endorsed the one man
authority they advocated to co-ordin-
ate purchases of the army, navy, ship
ping board and allies. 1t would make
inc difference, Clifford said, whether
| this man were a cabinet member or
not, SO long as he had supreme author
ity.
Clifford pointed OUT that the greatly
praised British system has not elm
linated cooperation between the army
and navy purchasing department. Sen
ator Wadsworth asked how the war
departments new plan will take care
of the tremendous housing problem
raised by the broad expansion of mu-
milton plants.
! Clifford said it has been decided
housing comes under jurisdiction of
the secretary of labor.
This scheme is not economical or
scientific, he said. 1.-THE power to
build houses ought to be given the war
industries director, the one man in
control of this whole question of war
Industry. To get the houses built.
isome executive must get authority to
build them" Clifford presented plan
(which he declared would solve much
loi the labor trouble that has been
ihampering the government in obtain
ling war supplies. The government
should fix liberal prices, he said, for
Its supplies SO that producers with
the highest production cost could help
furnish them.
Let them make good profit" said
Clifford, land then take a. large per-
lcentage of that profit in profits taxes.
That would satisfy labor, which is now
more or less disconnected because it
believes the manufacturers are profit
eering.'
Compulsory Insurance..
WASHINGTON, Jan. Reinsurance
of officers and crews on American
merchant vessels traversing the area
covered by Germany's newest extern
sion Of the submarine zone was made
mandatory today by Secretary Nc
Adoo, chairman of the war risk insur
ance bureau. The order is effective
on ships bound for all ports of, the
Cape Verde islands and all ports on
the west COST Of Africa, north OF
Sierra Leon. The order is effective
on vessels leaving American ports
after February 1. 1t also announced
that sailing vessels and cargoes tc
these points would not be insured.
Food Control Bill.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 15.-Sweepinl
powers to compel food conservation
in every American kitchen are giveI
; the president in a measure introduc
. . ed by Senator Pomerene today.
The bill is aimed primarily at pro
prietors of hotels, restaurants anc
public eating houses. but it is also
, broad enough to include domestic con
sumers.
Specifically the measure provide:
l that the president may limit or dis
continue entirely the use, also manu-
facture or distribution Of food stuff.
to the extent he deems necessary
from time to time.
That persons conducting public
eating places, manufacturers, carriers
) producers, distributors or other per
. sons who fail to obey the PRESIDENT
orders shall be fined UP to $1,000 ant
! imprisoned up to six years.
That the filing as part records o
f the department of state OF any regu
5 |lation issued pursuant to this ac
7 shall be deemed necessary notice t
the public.
) That the acts shall cease to be il
: effect when the war between the
United States and Germany is term
mated. Citing that such powers a.
carried in the bill are necessary "foi
the national security and the com
mon defense" the measure gives ir
effect complete control of food to the
president.
4 AS existing circumstances warrant
q the president is empowered to furthei
v limit, or even discontinue entirely the
q production and consumption Of al
!; varieties of food and foodstuffs.
The measure was drawn after {
o conference between Food Administra
o tor Hoover, Senator Pomerene, o
4 ohio, and Representative Lever, O
a South Carolina.
a 1t is designed to authorize steps tt
meet the increasing demands Of the
= allies for food by compelling Ameri
cans to eliminate waste and conserve
q their own supply.