Evening journal., 1918-03-18
WAR conferences
PLEASE CONGRESS
Departments Innovation in
Discussing It's Plans With
Legislat rs Approved
SURPRISE FOR
SOME SENATOR'S

WASHINGTON. March fs.-The changed
rclailonship between the War Depart
mcni and She Military Affairs Commit
tees 81 Congress through the innovation
81 weekly conferences, inaugirated last
Thursday has been handled with gratii-
cation by tle legislators.
The Initiative OF this scheme OF put
ling the members Of the two houses i'm
iouch with actual conditions I'm the
army not only al The front but In camps
and cantonments at home and in the
oarious ramincaiions of war time in
dusiry over which the War Department
holds supervision lies with one of two
GovernUent officials Either Major
General Peyton G., March acting Chief
Of STAFF or acting Secretary Of War
Crowell evolved the scheme OF putting
the war plans and the record OF war
tiuc accomplishments frankly before
the Congress through the medium OF
the committee conferences.
The name OF the real author OF the
change cannot be obtained but who
ever he u.s. the Senators who were taken
so completely by surprise by the War
Departments willingness to give visual
demonstration OF conditions and
STRAIGHTFORWARD answers TO vital ques-
tions without the shadow Of conceal
ment suhlerfuge or evasion admit a
most favorable impression.
The House Military Committee had
the same survey Of conditions on Fri
day as was presented 10 the Senators
the day before. Both committees will
be treated 90 a new view Of the eitua-
tion aeain this week Thereafter, as
The weeks glide by. so the legislators
hope a new confidence in the War De-
pariment and the war machinery OF the
Government win be established
IN effect the March-Crowell innova- I
iion provides the joint committee on
The conduct Of the war which Senator
Weeks Mass Republican, proposed at
the last session Of Congress and which /
the Administration through its repre-
sentatives in both houses condemned in /
scathing terms. Divested of any direct
authority 20 act upon the general war
plan Of the Government the two COM
mittees Of Congress. working with the
General staff and the higher officials of
The War Department under the new ar
r8ngemept provide every other essen
iial which Weeks proposed and which
certain OF the less Administration bound
Democrats warmly supported during
the last session Congress.
The Weeks proposal was for the
creation of a Joint committee OF the
two houses on expenses incident TO the
war The proposal was drafted into
/fhe war revenue bin and won its way
through The Senate In the House 70
was defeated Dy a narrow margin OF
votes and in the Senate again its elimi-
nation was accepted without much OF
ilehl just before the bin was passed
finally.
But this action by the Senate ante
dated the Investigation OF war condi-
lions by the Senate Military Commit
tee That investigation was undertaken
early in December 10 is not yet finish
ed. and the consensus of Senatorial
opinion is that the Military Commit
tee viii remain In practically uninier-
rupted session for the whole period Of
Congress, whether the Senate is sitting
or not. There Is indeed movement
on foot to provide that the Military
Committee be authorized to prolract It's
sessions beyond the period OF the pres
nt Congress and Co become in point of
fact a continuous body so long as The
war lasts
Such an Arrangement could. OF course.
he interrupted by the expiration of the
Slxty-fourth Congress on March 4. 1919
but for the ensuing eleven and a half
months the Military Committee must
continue a live factor In an admins
iratiye problems.
The original Weeks provision was
Tor a joint committee on the conduct Of
ihe war, and as such IL was introduced
by him last August as an amendment 60
the war revenue bill. 10 was at once
amended by the substitution of the
owen amendment, In which the func-
lions OF the committee were restricted
somewhat by being described as an en-
poWerment 90 Investigate Expenses in
deni 10 the war;
AS the Weeks-Owen amendment the
measure was actively discussed and
Won favor until a denunciation OF the
activity from White House sources
charging that 10 was a movement 90
create a committee 90 NEEDLE, set the
administration forces against it and in
-nred rs temporary defeat.
Leading Senator's are now dis
posed TO accept the series Of weekly
conferences as an olive branch from
ihe War Department designed 90 fore
stall further suggestions OF a specially
constituted 'meddling committee" par
iicularly as they regard the confer
1reS AS "a tacit admission that there
WAS an element Of reasOnableness In
the Congressional desire 90 meddle
which was In point Of fact only the
Congressional method of implying that
little meddling might accomplish q
great deal Of good.