Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-03-21
NEW Defence BILL
TO Be DRAWN BY
JOINT COMMITTEE
Action Follows Governors Confer
encc With Senators at Exec
utive Session.
HOUSE HAS IDLE DAY
staff Correspondence of Every Evening


STATE HousE, Down, March 81
After Governor John c. Townsend, Jr.,
and Secretary of State Everett G. John
son had addressed the Senate in cxcc,l-
tive session. for half an hour, yesterday
afternoon. emphasizing their belief and
that Of tho Federal authorities, with whom
they have been IN constant touch. that It
Is urgent that Delaware cooperate tn the
fullest extent III tho nation q defence pro
gram. the Senate hv vote oi 10 to :.
adopted concurrent resolution offered
10y Senator Wharton, providing Tor y
committee Of conference composed of
members Of the two houses to draw up a
now bill providing for q state Council of
National Defence 10 replace bill now
pending. which was passed by the House
on Thursday and has been IN the hands ot
the revised statutes committee oi the
Senate since that timr THIS JOINT com
mittec is To- be composed oi two Senators
and six representatives. to he appointed
nv The presiding officers of tho two houses.
who are also to- he members of the com
mittec
Last Friday, when a similar resolution
was offered hv Senator Wharton u wac
voted down by the Republican members
of the Senate. but. presumably because of
information lust received hv the governor
from Washington. urging the passage of a
Defence Council hill and giving reasons
therefor some Of the Senators have at
taChed new importance To the nroposi-
tIon and feel that something should hc
dome as soon as possible and that II
should hc as effective aa all interests in
volvcd will agree to. hence the quick turn
affairs took Yesterday afternoon
Because of the Illness of Senator
Frazier. the senate committee on revised
statutes. which has had new bill drawn.
which, Fomc believe. takes the teeth out
of the original measure, did moi mako q
report Yesterday. which II probably would
have done Yesterday afternoon II the entire
committee had been ~ Dover. and II the,
new development had not manifested
itself Because of the absence II Senator
Frazier and the inability If the committee
10 report the bill II had had drawn.
President FRO Tenn Barnard as chairman
Of the committee protested when Senator
Wharton offered his committee Of confer
encc resolution IIo thought courtesy
demanded that the resolution 90 over for
a day. ia give his committee an uppnrtun-
it, tu report This view waa shared hy
senator Walker, who ,naurcd whether
was 10 take M tho pending bill or draw
a now one
Senator Newton said he opposed tho
conference committee idea when Il Was
proposed before. hut he was ready ~ vote
for Senator Wharton g resolution and he
brlIrvrd now that thus " as the thing to do
Senator " alkrr still thought the son
ate should dispose of the pending bull I've
IL In Il
to know the meaning Of the committee Of
conference resolution
Tho purpose. senator Wharton ex-
planned. 'iz fur committees representing
the two houses to get together and draw
up Doienco Council hill that will be
agreeable To both houses, to tho governor
and to the people Of Delaware
President FRO Tenn Barnard said hr
regarded tho conference committee idea
as a reflection on the senate committee
which had tho present hill IN hand lie
explained that II had held two meetings
and had done everything possible Ia whip
ncw hill IN shape hut because at the
illness of Senator Frazer. could not
present report before today He prom
isrd report TODAY and ask ed that tho
pending resolution ho held up pending
that report
All of the members voted for Senator
v hartou resolution providing for n
conference committee except Ncssrs
Hickman. Long and Walker who voted IN
the negative NcSsrs. Barnard and
Hofftckcr. who did not vote, and Mr.
Webb who Was absent II was therefore
carried hy vote ol 10 to ;. only nIne
affirmative votes being necessary
Immediately after the result had been
announced Senator Long asked the
president pro TEN 10 make has appoint
ments under II at once. So that the COM
mittee could get to work without further
delay, but President Pro Tenn Barnard
SAID he would like to sleep over the
matter over night. also calling attention
to the fact that the House had adjourned
for the day and could not act on the res
olution until today Thus ended tho
matter for tho time being and Mt tins
juncturc the Senate adjourned until today
REQUESTED BY L. 5. GOVERNMENT.
The movement looking toward a
Council Of Defence IN Delaware Governor
Townsend says. dates back TO last April.
when the State was asked by Secretary