Evening star., 1918-04-06
HOT DEBATE Sits
ARLINGTON DEAL
Attack on Purchase of Site Is
Met by Request for Money to
Reimburse War Fund.
QUICK ACTION NECESSARY

NOiON ~ tION NHS.SA
The purchase of the Arlington prop
erty by the Treasury Department with
s4.2O0.OOO allotted for that purpose by
the President from the $1oo,oeo,ooo
emergency war fund-as officially re-
ported in a statement from the office
of the Secretary of the Treasury-was
the subject of lengthy debate on the
floor of the House late yesterday.
Representative Campbell of Kansas.
who brought up the subject. pretended
to believe that the newspapers had in
correctly stated the facts. He said in
a sarcastic tone:
THE President of the United States
has a high appreciation of the dut1es
and responsibilities of his office, ana
would never think of delivering fund
that was placed in his hands to pre-
pare the nation for war to erect or buy
a public building, complying in all re-
spects to the tests of the fine arts COM
mission, containing spacious apart
ments and appointments for numerous
bureau chiefs, with hundreds of CLERKS.
many of whose services might we'll be
dispensed with, providing room for ad-
and swivel chairs.
Reads Letter From Secretary.
REPRESENTATIVE Pou, chairman of the
rules committee, responded by reading
a letter from the Secretary of the
Treasury, in which the House was ASK
ed to pass the bill in order that the
emergency fund might be reimbursed
Representative Cantrill of Kentucky
was vigorously applauded when he sug-
gested that it was about time for the
gentleman from Kansas to do some pa
triotic duty by unfolding the hands OF
the President inStead of indulging in
idle criticism of every move made In
the war crisis by the administration.
Representative Cantrill explained the
facts in the case as follows:
Calendars Loaded Down.
"As a member of the committee on
heard in detail all of the facts con-
nected with this property, and as
member of the rules committee, where
those facts were rehearsed before that
committee. I sayeto the committee, and
the record of the House bears me out.
that the committee on public buildings
and grounds by almost unanimous
vote, If not unanimous. decided to re-
port measure authorizing the appro-
priation of 4200O 600 for the purchase
The members of the House know
that the calendars of the House are
loaded down. and the only way to get
consideration of that measure was to
come before thte rules committee and
get rule to expedite the passage of
this bill because it was a war measure
and will prove it before I leave the
moor. The public buildings and grounds
committee thought it was a war meas
ure and gave their unanimous support
to It, The committee on rules, with the
exception of the gentleman from Kan
sas. was of the opinion that it was of
sufficfent Importance to bring in spe-
cial rule an dask this House to give
this bill immediate consideration. Yet
the House. acting under other rules
took up days and days in idle discussion
of minor measures.
The time had come when in order to
secure this property at a reasona BILE
price some one had to act, and pending
the legislation in Congress which has
the Endorsement of the committee on
public buildings and grounds and the
rules COMMITTEES, the President has seen
htsto act, and I. for one, say that he did
right in doing what he did do, in Civ
ing the none yto buy this property
The building that is being erected
there is not. as the gentleman from
Kansas stated. hotel piece of prop
erty, but 1t is a modern, up-to-date
offlce building. and the hearings before
the committee on rules showed that
ana tne gentleman from Kansas was
not fair with the House when he un-
dertook to make the House believe that
1t was hotel going up there instead
OF modern, up-to-date Office building
with the approval of the various build
ing commissions of this city here be-
hind it. Now. this building is to be
used for the commissioner of internal
revenue and by the bureau of war risk
insurance. Room for these employees of
the government is absolutely needed at
hi kavrt AI~A t.
ident acted. The testimony, the facts.
before the rules committee and the
committee on public buildings and
grounds showed that the three stories
of this building underground are to be
used for the preservation of the policies
of the soldiers and sailors who are now
In the service of their country, 1,O00. 900
life insurance policies having been
taken out by the loyal soldiers and
sailors of Uncle Sam. They now are be-
ing guarded day and night by armed
soldiers in order to protect the inter-
ests of our boys.