The Colorado statesman., 1918-07-27
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.

BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and mem
hers of congress who have made. in
the way of resolutions or amendments
TO appropriation bills. suggestions as
to the management of the war find
before they get very far that the pres
ident has ideas of his own on this sub
Ject and knows pretty well what he
wants. From the time an effort wns
made to create joint congressional
military commission as an advisory
war board up to the present time con-
gress has found that about all the adj
ministration desires of it is legislation
granting the president more power and
provision for financing the war.
There has been Something in the
way of conferences by members of the
military committees with the war de-
partment, but instead of the members
1t the two committees offering ac-
ceptable advice, these conferences
prove TO be simply methods by which
the administration furnishes to the
men who formulate war legislation
confidential Information as to the war
situation. The conferences also serve
TO impress upon the military commit
tees the Importance of legislation
which has been asked for by the ad-
ministration.
Several times in the rush of busi-
ness and the passage. of very large
supply bills for carrying on the war
propositions were made for changing
the draft law, for increasing the size
of the army, or fixing limit as TO
the size of the army. All of these
were voted down upon the hint that
they were unsatisfactory to the ad-
ministration.
II is very evident that all of the de-
partments of the government are CO.
ordinating as far as possible in order
To help along the war. While 1t was
thought necessary to pass the Over
man law giving the president power to
do anything he pleases with any de-
partment or governmental agency, 1t
appears that he is accomplishing a
great deal with the power he already
has and without making use of the
Overman law. 1t is found that in
nearly every department some bureau
or other can contribute n great deal
to the success of the war. OF course
the state. war and navy are in the
forefront of war activity. The treas
ury Is in Il way more important than
any other. for without money there
could be no war. The department of
justice has found great deal to do.
All of the other departments-post
office, agriculture, interior, commerce
and labOr-have found that they can
do much to make the war n success.
and many bureaus have been turned
over almost exclusively for war work.
The Democratic majority in the
house found itself in some perplexity
regarding the appropriation bills which
had not been passed before the end of
the fiscal year. After the matter had
been discussed in the house, Congress-
man Gillett of Massachusetts, who is
now the minority leader, remarked:
"If we were not at war and If this side
of the house had not really adjourned
politics, 1 should enjoy very much
making some comments upon the pres
ent awkward situation of the appro-
printion bills; but, inasmuch as we on
this side have adjourned politics, 1
shall restrain myself and will without
criticism assist in every way / can to
extYicate us from our embarrassing sit
uption."
One of the closest students of the
war and everything relating to 1t is
Senator McCumber of North Dakota.
In recent speech on the floor of the
senate he reviewed Americas accom-
plishments in war-making and regis
tered a strong plea that his colleagues
take more active part in the actual
direction of the war program, and not
leave everything to the executive
branch of the government. One of
McCumber's ideas is to import
Chinese laborers to this country for
the duration of the war and send them
back TO China after the Hun is beaten.
"If China had 100000 tons of ship
ping" queried the senator. "and we
could purchase 1t today, would we not
do so? If China has 100000 tons of
energy which can be utilized for our
benefit in carrying on this war, should
we not purchase that also|
Gen. e. Fl. Crowder, provost mar
shall and judge advocate general of the
army, who refused the promotion to
the rank of lieutenant general
extended to him by the senate on ac-
count of the work he has done for the
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