El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-02-09
PRESIDENTS DEMAND FOR POWER
AIMS AT WCOR IN MAKING WAR

~ RESIDENT WILSON has caused to be introduced in
the senate bill empowering the president to reor-
ganize the executive departments Of the government
their bureaus agencies personnel in any way he may
consider advisable It's purpose TO cut red tape and pro-
mote efficiency. It aims at speed and thoroughness
in the prosecution Of the war. If IS war measure
Soethiuq of its kind Is necessary because the depart
ments have so expanded be unwieldy. The
PEELED their expansion. The and navy departments
consist Of after bureau and agencies almost without
Where peace time hundreds worked thousands
busy night and day In the process Of rapid expansion
and because Of the large personnel involved confusion has
Manufacturers and merchants complain that when
they 90 to the department business they hardly
know whom to approach and often the many bureaus and
agencies do not themselves to know which Of them
should take up the matters There conflict Of authority
duplication Of effort multiplicity Of checking and
checking and the result delay That means inefcency
Statutory provisions of the departmental
activities While others governed BY custom The seere
tares Of and navy, particularly frequently
certain Of their authority in certain situations They know
what ought be DONE but their authority to
DO It This relates chiefly to any reorganization plans de-
N1sed 70 secure speedier and more direct action
The purpose Of this bill drawn up by president Wilson
and introduced by senator overman is to give the president
the authority Of general manager over all departments
that broad power may be created for making any de-
srab1s changes Daniels then receives the chief
Of operations idea for lettering the administration Of
the navy department, which laws previously in
sence did not provide fo he lay 1t before the pTes
dent, his consent and make the change without
further formality bureau becomes useless, it can
be abolished its functions postponed for the period OF
and its personnel transferred to other duties more
In line with the demands Of time The work Of the various
civilian agencies serving the government be correlated
and real working machine created from their several
paris In every case working forces be used TO the
best advantage without regard for precedent custom OF
previous rules, regulations or laws.
The for reorganization Of this kind Is apparent to
both parties IN congress- to opponents well supporters
president Those who differ with the president on
phases of administration, and therefore In the
position of being his opponents for the moment propose to
give cabinet Of that centralized authority which
the president seeks for himself Their plan has merit, but
pointed heretofore the bill cannot be passed
Of the presidents opposition, and if the bill were
passed the presidents veto, the institution it would
would be Tueess because Of the presidents hos
tility toward II.
Thus matter stands there is OF the one hand
the cabinet BILL backed BY senators Chamberlain Hitch
cock the majority Of the senate foreign affairs committee
and important following Of Democratic and Republican
That bill cannot be passed the presidents
veto and might as well ba dropped.
the other hand Is the presidents bill to authorize
h to reorganze the departments In line with war re-
qureents This proposal has caused senator Ganger
ezclam that would abolish the republican form Of gov
eminent this country, that aims at the substitution
monarchy for free democracy. Senator Lodge OF
muck the opinion and many Democratic senators are
concur, although IN the interest OF party
harmony they are not so saying for publication.
Really question ought not TO be whether this bill
gives the president power than seems quite conf