New-York tribune., 1918-07-06
National Security Commit
tee Says None Voted Right
ON All Measures
u. S. Public Opinion
Used as Criterion
Details Are Given of How
Votes Were Cast on Pre-
paredness Issues

The Congressional records of the
Senators and the Representative who
returned to Washington last night
after celebrating the Fourth of July in
this city as the guests of William Ran
dolph Hearst were looked into yester-
day by the National Security League.
How they voted on the question of pre-
paredness, which is the one issue on
which the league comes nearest to
agreeing with Mr.. Hearst, and their
stand on other war measures are re-
vealed in 3 report prepared by the
Congressional committee Of the Ma
tlonal Security League.
Charles D. Orth. chairman of the
committee, last night issued the fol-
lowing statement:
"The National Security League is
engaged in q countrywide endeavor to
create a demand on the part of the
people for the nomination at the COM
Ing primaries as candidates for Con-
gress men of high character who pos
sess coordinated vision, judgment, abil-
ity and craftsmanship.
THE presence in New York as the
h
Senators and members of the House of
Representatives has invited an exami-
nation of the records of these gentle
men to sec how nearly they conform to
the standard which the league has
ventured to suggest to the people of
the United States, who are directly
responsible for the selection of the
men who are to administer the legis-
lativc branch of the government.
Issues Recalled
"The work of the league before the
United States entered the war was
largely confined to the issue of pre-
paredness. In this connection. in July,
1916. a pamphlet was published giving
tabulation of the way members of
Congress had voted on the various pre-
paredness issues which had come be-
fore it. These issues were as follows:
81. Kahn amendment to Hay army
bill to increase regular army.
'2. Brandegee amendment to Hay
Chamberlain army bill for army of
100000 in place Of 100000.
"3. Chamberlain Section Sc provid-
ing for volunteer reserve army under
Federal control.
ID. Motion to recommit naval appro-
priation bill ;nstructing an increase in
the navy.
Twelve OF the forty gentlemen who
came to New York were not members
of the Sixty-fourth Congress, before
which these measures came.
'The records of the remaining twen-
ty-eight, according to the league pub
lication above referred to, indicate that
twenty-five Of them voted against and
three voted for the Kahn amendment.
The same figures were the record OF
the vote on the Brandegee amendment
and on the naval appropriation bill.
Chamberlain Section So showed vote
of twenxy-six against and two in favor
Of this feature of preparedness.
"The, individual records show that
Nessrs; Gray. Oliver and Steagall of
Alabama, all voted against all of these
measures.
"Mr.s Wingo, of Arkansas, apparently
did moi vote on the Kahn amendment,
but voted again't the other three.
Voted Against All
"Messrs. Kettner and Raker, of Cali
fornia, voted against all of these meas
ures, as did also Mr.. Taylor, of Colo
rado, and MIR. Crisp, of Georgia Mr..
Lee, of Georgia. voted against all ex-
cept Chamberlain Section S. on which
he was recorded as not voting.
"Messrs. Rainey, of Illinois; Haugen,
of Iowa; Doolittle, of Kansas; Bark
ley, of Kentucky; Dickinson and Ru-
votes against the four measures.
Speaker Clark, of Missouri, was re-
corded as not voting on the Kahn and
Brandegee amendments. There is no
record of his vote on Section 56, and
he voted against the naval appropria-
tion bill.
"Solid votes against the prepared
ness measures are also registered by
Messrs. Shallenberger, of Nebraska
Key and Overmyer, of Ohio; Ferris
and Hastings, of Oklahoma; Dillon, of
South Dakota, and Neely. of West Vir-
ginia.
chandler, of New York, voted in
favor of all of these measures. but
later spoiled his record by voting
wrong on the McLemore resolution and
on the conscrption bill.
cooper, of Wisconsin, also voted
IN favor of the four preparedness is
sues, but later voted wrong on the five
most important war mcaures-namely.
the McLemore resolution, the Cooper
measure prohibiting American steam
ers from carrying munitions, the vol
unteer service abroad bill, the declara-
ton OF war and the conscription bill.
Goodwin, of North Carolina, voted
against the Kahn amendment, but is
recorded as not voting on the other
three preparedness measures.
"brumbaugh, of Ohio, voted against
three OF the preparedness measures
and is recorded as not voting on the
other.
"Focht, of Pennsylvania, voted in
favor of three of the four prepared
ness measures and against one, but
TINS gentleman voted wrong on the
McLemore resolution. the Cooper
amendment and the conscription act.
Spirit of Fairness
"lt would be unfair not to state that
many of these gentlemen voted RIGHT
on the McLemore resolution and later
on distinctlvely war issues, but the
point which is of interest and signifi-
cance. in the opinion of the Congress
sional committee of the league is that
their lack of coordinated vision and
Judgment led them to vote wrong on
the preparedness issues. My committee
believes that COngressmen should be
leaders of public opinion, and n OF mere :
ly recording machines for what thew
believe from time to time to be the
trend Of opinion in their districts. No
man or woman of sound common sense
believes that he or she can think and
plan in the odd and occasional mo-
citizen to the consideration of public
affairs and measures better than can
man of trained experience and bal
anced Judgment, who is giving or is
supposed to give his entire time to
thought ard deliberation on the ;mpor-
tant affairs of the country