Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-07-30
HAS HIS OWN IDEAS
ON MANAGING WAR
PRESIDENT WILSON OFTEN LET'S
CONGRESS KNOW HE NEEDS
ONLY POWER AND FUNDS
ALL DEPARTMENTS HELPING
Complete Coordination of the Gov
eminent Notwithstanding Ma
Jorlty in House PerpIexed Concern
ing Delay in Passing Appropriation
Bills.
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.


Bills.
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.
westinghouse and men,
Ders OF congress who have made, in
the way of resolutions or amendments
10 appropriation bills, suggestions as
10 the management of the war find
Derore they get very far that the pres
luent mas ideas of his own on this sub
Ject and knows pretty we'll what he
wants. From the time an effort was
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
mlnlstration desires of 1t 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
OF 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 bust
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 adj
miniStration.
1t 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 it 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. ii
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 great deal
to the success of the war. OF course
the state, war and navy are in the
ury is in a way more important than
any other, for without money there
could be no war The department of
justice has found great deal to do.
Ar of the other department s-post
office, agriculture, interior commerce
and labor-have found that they can
do much to make the war a 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 mouse, Congress-
man Gillett of Massachusetts, who is
now the minority leader, remarked
eff we were not at war and if this side
of the house had not really adjourned
politics, l should enjoy very much
making some comments upon the pres
y r.s+, 80.
priatiOn bills; but, inasmuch as we on
this side have adjourned politics, |
shall restrain myself and will without
criticism assist in every way / can to
extricate us from our embarrassing sit
uatiOn."
One of the closest students Of the
war and everything relating to it 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 strong plea that his colleagues
take more active part in the actual
direction of the war program, and not
y
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 it 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 &C
count of the work he has done for the
draft, is one of the very able staff off
GERS of the army Crowder has never
made reputation as military man,
and his first great hit was in taking
this census was taken while Leonard
Wood was governor general of Cuba
and it caused some little comment in
military circles to see Crowder, who
was then an almost unknown subordi-
nate of Wood. about to be raised to the
rank of lieutenant general, while Wood
Revival of Cleaning Urged.