New-York tribune., 1918-04-28
Senate Defeats Amend
ment to Take Reserve
Bank Out of Measure
Seven Republicans
Stand by President
Legislation Likely To Be
Passed Tomorrow; House
Favors 1t
IStaf Correspondence

WASHINGTON, April 27.-By mar
row but amply sufficient margins the
President to-day won his fight to have
the Overman bill, granting him blanket
powers to transfer powers, functions
and appropriations from one govern
mental agency to another in his discre-
ton, put through without qualifying
amendments.
An amendment which would have
prevented any Executive interference
with the functions of the Federal Re-
serve system was voted down, IL to 81.
Another amendment, which would
have excluded the Interstate Commerce
Commission from the scope of the bill,
was beaten, az to 35
Republican votes made the Admin
istration victory possible on each test.
On the Federal Reserve amendment
seven Republicans voted with the Pres
ident, although ten Democrats bolted.
On the Interstate Commerce Com
mission amendment eight Republicans
voted to give the President exactly
Gratis voted to save the Interstate Com
merce Commission from the possibility
of executive interference. -.
The seven Republicans who voted
with the President on the Federal Re-
serve amendment were Baird, of New
Jersey; Colt, of Rhode Island; Jones.
of Washington; Mclean, of Connecti-
cut; McNary, Of Oregon; Nelson, of
Minnesota, and Warren, of Wyoming.
Democrats Who Bolted
On the Interstate Commerce Com
MISSION vote the same Republicans
voted with the Administration. together
with Senator Borah, of Idaho. who
voted against tho Administration on
the reserve amendment.
Ihe Democrats who bolted on the re-
serve amendment were: Chamberlain.
of Oregon; Gore, of Oklahoma: Hard
wick and Smith, of Georgia; Hitchcock.
OF Nebraska; King, of Utah; Reed, of
Missouri; Thomas, of Colorado; Under
wood, OF Alabama, and Vardaman. of
Mississippi.
They voted the same on the Inter
state Commerce Commission amend
ment, except that Senator King was
absent from the chamber when that
vote was reached. Senator Fall, of New
Mexico, another Republican who would
nave voted against amending the bill.
was paired and could not vote.
A final vote on the bill will probably
be obtained on Monday, as the two
amendments which were voted down
to-day were the principal points of
contention all through the long debate
on the measure. 1t is probable that the
Wadsworth amendment, empowering
the President to create a new agency
to have entire charge of the production
OF aircraft and aeroplane engines, will
be left in the bill. No opposition has
so~far developed to it,
House to Rush Measure
If the bill is passed by the Senate
Monday it will be hurried promptly
through the House, where it will be
possible, if the Administration is in a
hurry, to obtain a special rule cutting
the time for debate down to a limited
number of hours. If it is desired the
phi can be put through in one day after
it is reported by the House Judiciary
Committee.
:, Senator Colt, of Rhode Island, one of
the Republicans who voted with the
President on both amendments, ex-
planned thei motives actuating him in a
brief speech. Mr.. Colt said in part:
The purpose of this bill is to enable
the President to coordinate, adjust and
utilize the various executive agencies
OF the government to insure the sue
cessful prosecution of the war. To
accomplish this end the bill confers
upon the President the power to rcdis-
tribute the functions Of all executive
agencies, bureaus and commissions.
The bill does not confer upon the
President any Legislative power He
cannot create, any new function, nor
can car he abolish any existing function.
His power is strictly limited to the
right Of transfer in order to coordinate.
adjust and utilize. l can see no con-
stitutional objection to this bill. 1t
clearly comes within the war powers
conferred upon Congress by the Con-
stitution.
Can't Specify Changes
"That tho President at this time
should have some power of this nature
seems to be universally admitted. To
those who maintain that the President
already possesses this power and that
no additional legislation is necessary
it is sufficient answer that this ques-
tion is not free from doubt in the
minds Of many.
ITO those who maintain that the
power granted by this bill is too broad
and that the President should specify
what changes he wishes to make, it
may be said in reply that the very
nature OF the subject is such that tho
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