The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-01-30
PUT S|LENCER
ON ANY UPROAR
Determination to Kill Cham
berlain's War Cabinet Bill
..x.ss.sesse Com
mittee.
AN APPEAL FOR UNITY
Every Effort Being Put Forth in
Washington to Restore Conf
denee and Bring About
Harmony.
AN APPEAL FOR UNITY

UNITED Press Leased Wire Service. ]
WASHINGTON, Jan. 30.-Under
the spur Of appeal for unity and the
spirited war statement OF Secretary
Baker, opponents OF the Chamber
lain war cabinet" bill are now arous-
ed to q vigorous determination to
kill tho measure.
The first assault win be made
when Senator Chamberlain brings up
the bill for consideration In COM
mittee-probably today or tomorrow.
Some senators had declared 1t was
originally voted on farorably there
when many members were absent
In the meantime. it is likely the
administration will try to put q sill
encer on any effort to start an up
roar in the house, similar to that
which broke out in the senate. Rep
resentative Glass, originally slated
to take up Bakers cause in the low
er branch. believes now he won't
speak. He can't. anyhow, he says.
remarks and the house rules forbid
criticism OF the soicns In the other
wing.
Every effort is now being made by
the administration to restore conf
dence and harmony with belligerent
factions In congress. It appeared
likely today that the big storm has
blown over-at least for the present
and that the serious work OF legisla-
tion ahead will temporarily still
further uprising
Chamberlain today was ready to
report amendments to the draft law,
proposed by the war department, to
register all men who have become
twenty-one years Of age since June
aud permitting special drafts Of
skilled worhnen needed to supple
ment the fighting forces
In view OF the conflict between
Secretary Baker and Provost Marshal
General CTowder, over the dropping
from the lists of men who have pass
ed the age of thirty-one since June
8. Chamberlain expects Baker to ask
for an amendment, specifically pro-
vtding thai such men shall no longer
be eligible.
Crowder agrees with the commit
tee that the amendment to the law.
as drawn, does not now exempt those
men Baker declared it was his in
tention to have them exempted.
Crowder is opposed to this.
inefticiency and ExtravaGance.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 30.-Alleged
tneficiency and extravaganza at the
Hog island ship yard OF the American
International corporation, with the gov
ernment footing the bills-has stirred
the senate shipping probers to re-
sumption of their inquiry.
The trail OF hundreds of thousands
Of dollars-expenditure at the yard in
excess Of estimates-will be followed
when the committee resumes its work
tomorrow.
Joseph P. Cotton, general counsel for
the EN- mergency Fleet corporation when
General Goethals was in charge, has
been summoned to furnish the com
mittee with all details Of the corpora
tons contracts.
Senator Johnson, California. wants
to know to what extent Frank A.
Vanderlip, Of the National City bank.
New York, the w. A. Hartman inter
ests and the steel interests were in
volved in the formation of the Ameri-
can International corrorat,on which
was organized, the committee has been
told, to take contracts when the nam
moth ship program was decided upon.
The contract with the International
company was let on the agency basis
under which the government was to
build the yard at an estimated cost of
$21, 900 900. furnish all material and
pay all labor charges The company
was to get commission estimated at
about $4,000 900 for building seventy
ships in these yards. for furnishing the
knowledge and the executive organiza-
ton
Reports from Manager Piez or the
fleet corporation, submitted at the
committees request and made public
today, showed that the cost of complet-
ing work begun would be 100 per cent
over the estimate
A report by II. H. Rosseau, manager
on the ship yard division OF the fleet
corporation, said that radical retrench-
ment was necessary, should be eff
fec.ed at once or fleet corporation
should be given direct control over the
way the money was being spent.
An investigation by the house mer-