Evening star., 1918-11-17
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.


~ FACE has como upon this
country SO swiftly and un-
expectedly that it has found
the United States without
reconstruction program. The
Congress and the President
are face to face with the problem OF
sunscrambling" the vast powers which
have been centralized in the hands OF
the federal government for war pur-
poses, and Of diverting into peace chan
nels the tremendous ORGANIZATIONS
which have been built up to supply war
Definite Time Limit.
Tho great powers centralized in the
federal government are contained IN
the laws enacted under the whip ana
spur Of war necessity. They nave
try upside down Much Of this legis-
latiop becomes Ineffective when peace
is proclaimed by the President, while
some Of the laws continue in opera
tion for varying periods. But IN prac.
ideally every instance Congress has SET
q definite time limit for the operation
Of these laws comforting power upon
the executive department OF tho gov
President Wilson. 1t has been sug-
Rested, will appear before Congress
when the new session opens December
and lay before 1t a reconstruction
program He may even go to Con-
Rress before that date. In the mean
time leaders of both parties in Con-
Kress are discussing the situation ana
what must be done to meet 1T. The
government today controls the rail-
"a tnlAcronh and felenhOn0
systemA the merchant shipping. the
use to q large extent of foodstuns, 8,
the use Of fuel, the manufacture OF
all articles through priority orders.
the labor market and the wages OF
labor through the War Labor Board,
the issues of capital stock. and many
other important activities. 1t may be
deemed necessary that the govern
ment continue the control OF some OF
these activities during the reconstruc-
tiop period in order to prevent chaotic
conditions which might arise II the
old order were suddenly revived.
Action Required on Loans.
Millions Of dollars have been in
vested in enterprises for the produc-
ton of war materials. These enter
prises and organizations must be di-
verted to peaceful purposes. or Sc
rious financial difficulties will arise in
this country. The question of govern
uent loans to aid in such work must
be determined.
New legislation must be enacted
therefore to supplement and take the
place Of the war legislation. Several
measures have been introduced in the
Senate providing for study of the
situation by committees of Congress
or by federal commissions. None of
them has yet been acted upon. The
first was presented by Senator Weeks
OF Massachusetts,. who addressed the
Senate on the serious need of pre-
pairing q program of reconstruction
before peace was made. This resolu-
tion was followed by another intro
duced by Senator Owen of oklahoma
Both Of these resolutions provide for
mako q study and report to Congress
On the reconstruction needs.
Senator Overman of North Carolina,
recognized as a stanch adminlStra-
tion man and a spokesman frequently
for 1t In the Senate, introduced a bill
providing for the appointment by the
President Of a federal commission to
study the problems presented by a
return of peace and report to the
President and Congress what legisla-
quired to meet the situation.
The resolutions of Senators Weeks
and Owen lie upon the Vice Presi-
dents pie; those senator senators !. having I'M;
@aASuhSSo AhsShtA0A ~ SshAA
them up later. The bill introduced by
Senator Overman has been referred
TO the Senate judiciary committee.
Senator Overman will call meeting
Of the committee to consider this bill
at an early date.
VIII Talk With President.
He is convinced that something
must be done as quickly as possible,
and 1t is likely that he will discuss
tho matter with the President and OBJ
tain his views in the matter. Senator
Overman Is convinced that the survey
of conditions and recommends ations
can best be undertaken by federal
commission. A congressional COM
Iuittee, he believes. would make slow
progress and not be as efficient as a
commission appointed by the Presi-
dent.
So far as tho operation of the gov
ernment itself Is concerned. a great
pairing down of expenditures must be
undertaken Immediately. Secretary
McAdoo Of the Treasury is busily en-
gagged figuring out just what can be
done in the reduction of expenses.
Hand in hand with this effort for
economy in government expenditures
will 20 a reduction in the taxes levied
on the people, though this reduction
probably will not become effective for