South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-02-18
NEW
ORDER AFTER
WAR FOR RAILS
Sen. Watson Would End Pow
erS of Government Over
Roads Soon AS Peace
Pact is Signed.
International News Service

International News Service:
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1S.-Pres't
Wilson must surrender the vast
powers he now wields, when the end
of the war comes. This statement
was made today by Sen. James Wa
son of Indiana, in a speech to the
senate on railroad legislation.
Sen Watson diverge1 from his
subject of railroads long enough to
express his disapproval Of the
Overman bill granting the president
powers TO reorganize the executive
departm ents Of the government.
He predicted that the railroads will
never return TO the old competi-
tive system. but declared that gov
ernment ownership constitutes "a
step toward socialism"
Predicts New System.
1T may be safely predicted that
the American railroads will never
return TO the old competitive sys-
tenn said Sen. Watson. 4 believe
that is gone forever; that the Sher-
man antitrust law, so far as it con-
Germs railroad combinations, will be
repealed; that anti-pooling laws di-
rected at railroads, will insofar as
they affect the transportation sys-
tenn of the country, be abrogated
and a plan will be adopted which
will give the government practical
control of the American railroads
without the weakness and the in
efficiency incident TO government
ownership"
Sen. Watson said that he consid
ers the railroad bill a war meas
ure" and that he considers it nee
essary TO give the president un-
usual powers of rate making but
declared that all those powers must
be revoked when peace comes.
step Toward Socialism.
Government ownership is not in
itself the adoption Of socialism,
Sen. Watson said. But it is the first
step in the socialistic program. If
we take the first step along the So
cialistic highway, who IS so wise as
to prophesy what the last may be?
For if we inaugurate this program.
i'm the end il will all be forced upon
the country. and. in my judgment,
forced upon il TO the destruction of
our form of government
Turning TO the subject of presi-
Dental authority, Sen. Watson said.
The Overman bill. now pending in
this body, confers upon the presi-
dent unheard of powers. many Of
which 70 my mind are entirely un-
iustifiable, but the most reprehensi-
Bile feature Of that measure. in my
Judgment, is the one thing that pro-
vides that the autOcratic authority
shall continue for one year after
the termination of the war. These
are war powers. They are asking for
war purposes. They are not consti-
tutional, they are not in harmony
with the spirit of our institutions.
Would End Powers with War.
Il am not yet convinced that, in
order TO win the war, it is neces-
sary TO confer upon the president
the tremendous powers for period
Of peace long after the conflict shall
have ceased.
ITO that end let us firmly resolve
that. with the proclamation of peace
the president shall surrender all Of
the vast powers willingly conferred
upon him by an aroused people be
cause of the exigent necessities war:
that this nation shall return 20 the
kind Of republic founded by the
revered fathers Of the Union and
that we shall re-establish upon
foundations too secure ever TO oe
threatened, the three independent
and coordinate branches Of govern
ment"