South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-02-20
Other Editors Than Ours
THE WAR CABINET BILL AND IT'S SINISTER
MEANING.
CFort Wayne Journal Gazette

Wayne Journal Gazette.)
There has such a turmoil in quarters be-
the president of the United States has asked for
the authority 10 coordinate the functions and activities
executive departments the president has been
denounced with such Incorporate hate the ground
that ne is asking for new uuheard powers that
the pbhc is entitled 10 clear understanding of tho
essential difference between the administration bill
providing for coordination, and the cabinet BILL
supported by the presidents enemies which also pro-
vides for coordination
And the public is entitled to the truth.
Be it known then two bills are quite smilar
in respects They both provide for the coordina-
and direction the functions and activities 3.
the bureaus and activities of the executive de-
partment
The only thing the president asks or the only new
authority that he is given by his bill which has been
cterized as providing for dictatorship is the
authority do precisely what the cabinet bill
tempates-the coordination of the departments for
war purposes
curious know why the presidents bill has been
denounced by such luminous leaders of all things dem
ocratic Penrose who favors The war cabinet bill
which the president opposes
There is
And this the the cabinet bill is infinitely
more dictatoridl in meaning than the administration
bill it provides for -dictators who shall indie
pendent Of the commanderin- chief Of the army and
navy o United States
the cabinet bill three citizens are
the cabinet and these what the
president asks authority to 90 himself.
And these three men. not selected by the people.
to have the power to practically wipe out the
regularly constituted president In other
words these three dctaOrs selected by the people
the president; not contemplated commanders
war by the constitution provided in the
the president; to depose the president aside
ignore the constitutional commander chief Of
This war cabinet may dstermine the personnel of
the staff. 1t withdraw Pershing from France. 1t
may command the officers of states-governors, even
state judges. It may withdraw officers side
president the secretaries the navy
and assign them TO the cabinet
The administration bill provides for just one thing
the coordination of the functions activities of
the executive departments; the war cabinet bill pro-
viding thing designs
done by other than the responsible and
stitutional leader of the American people.
The administration bill grants powers TO
even the constitutional commander-in- chief: the war
cabinet breaks down constitutional forms. our
institutional ideas and creates dictatorship of three
who are not responsible the American people.
In bref-the cabinet bill deposes Woodrow
Wilson from the presidency.
It makes his own cabinet officers mere errand boys
more vicious, un-American. dictatoria scheme has
never before been Matched by conniving politicians
and worse in a cloak room caucus.
And the utter dishonesty of its sponsors has been
disclosed in their incorporate denunciation of the
presidents bill which provides coordination compati-
with the constitution and the preservation of the
republic.
The more the war cabinet bill is studied the more
vicious it the more brszen it seems; the more
revolutionary II looks and II IS no longer strange ID
the man who reads it that Sen Chamberlain without
consulting the president OF the United states about
plan TO strip him his constitutional powers and
tablish dictatorship of three should have sneaked
into the senate after having had it sanctioned by
the partisan and personal enemies Wilson.
or course the war cabinet conspiracy has already
broken down. Foul things crumble in the light.
And the congress refuses TO grant the president
authority coordinate the commissions and
under the executive the results with
the least will reckon with the people
Americans. regardless Of party, not selecting
the moment when their responsible leader literally
leads the world from height seldom attained in his
tory 10 him down and his hands to satisfy
the partisan hate and the personal spleen Of sma
creatures who Incapable OF thinking OF
country.