Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-02-16
THE R1cHMoND PLANET, RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

Executive in all his legislation in
Congress.
"On great occasions our President
| rises to heights OF greatness" said
Mr.. Hitchcock. "rho two greatest
men in the world today arc LLOYD
George and Woodrow Wilson. But
President Wilson cannot do all tho
work of the war for us alone. He
| needs help; he needs machinery. He
does not know the real situation. He
hears only one side of it. IF he knew
both sides, he would not stand against
measures that would help him win
tho war"
In opposing the War Cabinet bill
Senator Williams said that its advo-
Gates appeared to 'want to give tho
President brains"
That, he said, could not be done
through legislation, If the President
was not endowed with them. Mr..
Hitchcock and other Senators who
attacked the Administration, he said,
had been looking for "specks"; they
mad magnified trining faults. He
went on:
|, Jeremiah and his lamentations arc
not In 1t with the Senator from Nc
braska. He begins away back beyond
ana Tells us we have no ships nor
this. nor that, nor the other thing
, that we need. He has drawn an in
dictment against the executive de-
partment of the Federal Government
that is very strong. During the
course Of his remarks he has said
that he might be accused of giving
. information useful to the enemy if he
disclosed all he knew. He has dis
| closed about all he know and he gave
! information very useful to the enc
my"
UNDERTAKING, SAYS WILLIAMS.
Senator Williams was tired, he
said, of the undertaking" of the Adj
ministration. Senators who tried to
! put an embargo on munitions and
| other supplies to the Allies in the
early days Of the war, he said, had
played Germany's game. He contIn-
ued:
, ''Thc German game now is muck
raking the Administration. If tho
Senator from Nebraska is right In
what he has said, we are whipped al
ready; we are out Of this war game
right now, because he has drawn and
attempted to prove an indictment
against the executive authority Of
our Government which shows not
only inefliciency, but stupidity. He
comes here with measure to invest
the President with more power in or
der to prove that the President can
become efficient with more power when
he has been inefficient, in the Sen
ator's opinion, with less power
'Thesc Aulic Council propositions
have been tried from time to time
everywhere. Even the Austrian EN-
pire that runs riot had sense enough
to do away with the Aulfc War Coun-
Gil. If the Senator wants, he can find
that of all the asses that ever existed
tho worst Was the typical council of
asses that came very near running
Lincoln and Grant in the civil war.
Tho Senator could 60 LITTLE further
back and find that the continental
Congress came very near running
George Washington with q committee
on the conduct OF the war IF there
Is anything that any man ought to
know who has any sense at all, it Is
that Congress or committee cannot
furnish the brains to anybody else to
carry a war OH.
"Hcre Dis this stupid bill, stupid
thing demanding three distinguished
men of demonstrated ability to be
appointed by the President to carry
OH the war. Dis t ingu1 S Ii d. by
whom? ABILITY demonstrated' by
whom? After you are through with
It as the Senator has confessed it has
to go back to uhe President to dig
tinguish' these men and their ability.
And here is the President already not
only armed with duty, but charged
with the responsibility of distinguish
ing men and Of recognizing demon
stratcd ability
"1f the President Is a fool, how are
you going to give him brains by m
act OF Congress? If the President Is
not fool, what is the need OF your
legislation? Just say what it is.
Are you trying to embarrass him
Is that it?
The Senator quoted from somebody
nh the Bible, Thou art not able to
hold UP thy hands by thyself alone
and they shall hold his hands, one on
the one side and the other On the
other. Who Is going to hold up the
hands OF the President? Is it to be
the Senator from Nebraska and the
Senator from Pennsylvania Ont.
Penrose) who will do it?
The President has already select
Cd, In his opinion, Secretary of the
Navy, Secretary of War. a Secretary
OF State, who are three distinguished
gentlemen of demonstrated ability
You are talking about the need of
business ability in connection with
this war. l venture to say, right
now, you cannot name three men that
you would dare offer to take these
places"
A COLLOQUY OVER
COORDINATION
II shall not undertake to do II
anyhow" volunteered Senator Hitch
cock. II never expect to be elected
President Of the United States, and
until | am l certainly would not un-
dertake to do It,"
Senator Hitchcock went on to say