The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-03-04
The 65th Congress Had a
Stupendous Record in
War Work
$25, 0OO,000,00O IN
BONDS AUTHORIZED
Many Veteran Legislators
Retired from Office
To-day

vening for reconstruction legislation of
/ the new Congress in extraordinary SEES
! sion, In which control passes from the
| Democratic party to the Republicans.
Unusual scenes of confusion in the
! final rush to complete its work accom-
| panied the closing hours of Congress, in
which President Wilson, just back from
France in his room Off the Senate cham.
Der, hastily signed many last-moment
measures.
Stupendous was the record of the Con.
gress, which carried the nation into and
| through the war aud which had been in
almost continuous session since it was
called by President Wilson into extra
ordinary session April 2, 1917, to declare
war against Germany. 1t appropriated
about $60000000, 1000, authorized S25,-
000000,000 in bonds and enacted count.
/ less measures for prosecuting the war
and of domestic import, The new Con-
| gress viii take up the limitless task of
| reconstruction problems, ratification Of
the peace treaty and other vital ques-
tions, probably Immediately after the re-
| turn OF President Wilson from his sec
ond visit to France
Special features of the G5th Congress
were many addresses by President Will
son, including those recommending war
with Germany and Austria, that OF Jan
| s, 1917, enunciating his famous Ii prin-
! eiples of peace, and those endorsing WON.
an suffrage, announcing the armistiCe
terms imposed upon Germany last No
yember, and his recent address detailing
accomplishments of his work at Paris
! fTbapn Z go h,
gress. The first extra session met April
,, 1917, following shortly after the tur-
! bulent and successful Senate hlibuster
| on the administration armed ship bill
which marked the close of the cath Con
gress The dramatic night address of
! President Wilson to urge war with Ger
many, which was promptly declared
marked the opening of the extra session,
called but a few weeks after the presi-
| dents Inauguration for second term.
! The session closed Oct G, 1917. lasting
| lSS days The second session--asting
| 3j4 days and the longest in the history
/ OF the American began Dec
3, 1917 and adjourned Nov. 81, last. The
| third and final session, which ended to-
| day, began dec. :, last, and was the
statutory short session of 93 days.
| Substantial Democratic maiorities in
! both Senate and House since President
Wilson's Inauguration six years ago now
| have passed. In the new Congress, the
! Senate will have AZ Republicans and a.
| Democrats and the House 23S Repubi-
cans and 1913 Democrats, one Socialist,
two independents and one Prohibitiouist.
Many Veterans Go Out.
Many veterans in both houses retired
with to-day's adjournment In the Sen.
ate these included Senators Salisbury of
Delaware, president pro tempore; Lewis
of Illinois, Democratic whip; Shafroth of
Colorado. Thompson Of Kansas. Hard
wick of Georgia, Hollis of New Hamp-
shire, and Nardaman of Mississippi; Golf
OF West Virginia, Smith Of Michigan and
Weeks of Massachusetts, Among prom
inent representatives whose services end
ed were Miss jeanette Rankin of Mon
tana, the first woman elected to the
House; Meyer London of New York, So
ciaIist; Swager Sherley If Kentucky.
chairman Of the appropriations commit.
tee; Hayes, California; Heating, Col
orado; Powers. Kentucky; Foster, Hi
nois; Cox, Barnhart and Dixon Of In
diana; Miller, Minnesota; Borland, Mis-
souri,; Parker, New Jersey; Gordon.
Ohio; FAIR, Pennsylvania; O'Shaunessy.
Rhode Island; Slayden, Gregg and Dies,
Texas; and Cooper and Stafford of Wis
cousin.
New members Of the next Congress in
clude Seuators-eleet Harrison, Mississip-
pi; Harris, Georgia; Stanley, kentucky:
FL
kins, West Virginia; Mccormick, Illi-
nois; Newberry, Miehigani and Walsh,
Massachusetts,.
Partisan politics, although it caused
the mandate for change from Democratic
to Republican control of Congress, was
largely buried during the war period, war
measures being hastily rushed through
with big bipartisan majorities. Many
acute controversies, however, marked the
Congress. Among these were the 1917
1918 question of war efficiency, developed
from an investigation of the Senate mill
tary committee and reaching a climax in
the dispute between President Wilson
and Senator Chamberlain of Oregon,
chairman of the committee. Others in
VOWED the league of nations. the Over
man bill comforting unlimited authority
on the president to reorganjze- govern
ment departments, government control
of railroads and the food control act.
During the first session Of the Con-
gress, devoted largely to prosecution of
the war, among the important measures
passed We're;
The war declaration against Germany,
signed April g. i0l7; the selcctiYe draft
act; the law for seizure of interned Ger
man ships; the war risk insurance bu-
reau act; the first war revenue bill; the
food and fuel control law; the daylight
saving measure; the initial and record
breaking aviation appropriation of $780,
100000; the trading with the enemy act
and measures providing for soldiers and
sailors insurance and protection of their
civil rights at home.
Outstanding measures of the second,
long session, were:
/ The Austrian war declaration; the ma
tional prohibition resolution; the Webb
export trade act the alien property GUS
tOdan bill; the laws for government CON
troll of railroads, telegraphs, telephones,
cables and radio utilities; the second
draft law; the war finance corporation
act and the Overman reorganization bill
During the last session, completion of
the $4,000, 100000 revenue bill was the
chief accomplishment in addition to COM
pletion Of the wheat guaranty bill, au-
thorzations of $7,000,OOO,OO0 in short
term notes, waterpower, oil, gas and coal
land development legislation, authorize.
tion of additional bonds and the huge
annual appropriation bills. f.,
Woman suffrage also was a much de-