The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-07-08
CHARGES
'(conttnued From Page ore.)

sory commission tho real executives.
"clothinE them with unprecedented ana
almost jllimitablc powers.
"Rchind closed doors weeks and even
months before war was declared" he
said. these seven men designed prac-
tiCally every war mcasur" Wh'ch en-
gross subsequently, enacted. Thcy dc-
vIscd the entire system or purchasing
war supplies, planned press censor
ship, designed a system OF FOOD coht:o'
and selected Herbert Hoover as its d.
rector. and even determined ion the my
light saving scheme.
"Conreiyod within tho law hut brought
into existence in absolute violation Of
law. It Is not surprising to find this
secret government Of the United States
itself pcrsiStcc,ly ignored and even Hi"-
later tho law; that il allowed Interested
parties to fix the prices OF war suppIes'
that ii put the people If the country 10
inCalculahlc unnecessary expense anu
carried things with high hand.
Mr. Graham declared that when Major
General Cocktails was called at inc
eleventh hour to rescue in" war depart
! mcnt from the public obliQuy which was
FIST settling upon il MS result of the
methods and incaparity of tho commas
sion. lie rcpudiatrd and practically de-
fled II.
"Our soldiers were actually dying or
pneumonia in tho camps because OF lack
OF proper clothing and blankets. MT.
Graham said. and General G"cihals as
surn"d the duties Of QuartcrmaSt"r gen
cral only on condition that he should
have free scope IN tho performance oil
his duties. unhampcr"d by the council
Of national defense.
"Immrdiatclv n" took from the Nom
hers Of that council their power to order
purchases and fix prices and soon dis
ncuscd with the services Of those mem
bers Of tho advisory commission VINO hao
SO deplorably hunglcd the control OF
supplies for the army"
Judge Gary advised the advisory COM
mission. Mr.. Graham said. that 1t wes
operating In disregard of the Sherman
law. the Clayton law and all other sta
tutcs that are supposed 10 regulate busl-
ness. particularly big business.
When the attorney general was calico
upon by the commission to answer JuuEs
cary. Mr.. Graham said that he answered
that the matters referred to as violations
Of law were matters OF 'natohaI poi'cS
rather than n legal question.
afterwards" Mr.. Graham declared
.->yhen there was evidently discussion
IN congress as to the illcgality OF mem.
boris OF the committees on the council
huyinC from themselves. the council dis
cussed this general policy and II was
suggested that this embarrassment
might be removed by the plan or the
committee reorganization now under
consideration.
The minutes show that on account OF
| this so-called embarrassment. the war
Industries board and committees were
APPOINTED by national chamber OF com
merce so that the letter OF the law
might be complied with but by which
scheme, no part Of tho method or buying
was changed in tho slightest degree so
far as can observe
Citing cases in which he said the
council formulated legislation before
war was declared. which l"E1slatl0H
later was considered by congress. Mr..
Graham declared that on February To-
1917, the council discussed IN" draft
system and considered u report from
| Commissioners Samuel Gompcrs and
Howard E. Coffin relative to III" cxclu-
sion Of labor from military service: on
| the same day recommended that Her
bert Hoover be employed by tho gov
| eminent in connection with fond con-
| troll. and on March ) endorsed tn" day
| light saving scheme and recommended
a federal censorship OF the prcss.
| about the first thing the commits
sion did was To take up the matter OF
arranging an easy method Of communl-
cation between the manufacturers and
the government" Mr.. Graham con-
| tinucd. Tn several meetings. long be-
! fore was declared. the commission net
| wit hthc representatives Of the manu-
featuring Industries and formed an or
! ganization of them for selling supplies
! to the governments
| tod Sf hay. inc hO
( representatives of various businesses.
producing goods which tho government
would have TO buy. form themselves
into committees so they might b" able
TO sell TO the government direct. When
war was declared this machinery began
! to move.
! although this scheme was supposed
| TO enable the industries TO deal with
| tho government Us one man. the govern
| mcnt was ut no time able to deal with
the authorities through ono man and,
on tho contrary, throughout tho war
federal bureaus were bidding against
each other for the same supplies. which
| greatly increased cost to the govern
ment. Under the ministra'ionS Of the
| council big business was highly organ
| lied. while tho government remained
wholly disorganizrd and Incapable "f
protecting itself against fiaGrant profit
! ccring"
Mr.. Graham concluded his statement
by saying, SO far as h" had been abb"
to obsrrv" from tn" minutes If the
council. there had not boon m act Of
the so-callrd war Legislation which had
not been discussed and settled upon hv
j the councils advisory commission he
fore tho actual declaration OF III" WAY.
! Al times hc eril - h., activities IF tho