The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-07-08
SECRET GOVT
BY SEVEN MEN
SAYS GRAHAM
Chairman of Investigating Com
mittee DenOunces Acts
WERE VIOLATION OF. LAW
Declares That President Wilson Or
sanixed Council of National Defense
and Befriended Big Business

Washington, July 7.--Chairman
Graham of the House Committee
which is investigating war depart
ment expenditures declared today that
seven men formed secret govern
ment of the United States" which
working behind closed doors, deter
mined all of the so-called war legis-
lation weeks and months before war
was declared against Germany.
The seven men were named by Mr.
Graham as Hollis Godfrey, Howard
E. Coffin. Bernard NJ. Baruch, Samuel
Gompers, Franklin H. Martin, julius
Rosenwald and Daniel Willard, mem
bers of the advisory commission. he
added, was designed by law to act in
purely an advisory capacity to the
council composed of siv cabinet Off
GERS, but the President, he asserted,
made them the real executives.
After Mr.. Graham had read to the in
vestigating committee digest design
ed to show that the military draft,
food control and press censorship had
been disguised by the commission
several weeks before war was declar'
ed Representative Reavis Republi-
can, Nebraska interrupted, asking if
'all this was prior to the Presidents
speech on armed neutrality, in which
he said he was not contemplating
war" The chairman answered affir-
matively.
Later in the recital of the digest,
Mr.. Graham said that censure OF the
council and commission, uttered in
Senate and House led Mr.. Coffin to
urge that "a definite channel of con-
tact" be established between the
council and Congress.
''In other words" commented the
chairman, "Conyress ought TO be edu
Gated"
In brief, Mr.. Graham's digest charg-
ed the President organized the coun-
Gil in violation of the law, and that 1t
in addition to framing legislation, die
tated policies the country was to pur-
sue, and befriended "big business"
Included in the report read into the
record was a letter by Judge Gary
advising the commission 1t was dis
regarding the laws, supposed to reg
ilate business"
Mr.. Graham declared that when
Major General Goethals was called 'at
the eleventh hour to relieve the war
department from the public obliquity
which was fast setting upon it as
result of the methods and incapacity
of the commission, he repudiated and
practically defied it.
Our soldiers were actually dying of
pneumonia in the camps because OF
lack Of proper clothing and blankets,
Mr.. Graham said, "and General
Goethals assumed the duties of Quar-
terInaster General only on condition
he should have free scope in the
performance of his duties, unhamper-
ed by the council of national defense
Immediately he took from the
members of that council their power
to order purchases and fix prices aad
soon dispensed with the services of
those members of the advisory COM
mission who has so deplorably bungled
the control Of the supplies for the
army"
{ Judge Gary advised the advisory com
mission, Mr.. Graham said that 1t was
operating in disregard of the Sherman
law. the and all other statutes that
are supposed to regulate business,
particularly big business"