Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1919-08-13

Agriculture Resigns to Edit
Washington, D. Cone Of the
most significant events OF the present
congress occurred in the house on
Tuesday, July 20, when . group Of
40 independents and progressive Re-;
including the chairmen Of
two important committees, Porter Of
foreign affairs and Esch Of interstate
summarized a trick partisan
resolution conceived by the majority
steering committee to discredit the
administration and combined with tho
Democrats to put through an amend
ment making it Of practical value to
the people Of the United States. -
The occasion was the vote on q
special house resolution demanding
that the secretary of war make i'm
mediately available to the public the
huge stocks of surplus army food held
by the war department. The resolu-
ton had been drawn after IN investi-
cation showing terrible incompetsncy
on the part of the war department
with regard to the disposal Of its sur
plus food supplies, and very plainly
indicating that influence brought to
bear by the packers and the Gamers
is primarily responsible for letting
this food rot in storage rather than
place it on the domestic market.
Nevertheless the resolution con-
ceived by the Republican steering
committee, body with ideals worthy
of the worst days Of Cannonism, was,
a partisan measure and nothing more.
It demanded that the secretary of war
place the surplus food products on
sale without delay" carefully omit
ting to give Mr.. Baker any assistance
or authority to handle this gigantic
task. 1t was clearly designed to focus
public wrath on the administration
by ordering Mr.. Baker to Immediately
settle problem which he had neither
money nor men to solve.
In spite Of furious opposition from
the majority leadership an amend
ment to this resolution, offered by
Clyde Kelly, Independent Republican
of Braddock, Pa, giving the resolu-
ton constructive value by instructing
the war department to utilize the par
cells post system In selling the food.
was put through by combination Of
40 Republicans, lined up with tho
Democrats. Prominent among those
who refused to be bludgeoned by their
reactionary leaders we're Representa-
tives Baer and Sinclair of North d.
kota, and Representative Cars of
Minnesota. :
Great Excitement.
The incident has caused tremendous
excitement in congress. The majority
leaders are furious at the detection
and have threatened to call a party
caucus to discipline" those who put
public welfare above partisan advan-
tage. They frankly admit now that
the original resolution was drawn
with no other purpose than to din
credit the Democrats, and that the
Independents have committed the un-
pardonable crime of giving Mr.. Baker
way out of the mess into which he
had gotten himself. ~
There are rumors abroad that this
incident is but the first step seen In
congress in the direction of a new
progressive party Of public service.
These are substantiated by the fact
that most of the 40 are men elected
by the farmer and labor vote, and
men who have not been in congress so
long that they have forgotten every
thing except the shabby old trick Of
political huckstering.
The KoIchak Burden.
The weaker Admiral Kolchak grows
in his fight to maintain dictatorship
over the Russian people the more
money the American taxpayer is 60
ing to be forced to dig up to support
him. In view of the fact that con-
gress has never been given the chance
to decide on the question of war with
Russia, or OF supporting this OK.
champion of cZarism, the secret de.
cisions of the administration in this
matter are Of considerable interest.
Almost on the same day that Kol.
| chalk was forced to remove his "capi
tai" from Omsk to Irkutsk because
of the increasing strength of the
| Bolsheviki in Siberia, Frank Polk
acting secretary of state, announced
from France that henceforth the
United States will give strong ina
terial aid" to Kolchak. Exclusive
Information reaching the Leader bu
reau, by way of a congressman, shows
how this is being done. In deepes,
secrecy, for fear Of labor uprising
If the truth were known, thousands Of
rifles and millions Of rounds of am
munition are now being shipped ii
concealed packages to General DENT
kline, Kolchak's aid In south Russia
and Kolchak himself in Siberia, &C
cording to this extremely reliable in
formation. In view of the great wa
debt which must be handled by thi,
country and the appalling taxation
which Is necessary to pay this debt
there is much speculation In congress
now as to who is footing the bills To-
these munitions and their shipment.
= Sacrificing Ships. = ="
Another instance Of fragrant disre
gard Of the public pocketbook Is seel
in the recent sale by the shipping
board to the Anderson Overseas co,
poration of New York Of 100 steamer
built on the Great Lakes during tn
war. These vessels, It Is admitted
will eventually pass into French an
Italian ownership. They were bull
out Of the proceeds Of Liberty Bonds