The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-03-12
SIXTY BILLION DOLLARS
Divided into Three Sessions, First
One Commencing April 2, 1917, II
and Lasting 1873
Days.
[By L. G. Martin, United Press Staff
Correspondents

SlXty-nfth congress is dead. 1t leaves
! to history a record of three sessions,
two of them remarkable for their
legislative accomplishments, and the
third for Its lack of accomplishment
] The sixty-fifth will be known in
American history as The $600GO,000,-
900 congress. It's three sessions APP
propriated that amount. This breaks
all American records, and probably
all world records for a single con-
gress.
/ The congress was divided into
three sessions, and these marked
three distinct phases of activity.
| The first was the war making ses-
sion. It began April 2, 1917, and
ended 1873 days later October 6.
The second was the war winning
session. It was the longest single
session the American congress ever
held, lasting 354 days, from Dec. 3.
1917, to Nov. 81. 1918.
The third was the readjustment
session. lasting from Dec. 2, 1918.
until yesterday.
The war making session opened
with a declaration Of war on Ger
many, passed by the senate April 4.
diately signed by President Wilson.
There quickly followed bill pro-
viding for $1,000, 100000 bonds to
finance the war and help our allies;
bill appropriating money for the
army, the draft bill, subjecting men
between 81 and 81 to military serv-
lice, which became law on May 18.
and the law increasing the navy and
marine corps to 100000.
To prevent alien foes interfering
with American war plans the first
espionage law was passed In June;
the food and fuel act was made law
August TO- ~
Needing Europe's call for aircraft,
congress created the aircraft board
Oct. l. On Oct. 6 came final enact
ment of the law prohibiting trading
with the enemy.
During this session congress appro
priated directly and authorized con-
{ tracts for a total of S1S,901 ,966. S14.
OF this, nearly $4,000, 100000 went
to the army and navy; $40, 900 900
was for aircraft, $1,000 100000 vas
for loans to the allies; food and
fuel control took s162 100000, while
miscellaneous war activities absorbed
the remainder.
1 The whole purpose of this first
session was to change peaceful Amer
lea into warning America. Carrying
out it's pledge of all the country's re-
sources, congress appropriated what
ever was asked.
The second or war winning session
was occupied chiefly with increasing
the effectiveness of the war machine,
and providing the punch to beat the
kaiser It's appropriations were even
more prodigal, and it's delegation of
power even more sweeping than in
. the first session.
/ 1t added Austria officially to the
list of our enemies by a declaration
, Iof war on Dec. Z, 1917.
1t then passed in rapid succession
such measures as the $50, 900 600
, housing bill, followed by a 100000.
1000 housing bill to provide quarters
for munitions and shipyard workers
the bill protecting civil rights of sol
diers and sailors; created the war
. finance corporation to help business
help win the war; the railroad con
troll act, taking over the railroads;
the daylight saving law; the Over
man act, giving the president sweep
ing power to speed UP and coordinate
departmental activities; the third
and fourth Liberty loan acts, the
wire control act, under which the
telegraphs and telephones were
!, taken, and the law extending the
draft age down to 1S and up to As
! 1t appropriated the vast sum OF
: $50 ,298, 405 900. Practically all went
/ to war work at home, maintaining
our army abroad, and helping the
allies with loans.
On Nov. IL, President Wilson an
nounced to the second session that
its work had been done-the wa,
was won, and on Nov. 81 the wal
| winning session ended.
The readjustment session had beer
+ looked to by many in and out of con
: gress to buckle down at once to solv
: ing reconstruction problems, some o.
which were thrust with startling sud
denness before the country BECAUSE
of the crushing and unexpectedly
early defeat of the central powers.
But congress apparently suffered
l from the same reaction that affected
business and, to a degree, labor. i
, relaxed after the war, and the read
iustment session was session of re
adjusting COuSISSS. MoSl vi IL Wd'
, spent in criticim, both by democrat:
, and republicans, of war mistake:
aud blunders. and ~ discussion o
! President Wilson's mission abroad
and of his peace terms.
. The session did manage few ac
comphshments, however, including
1.-THE final enactment of the $1,000, 900.
: 600 war tax bill; appropriation o
. i~aor,1- S1rs nnn 0fln 0n0 IN claan ~,
{ iwar business, feed starving Euro
lpeans. care for the railroads, ant