Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-07-08
MATT. C0UNCIL. OF DEFENSE|S
 UNDER ATTACK Republican Chairman of House Committee Makes String of
 Charges. ALLEGES PRESIDENT
 VIOLATED THE LAW Graham Declares Wilson Reversed Intent of Congress and Created "Secret Government" Which
 Ruled U. $.

Secret Government Which Ruled U. s.
 Washington, July 7.-Seven men formed "secret government of the United States" working "behind closed doors," determined all of the so-called war legislation, "weeks and even months,' before war was de- clared against Germany, Chairman Graham of the house committee in- vestigating war department expendi- lures, charged today after reading into the record digest of the min utes of the Council of National De- fense. The seven men were named by Graham as Hollis Godfrey, How ard K. Coffin, Bernard M. Baruch, Samuel Gompers, Franklin H. Mar tin, Julius Rosenwald, and Daniel Wilalrd, members of the advisory commission of the council. This commission, he added, was designed by law to act in purely advisory capacity to the council, composed of six cabinet officers, but the president he asserted, made them the real exe- cutives.
 Before Presidents Neutrality Speech.
 After MT. Graham had read to the Investigating committee digest de- signed to show that the military draft, food control and press censor ship had been discussed by the com mission several weeks before war was declared, Representative Reavis, republican, of Nebraska, interrupt ing, asked if "all this was prior to the presidents speech on armed neutrality, in which, he said, he was not contemplating war"
 The chairman answered affirma- lively.
 Later in the recital of the digest, MT. Graham said that censure of the council and commission, uttered in senate and house, led MT. Coffin to urge that "a definite channel of con- tact" be established between the council and congress.
 "In other words," continued the educated"
 In brief, MT. Graham's digest char ged the president organized the coun- cil in violation of the law and that in addition to framing legslaton, it dictated polices the country was to pursue, and befriended "big business" Included in the report read into the record was letter from Judge Gary advising the committee it was dis regarding the laws, Supposed to regulate business"
 Goethals Defied Council.
 Minutes of the council were read to the committee by MT. Graham to- gether with a report in which he asserted the council assumed such broad powers that Major General Goethals, former chief of the pur-- chase, storage, and traffic division of the war department, defied it; cabi- net members protested against it's activities and Judge Gary. chairman of the board of the United States Steel corporation, accused it of op- erating in "flagrant violation of law.
 Mr. Graham concluded his state ment by saying so far as he had been able to observe from the minutes of the council, there had not been an act of the so-called war legislation which had not been discussed and settled upon by the councils advis- ory commission before the actual declaration of war. At times. he said, "the activities of the commission were such as greatly to embarass the cabinet and it became necessary for the cabinet to protest against them."
 The minutes showed that Philip Patchin. chief of the state depart ment's division of foreign intelligence first suggested press censorship, he was described by Chairman Gra- ham as "a free lance news cores pondent"
 Details of the plan for military exemption on industrial grounds, out line by MT. Coffin and Mir. Gompers. were not disclosed by the minutes MT. Graham said.
 After Chairman Graham had told the committee that the minutes he had read into the record were unof- ficial, but substantially correct" the committee decided to call Grosv- enor Clarkson. director of the c0un- o:1 4o oa&cLJ;cL +Lo.1, thnrf.csfy