The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-03-04

Washington, D. c., Mar. 4--The
siXty-tifth congress which ended it's ca
reer at noon today, achieved some re-
markable legislative victories, and Suf
fered many defeats. 1t did things it
should have done, and didn't enact re-
construction measures equally import
ant to the countrys welfare. 1t Was
the nations war congress and claimed
considerable credit Tor the winning Of
the war. But it failed miserably as a
reconstruction congress. ~g"
This is what your war congress did:
Convened in special session by proc
lamation Of the president, April =, 1917,
and was in almost continuous session,
excepting election and holiday rccesseS,
until the hour it adjourned sine die.
DEMOCRATS CONTROLLED
SENATE AND HOUSE
Democrats were in ma jOrity in both
houses. Their leaders in the house were
Speaker Clark and Claude Kitchin :
leaders in the senate, Martin, Simmons
and Lewis. -.
At the special session of the senate
immediately preceding the extra SEES
sion of congress- there was passed 4
modified clOture rule under which pub
lie business might be expedited.
On April ?, 1917, the German war
resolution was introduced in the house.
and on April 6 the president attached
his signature to that measure, after it
had passed both houses in record time,
despite the opposition of a small minor
ity of both republicans and democrats.
The next important act authorized
an issue Of bonds to meet expenditures
for the national security and defense
and for the purpose Of assisting i'll the
prosecution Of the war, to extend credit
to foreign governments and for other
purposes. This paved the way for Lib
erty loans.
DRAFTED NATIONS
MAN.POWER 5554,
Public Act No. IL was another i'm
portant piece of war legislation. This
authorized the president to increase
temporarily the military establishment
Of the United States by, the drafting
Of men aged Dbl.
Congress then, by resolution, author
lied the president to take over any
vessel owned in whole or in part by
any corpora ton. citizen or subject of
any nation with which the United
States was at war. This brought about
the legal seizure Of the tremendous
German shipping informed in American
harbOrs.
Passed war revenue act increasing
income taxes, taxing excess profits and
increasing internal revenue taxes
The swaE risk insurance acts per-
mitted marine Insurance for ships and
cargoes and life insurance for Amer
lean soldiers and sailors, all at cost.
Public Act No. % appropriated the
largest sum Of money any congress had
ever appropriated in one act, S3,oN
O94541.60. for military and naval ex-
penditures.
AGAINST ENEMIES
IN THIS COUNTRY
The espionage act made it possible
for the government to ferret out and
punish pro-Germans and anti Ameri-
cans who sought to give aid to our
enemies.
National war time slogan, Freedom,
For All, Forever" introduced in reso-
luton form by Congressman Carl Van
Dyke comma nder-in-chief of United
Spanish War Veterans.
Food and fuel administrations were
authorized
During the first session Of this con-
gress appropriation bills allowing the
expenditures of $1S.S79177. O14.96 were
passed. OF this 5000 100000 were
loans to our allies. Additional appro-
priations amounting ito ST. ] ,5533.-
$3.50 for contract authorizations,
brought the total appropriations mp to
$21 800, 73O.94046.
In the second session this congress
did:
Declared a state Ofswar existing he
tween the United States and Austro-
Hungarian, empire. ~
Launched the nation npon a tremen-
dous bodybuilding pgQgrsp by creating