The sun., 1919-03-02

head Of the Signal Corps, to John d
| 'tyan. a civilian. Mr.. Hughes's inyes-
'satton showed there had been at lea st
partial failure in the aircraft pro-
gramme, and he strongly favored court
martial proceedings against some high
officers Col. Deeds. an important factor
IN the aircraft squabble. was recon-
mended for court-martial by Mr. Hughes,
but no action was ever taken and Col.
Deeds at the end Of the Sixty-fifth Con-
gress is restored to favor in the War
Department
Another Investigation is the probe by
the Senate Commerce Committee of the
| Shipping Board. The American Inter-
national Corporation. which built and
operated a shipyard at Hog Island
which was planned to be the greatest
shipyard In the world. was under par
ucular fire. Charges OF maladminis-
tation and great extravaganza at Hog
Island have been made before the COM
mittee. No official action has ever been
taken. but there has been a reorganiza.
ton and those men who were in con.
troll during the early days of the war
are no longer connected with the Hog
Island venture.
shipping Board REORGANIZATION.
Although 1t is not admitted to be the
result OF the Investigation of the Senate
committee there have been numerous re-
! organizations In the United States Ship.
ping Board. the most notable resulting
In Charles NJ. Schwab being placed at it's
head. Since the appointment OF Mr.
Schwab criticism steadily declined.
Congress has not allowed many Gov.
eminent war bureaus to exist unmo.
| Tested. and attacks have been aimed fire.
| quently at Herbert Hoover and the Food
Administration and DR.. Harry Garfield
and the Fuel Administration. In the
fall of 1917 serious shortages In coal and
sugar occurred. causing an investiga
| ton by the Senate Committee on Manu-.
features. which led to almost direct In
vestigations OF the Food and Fuel ad-
| min!straiions.
No Congress In history has ever beer
so frequently addressed by the Presiden
as has the Sixty-hfth President VIII.
son made nine journeys TO the Capito
| and delivered there some addresse.
which will 60 down in American history
Perhaps the most notable was the speech
! on January s, when the President an.
peared before joint session and out.
lined a basis OF peace. This address.
contained the now famous fourteen
! points In which the President set fortt
!
might seek to make peace with the
Allies. Upon these fourteen points came
the final terms OF the armistice which
closed the war so far as open hostilities
were concerned
Passing seIectfve Draft Law.
No legislation can approach the soon,
OF the selective service law passed BY
the Sixty-ffth Congress Soon after tn,
declaration of war it became evident tina
the volunteer system would not succeed
and leaders Immediately began to draft
n so-called conscription law. Later thu
idea of CONSUMPTION was frowned upor
and the law became to be known as
selective service law. There were heated
debates upon the proposed law In boti
houses of Congress. but the contests
were chiefly upon the ages OF drafted
men and the methods OF admin!sterin,
the law.
The bill became a law on May is, 1918
and 1t was decreed that men between tn,
ages of 81 and 81 should be liable to cal
to service. 1t was estimated tina
100000 young Americans would b.
held subject TO the provisions OF the law
The laws operation was placed in tn
hands of the War Department. but tn
first draft, which established the orde
of calling the men into service. wa
made on July 20. 1918. At that time
was planned to call $4,000 men. Or
May 20, 1918. the act was so amende,
that all men that had attained the ag
OF 81 since the initial reglstra
ton day, June 8. 1917, should be require,
to register. II was estimated that thi
amendment would provide increases o
100000 men each year. On August 81
1918, the selective service act was agai
l n hat
registration OF all men between the age
OF IS and 2i and between the ages OF 3
and 40 inclusive. The War Department
estimated that 100000 additiona
registrants would be enrolled under thi
| provision On Septemher IL, the. date sc
, by Presidential procinfhation.
Poured Out Billions.
In appropriations the Sixty-fifth Con
gress set a new record. Total appro
priations for the first two sessions wer
S53.2o0,372.037.9 S. AS the third sessio
and the Congress comes to a close
! appears that many more important ap
j preparations will 20 over until an extr
5 session OF the Sixty-sixth Congress ca
$ be called.
] The first great war appropriation @
0 the Sixty-fifth Congress was n def
= cheney bill passed early in April, 1911
u
! tional defence and was made to be
blanket appropriation for all war pun
poses
The great record making appropria
ton came on October 6. 1917. when
;, bill was passed appropriatng $685.
y 666.ol6 to supply deficiencies for 1911
. and prior fiscal years on account c
= war expenses and authorizing S2.401
458.s93 In contract obligations TO be m,
!, by future Congresses. This was III
largest appropriation act at that tim
! which had ever been passed by this c
any other country. II made turtle
n appropriations Of $685.. o00,0 900 for II
e emergency shipping fund and raised
n sl.734 900. 900 the limit OF cost to carr
I out the purposes of the shipping act.
= The greatest Liberty Loan laws wer
y passed by the Sixty-ffth Congress an
e signed by the President on April 4, 1911
n These acts provided for the third an
Q fourth Liberty LOANS and no financis
Z legislation OF any country ever 81
J, preached their magnitude. The thir
5 and fourth Liberty Loan acts were IL
creased from $7,53s,s45,460 TO $4,000
p 100000, and there was also an increas
I in appropriations to meet loans to OF
r Allies from $4,000. ooO.o 900 10 $1,000
), 100000 Certificates OF Indebtedness al