The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1919-03-05
BY c. L. MARTIN

leaves to history a record of three
sessions, two of them remarkable
for their legislative accomplishments
and the third for its lack of accom-.
plishment
The 65th will be known in Ameri
can history as the 100000 900, ,00C
congress. Its three sessions appro
priated approximately that amount
This breaks all world records for a
single congress.
The congress was divided into
three sessions, and these marked
three distinct phases of activity.
The first was the war making
session. It began April 2, 1917, and
ended 1873 days later, October 6.
The second was the war winning
session. 1t was the longest single
session the American congress ever
held, lasting 354 days, from Decem-
Der 3, 1917 to November 81, 1918
The third was the readjustment
session, lasting from December 2,
1918 until today.
The war making session opened
with a declaration of war on Ger
many, passed by the senate April 4,
and by the house April 6, and i'm
mediately signed by President Will
son.
There quickly followed a bill pro-
viding for $7OOO,OOO,OO0 bonds to
finance the war and help our allies;
a bill appropriating money for the
army, the draft bill, subjecting men
between 21 and 81 to military SER
vice, which became law on May IS,
and the law increasing the navy and
marine corps to 100000
To prevent alien foes interfering
with American. war plans the first
law was passed in June;
to safeguard food supplies and fuel
the food and fuel act was made law
August 10.
Heeding Europe's call for aircraft,
congress screated the aircraft board
October l. On October 6, came the
final enactment of the law prohibit
ing trading with the enemy.
During this session congress ap-
directly and authorized
contracts for a total of $1S,9O1,-
)66,S14.
OF this nearly $S,OOO,OOO,OOO went
% the army and navy; $64,000,000
was for aircraft, $7,OOO,OOO,OOO was
'or loans to the allies; food and fuel
control took $162,OOO,OO0; while mis-
war activities absorbed
he remainder.
The whole purpose of this first
session was to change peaceful
America into warning America. Car
ying out it's pledge of all the coun-
rvs resources, congress appropriat-
d whatever was asked.
The second or war winning ses-
ion was occupied chiefly with in
reasing the effectiveness of the
var machine, and providing the
lunch to beat the kaiser. Its ap-
were even more prodi-
al, and its delegation of power even
lore sweeping than in the first ses
ion.
1t added Austria officially to the !
st of our enemies by declaration
f war on Dec 7, 1917.
1t then passed in rapid succession
UGH measures as the $50,000,00O !
ousing bill, followed by q S60,000,- !
90 housing bill to provide quarters
1r munitions and shipyard work 7
rs; the bill protecting civil rights
f soldiers and sailors; created the
ar finance corporation to help bust /
es help win the war; the railroad
1ntrol act, taking over the railroads
lie daylight saving law; the Over
ian act giving the president sweep
lg power to speed up and co-ordi-
ate departmental activities; tie
lird and fourth liberty loan acts,
le wire control act, under VIII, 1
lie telegraphs and telephones we .
ken, and the law extending thH
aft age down to Is and up to As.
1t appropriated the vast sum OF
Is, ,29S, ,4O5, 600. Practically all went
wark work at home, maintaining
If army abroad, and helping the
lies with loans.
On November IL, President Wilson
nounced to the second session
at its work had been done-the
lr was won, and on November 81
e war winning session ended.
The re-adjustment session had
en- looked to by many in and out
congress to buckle down at once