Evening star., 1919-07-30
EXPECT ARMY FOOD
SALE PLANS SOON
Republicans Look for Action
Following Demand in Adopt
ed House Resolutions.

| Early action by the War Depart
ment in devising plan for direct
sale of surplus Army food stocks to
consumers was expected by republic
| can leaders today as result of the
adoption by the House yesterday of
a resolution requesting that the
stocks be made available through a
selling organization.
Senate approval of the House meas
ure is not necessary, as the resolu- '
| tion is without legislative direction.
Chairman Graham of the House war
investigating Committee said a joint
resolution, which when adopted would
have legislative force, might be in
| troduced later if the House request
was not complied with.
House Adopts Resolution. !:
The House resolution adopted yester-
| day requested Secretary Baker to place
| OF sale, without delay, surplus food sup
plies held by the War Department and
| Valued at s120, 100000.
Except for one amendment. offered
by Representative Kelly of Pennsyl-
vania, Snd directing that the food be
distributed through the parcel post.
the resolution was adopted as re-
ported out by the majority of the
war investigating committee.
, It was adopted by vote of 266 to
4 after an all day debate. during
which a minority report, offered as a
bers Of the committee, was voted
down. The substitute provided that
the War Secretary be requested to put
on the market such part of the sur
plus food as was reasonably capable
Of being distributed and sold and
| f,,~ fknr n Il
zation at government expense
Debate Bitterly Partisan.
The debate was bitterly partisan
and republican speakers assailed the
policy of the War Department in fail
| ing to sooner put the food on the
market. It was charged the depart
ment connived with the packers to
prevent a drop in high food prices.
the statement that had Secretary
Baker thrown the. big stocks of food
on the market prices would have
broken with a resultant panic:
| After fighting all day and failing to
rally votes enough for their substi-
minority report, the democrats sup
ported the selling plan, and 1t was
adopted, by roll call, with a chorus
E! Of ayes. Those voting in the negative
| were: Representatives Dominick g.
c., Garner (Tex:l. Garrett (Tenn.).
and Humphreys (Miss.), all democrats.
Attacks War Department.
The principal speech attacking the
policy of the War Department was
made by Representative Reavis, re-
publican, of Nebraska, who has been
lighting consistently since the investf-
cation was started to find out why
the accumulated food stocks had not
sentatives Flood, virginia: Garrett.
Tenn, democrats, and, other members
of the committee, both republican and
democratic, took part in the discussion.
and through the long and weary grind
| there were countless charges that 1t
was a political fight.
| "The American people bought and
| paid for this vast stock OF food, Mr..
| Reavis declared, land It should be
| sold them without delay" -
Answers Mr.. Reavis.
| Answering Representative Reavis.
Representative Flood, democrat. vir-
ginia, declared the Secretary Of War
ket for the benefit- Of consumers the
surplus food stock Of the Army. II
challenge any man, however bitter his
republican partisanship may be-, MT.
Flood said. ito put his hand on one
word to contradict this"
/ Mr.. Flood declared that there was
politics behind the whole investdga-
ton and that republicans had voted
down a motion to invite Secretary
Baker before the committee.
':At those hearings" Mr.. Flood con:
tinued, I'VE had there man named
George c. Hill, whose presence Gre
ated some suspicion, and when we
questioned him he said he was en-
ployed by the republican national
committee to get some publicity foi
the hearing. And the first thing he
got out was an interview with Chair
man Graham indicting the admins
tration for creating the Council OF
National Defense and for having en-
deavored to prepare the country fol
war when it was seen that war wal
inevitable"
Accepts Bids for Goods
While the House debate was in
progress, the War Department An.
nounced that bids for some 10000, ,0et
RI cans. of vegetables. aggregating $s,.
900, 900, or approximately ~ per cen,
of the cost to the government, hae
been accepted. A total of 1.572 btd'
we're received and 249 awards were
made.
THE statement added that the de.
mai artment had an additional surplus Of
more than 100000 cans Of vege.
tables, which would be sold In min
imum quantities of carload lots "tt
any buyer willing to pay price &C
ceptable to the War Department"