South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-07-27
BY REP. CLAUDE KITCHIN.


He (Mr Mondell) attempts 10
show. and in substance asserts that
the republicans within the first 80
days OF this session were able 10
pass six general supply bills. the de-
hciency bills and the railroad def
cheney bill which the democrats at
the last session OF congress, after
three months effort, failed to pass.
He states and attempts TO show
that the republicans Of the house by
their economy and retrenchment
program in the passage Of these ap-
preparation bi'a d saved TO the
people OF the United States ap-
proximately $500, 100000; that is.
they saved. ne claims. TO the peo-
pie and the government in the army
bill at this session $500, 600, 900. in
the naval bill 1925, 600. 900. in the
sUndry civil appropriation bill $685.
600. 900 and in the railroad def
cheney bill $4,000. 900. totalling in
round numbers $500. 100000.
His statement had its intended
erect. The press OF the country,
especially the republican press,
teemed with such headlines as Re
publicans OF the House Save the
Nation S1.5O0.O0O,OO Says Mr..
MondeH Republican Leader; Re
publicans in the House In 80 Days
Have Topped OF $500. 100000 of
Democratic Extravaganza" and so
forth.
Let us analyze this remarkable
statement Was there ever a more
unfair and more unjust inference
than that? Why did he not go fur
Their. unless he was imposed upon.
and tell the whole truth by inform
ing the public that the democratic
house in the last session passed ev-
cry single one of these apprOpria-
ton bills, and that the democratic
majority in the senate was ready
and anxious and willing to put upon
tie statute books every single one Of
these supply bills but was prevent
ed from doing so by a plotted and
deliberate flibuster of a few repub-
Leans in the senate in the last few
days of the session.
The papers all over this country,
including many republican papers.
condemned that fHbuster and con-
demned the republicans in the SEN
ate for defeating the supply bills.
Democrats Helped Bills.
The gentleman from Wyoming
(Mr Mondell) says that within 30
days the republicans in this house
passed these supply bills. If the
in d n
sion had resorted TO the indecent
tactics Of the hibuster that the re-
publicans in the senate did in the
last session, you could not have
passed them in thrIe or six months;
but the democrats did the patriotic
thing. They cooperated TO a man
with you republicans in the quick
passage within 80 days of these
bills.
Let us analyze these items. the
first being the 100000. OOO-the
army bill item. 1 state here and
now that this did not effect the
saving of a single penny 10 the peo-
pie Of the United States. What are
the faCts2 When the democratic
committee OF the last house framed
and the dInocratic house passed
the army appropriation bin. TO
which ne refers, the committee. re-
rublicans and democrats. every one
OF them. and the war department
estimated that, with the big army
then IN France and here. amounting
70 about a million and half men in
France and half a million or more
men here. before they could pos
sihly be returned 20 this country.
before they could possibly be de
modified. the average army for the
next fiscal year would amount TO
500. 600 men. They did not author
lie 500. 900 men. They did not au-
thorize 20o.O or 100000 men.
They-that is. the bin the COM
nittee reported and the house pass
ed-au;horized no number. but
there was an army OF over 2.o00. 600
men that had 20 be reduced hy de-
rnobiIizing A million and half
had 90 be brought from France.
Now the proposition before the
committees and the house and the
war dcDartment was this: We have
this immense army. How long viii
IL take us 10 demObilize them. and
how much viii that make this big
army we started with average for
the fiscal year for which we were
bound 20 appropriate
All concluded that by as rapid a
Decentralization as then seemed pos
sible the army would average dur
ing the year 100000 men. Every
republican on the committee and in
the house voted for that. 50 did ev-
cry democrat But four months
have elapsed since the adjourn
ment OF congress
Democratic Efficiency shown.
The committee az this session
e found that. OWNS 20 the wise dill
gent. and efficient administration by