The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-16
ASKS WHY ROYALTY
IN US. DODGED WAR
Johnson Of South Dakota AS
sails Administration and
It's Friends.
ARMY BILL SLASHED HARD
Many Amendments, Mostly
Unimportant, Brought
Out by Debate.
ARMY BILL SLASHED HARD
sp,cial Despd.ch to THr srS.

against the treatment or eplsted men IN
the army curing debate on the military
bill to-day. a debate which took the d.
rection OF affairs largely from the Mill
tary Committee and brought about
numerous amendments, unimportant In
themselves except as indications OF the
temper OF the members generally.
BY far the most direct and personal
attack upon the Administration and the
President TO which the House has lis
tened for months was a feature OF the
speech by Representative Royal john
son Is. D., a former officer in the Amer
lean Expeditionary Forces. Mr.. johnson
declared that no relative of any member
Of the Administration nor any close
friend OF a member of the Administra-
ton has been permitted to endanger his
life In the recent war. and ended his
criticism:
Il dislike 10 critlcise, because II IS
20 easy, but cannot help realizing that
there were but two royal families In the
war who never suffered nor appeared in
tho casualty lists-one the royal family
of Germany and the other the royal and
reigning families OF the United States.
II l am wrong hope some one will stop
me and set me right"
No One Sets Him Right.
No one set him right" and so far as
correction is concerned his criticism met
with a "thunderous silence"
Representative Scott Ferris (Okla.).
chairman of the Democratic Con-
Rressional Campaign Committee, replied
10 the flood of criticism with warning
that the continued assaults by members
OF the House against the administration
Of military affairs would have bad
influence upon the soldiers returning to
civil life. His warning had no appreci-
able effect upon his colleagues on the
Democratic eide or upon the Republican
members.
In a number of instances appropria-
tons were slashed with little or no re-
gard to the requirements of the items
for which they were intended. Thus.
the appropriation for grounds for can
tonnents was eliminated on a point OF
order and the appropriations for the gen.
eral paragraph were reduced from s4.-
00o,0 to 100000.
By an amendment to the item for
army transportation hastily written and
adopted army officers would be forbid
den to ride in army automobiles. though
n similar inhibition would not obtain In
the caees OF enlisted men.
An amendment by Representative Nc
keown tOkla.) was adopted, forbdding
the use of any money appropriated for
public buildings in Washington IL any
officer or enlisted man in the army shall
at any future time be forbidden to COM
municate with a Senator or member OF
Congress. An amendment by Represen-
tative Watson CPcnn) arbitrarily re-
duced the appropriation for horses from
100000 to $4,000, while tho general
item for army transportation was cut
from $4,000 to s411 900.
Representative Johnson's speech came
as the climax to several unsuccessful
attempts to have small legislative riders
inserted for the correction OF abuses
generally criticized on the floor All OF
these had been knocked out on points
OF order.
After declaring that he would come
up smiling" as often as the Administra-
ton steam roller in the House flattened
him out in his efforts to help the dough-
boy, Mr.. Johnson said:
1T is impossible to get anything for
the doushboys from this Administrative
because no son or relative of any one
intimately connected with this Admins
tration was allowed TO fight. This Is a
broad statement. and 7 am waiting here
now for any of those spokesman who
always represent the Admlnlstra ton to
point out one relative OF any one closely
connected with the Administration who
vas there or who appears on any
casualty list
Sad Ruling for Clean Boys.
at Is a shame that these clean cut
American boys were prevented by their
fathers or mothers and the Admins
tration here at Washington from getting
into the fight as they would have pre-
rerred to have done. Some of the rela-
tives of the wives OF the Cabinet off,
GERS were wonderful men and per-
formed wonderful service and desire
20 eliminate them from this statement.
The son OF one OF the Cabinet MEM
hers, who has been very prolific in his
statement that the world must be made
safe for democracy. allowed his son to
chase submarines on Chesapeake Bay,
and finally on September 3 landed at
Bordeaux. France, and was sent TO a
town forty miles from there for train
ing. know this boy and he is a real
boy and wanted to get into the fight.
Nabbed to Guard Col. House.
But would they let him? l should
ray not W llIllll IL week AFTER MS ar
rival that great Colonel OF the Ameri-
can Expedltionary Forces. Col. House,
wired for him to come to Paris and go
on the Colonel's stan, and after a short
trip to Germany TO collect souvenirs he
y now carefully guarding the person OF
the Colonel from any Intrusion"
After referring to another Cabinet Of
ficer's son. who was not even per-
nitted TO put to sea, Representative
Johnson continued:
yet TO be fair, will say that there
ls one exception in the son-in-law OF
the President, who enlisted in the Y. NJ
e. A. and il remember correctly was
somewhere in France for week OF
two The newspapers reported that
shell fell within a few yards OF him
greatly jeopardizlng his future career.
They would not even allow my friend
Ollie Newman. one of the bravest young
men that ever wore uniform. and whom
you all remember as former commits.
sloner OF the District of Columbia. Il
ret within the smell OF powder. They
sent him as tho official chaperon Of
the Presidents daughter when she be-
can singing for the doughboys. ant
when the poor kids were lined up, al
tired out from the work of the day. anc
forced to attend the service"
After criticising severely the condi'
lions In tire Administratio brought ou
before the Senate committee by Gen
Ansell. Mr.. johnson said
Il am not criticislng the Secretary Of
War. for I do not think he Is response.
bio for the system. The system grew