Norwich bulletin., 1919-01-21
WASHINGTON AFFAIRS
Especial to The Bulietin)

SeHatOr w llllanlS. broke over all preCe- |
dents and severely arraigned the Wis !
consin senator with language so I'M |
parliamentary that all Washington !
still wonders tht it was permitted to |
go into the records. The fact is, al !
though the senate did not for mo- |
ment believe that he had been guilty |
of indiseretion and the members were |
quite willing he should hear what
Williams had to say about it, even if
they did not concur in the sentiments
Williams expressed. Any way, Mr..
Lat'ollette remained in his seat ,
throughout the discussion, his stern
features set, as Mr.. Williams left his
seat across the aisle and stood before
him as he talked, shaking his finger
in his face and denouncing the Wis
consin man in a high quavering voice.
Williams is quite apt to stray about
the chamber, shaking his fist, brush
ing back his long grey hair and shout
ing in q voice often broken with emo
ton, but his attack on LaFollette was
unusually violent,
There have been sensational Incl
dents at many of the hearings. The
gentleman representing the National
Security league in a hearing before
the house committee was threatened
with contempt proceedings if he con-
tInued to evade answering the ques
tons put to him by the chairman, and
the end is not yet in sight.
Bitter attacks have been made by
democrats and republicans alike on the
methods of the war risk bureau; on
the policy by which our soldiers are
kept in Europe as a police force; on
the failure of the war department to
release soldiers from camps when they
are no longer needed there; and sever
a nj fra IJSp JaI
been filed, one of them from the mill
tant suffragists who ran for Senator
from Nevada, but who got a handful
of votes.
! | The senation of the week second
only to the LaFollette case, was when
Congressman Jimmie" Gallivan OF
, Boston denounced the war department
for its treatment Of the 26th division,
aiming his arrows especially at the Of
| fee OF the general staff. Galiivan did
! not nirlce his words, and kept the
/ house in an uproar of applause as he
talked. He referred to the enforced
return of Gen. Edwards as command
| er of that division, after he had stood
! side by side with the boys in the
| trenches and on the firing line as hav-
ing been made to give "a dandy pet"
OF the regulars q position after the
/
| he will have a place in the hearts of
all New England second to- no man."
! and denounced the way in which men
! of the goth had been forced to give
| place to men who would run from G
| hot baked apple" He asked for a con-
! gressional investigation of conditions.
| saying that when he asked the Chief
of staff the reason the 26Ca IVES kept
in Europe in rest camp, SO called,
he was told to read the newspaper
that was all the informa ton he could
obtain. Whatever is the cause, there
is mystery about the retention of the
18th in France. The war department
positively refuses to give any infor-
nation. Gov Mccall, Senator Weeks
and congressman from Massa chusetts
have taken up the matter with the
chief Of staff, only TO be turned down
in much the same manner as Cialliyan
so vehemently described 1t is ad-
mitted that the 18th did glorious work
land has suffered terrible casualties
but beyond that the entire Wcr depart
ment IS absolutely silent.
1t has been busy week for the
Connecticut delegation. Co19ressmer
Merritt and Tii8on took a strong hand
i'll the objections made to fling wan
! contracts il duplicate, saying 10 tho
| conIereeS or the revenue bill that il
would be an unnecessary hardship OF
contractors and involve -hecn il dupli-
cation Of work which would he O. ~
advantage TO the government. The
| legislation as embodied IN the revenue
bill VIII be OF no purpose" said Mr.
; | Merritt as the various department.
no" have in their dles | record Of al
contracts they have made, Tho films
Of duplicate contracts now would make
p | contractors raUGh additional Iabo-
; while the office d the commissioner o
! internal revenue is already sNarape,
: with work. To pile thu work o. tina
( buI1ap stl higher by making con
tractors Furnish tWo <2o)-as uf all con
tracts made, is az njII5-ice tC all
Congressman Ills IN appea rod befcr
the committee anj, p. oleStpl to TIA
conference against the acceptance 0
7 the senate amendment Mr. Eilson be
e. lieves the republican mcC1bsrs Of III
c conference viii stand out against la
- amendment. anu is ho0cfrI the entir
= | clause VII be cut cut. The amerd
5nent, retired TO would require ,1G,
contractor file 8 duplicate statamen
with The attorney general and til
r commissioner Of internal revenue
p within sixty days, duplicate copies o
. any war contracts he made during tn
= war, and a full accounting of all ex
: penses and profits.
Z Congressman Tiison created de
. cided sensation in his charges tia
many officers disobey orders to dis
- charge. men not needed in army wOr
and hold them for personal convent
ence. There are numerous cases, sal
n Mr.. Tilson, where applicants have de
n pendants but have not been release
= as they should have been on their oW
e application. We ought to discharg
men where their families or bushes
!, needs them and the army does nc
'. need them. Il believe said Tilsol
that many of these men are deliber
atty held in the army that some ma
= outside may continue to- hold hi
e job"
- The houseina needs of Cennecticl
war workers will be provided for &C
cording to the report of the hous
committee on public buildings whic
=, has reversed the decision of the sen
!, ate on the stopping of work on incon
pleted buildings. This is as Senate
:. Brandegee and Mclean urged
y should be. Senator Brandegee made
1, strong plea for such action when til
II bill was before the senate, and a
though he failed to carry his point j
l. that body, unquestionably the wor
j. he did in behalf of the defeat of tt
- bill had much effect.
Connecticut militant suffraeists hay
e been in Washington the past wee
~ taking part in unlawful demonstra
- tons and going to Jail with niue
K complacency. They visited the Cor
necticut delegation but got small syn
al pathy even from such members s
Of favor the cause of s1ffra ee The
o. failed even in a single instance to e