New-York tribune., 1919-03-19
Congress May
Meet Before
First of MAY
Entire Cabinet Likely to
Demand That President
Call Extra Session
Meso York Tribune
WASHINGTON Bureau


WASHINGTON, March 1s.-An ex-
traordinary session of the 66th Con-
gress now seems certain on or before
May L. This has been the opinion of
members of Congress ever since the ad-
journmcnt of the 65th Congress.
New members of the Cabinet, in the
face of increasing governmental liabili-
ties and inadequate appropriations, are
coming to the same view, it is compc-
tently stated, and are considering a
recommendation to'this effect to Presi-
dent Wilson
At the Cabinet meeting to-day, which
was attended by Secretary Of the
Treasury Glass, Acting Secretary of
State Polk, Attorney General Palmer
and Postmaster. General Burleson, the
possibility Of an extra session of Con
gress was discussed. No decision to
make recommendation to the Pres
ident was reached, but it is understood
that Secretary Glass presented some
data bearing on the difficulties now
confronting the Treasury, which i'm
pressed his Cabinet colleagues with the
probable necessity of an early call.
Refusal to Glass Likely
Secretary Glass already has called
on the President to advance out of his
emergency funds s5,000,o0O for use of
the War Risk Insurance Bureau. 1t
is considered unlikely that the Presi-
dent will be able to do so. as he was
compelled to refuse a similar request
made by Secretary Wilson within the
past week on behalf of the Employ
ment Service for $1,8OO,OO0 to carry
the service over until July /.
Representative Good, of Iowa. who
viii head the House Appropriations
Committee in the next Congress. to-
day stated that he could not see how
the President could delay calling an
extra session of Congress longer than
May I, if he was not compelled to do
out that in addition to the financial
difficulties confronting the railroad ad
minstraton and the Treasury Depart
ment, the War Department had been
compelled to default on payments for
the last two weeks on account of an
error made in estimating the surplus
funds voted for the army by Congress.
On February % the President signed
law which permitted the War Depart
ment to turn back into the Treasury
$685. 100000 which had been appro-
priated for equipment and subsidies,
Representative Good said to-day, and
which the War Department figured it
would not need.
Army Can't Pay Rail Debt
Review of the army accounts, how
ever, disclosed, Mr.. Good stated, that
the estimates on which the return to
the Treasury was based were incorrect,
and that the army needed in the neigh
borhood of 100000 to meet its
outstanding obligations. In addition,
owes the railroad administration close
to $10O, 100000 which it is now unable
to pay.
A report that Senator Lodge, in an
ticipation of an early extra session, had
issued a call to Republican Senator's
to hold themselves in readiness to
come to Washington on short notice
was to-day declared to be inaccurate
at Senator Lodges office here. c: F..
Redmond, secretary to Senator Lodge,
said that before the close of the last
session a form letter was sent to all
Republican Senators asking for their
telegraphic addresses in anticipation of
an extra session call. This was done
as an assurance that all the Republi-
can Senator'S could be reached prompt
ly so that the Senate could take up
its organization problems without
delay, Mr.. Redmond said and was not
in consequence of any belief on the
part of Senator Lodge that an extra
session would be called at an early
date