Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-07-08
SECRET GOVT
(Continued from Page One)

MF. GiahaIn declared tnat wnen MAJ.
Gen. Goetnals was called ''on IN.
e.sysnln hour to rescue the war ds-
p-r.ment tom the puzzle otlauy whoa
va fast settling upon 1t as q resutt
II the methods and incapacity OF the
commission. he repudiated and pracu-
tal.y 0eled it
Our soldiers were actually dying CT
pneumonia in the camps because 81
| the lack Of proper clothing and blan'
kets." Mr.. Graham said. land General
| Cocktails assumed the duties Of quar-
termaster general only on condition IA
should have free scope in the perform
| ance of his duties, unhamPered by ths
Council of National Defense"
Immediately he took from the men,
| bers of that council their powers to
| orden purchases and fix prices and soon
dispensed with the services of those
| members of the advisory commission
! wao had SO deplorahiy bungled the con-
| troll OF the supplies of the army
Judge Gary advised the advisory com.
| mittee, Mr. Graham said, that it was op-
Grating in disregard of the Sherman law,
| the Clayton law and all other stat
| utes that are supposed to regulate busi-
| ness, practically doing business"
When the attorney general was called
upon by the commission to answer
Judge Gary. Mr.. Graham said he an
| swered that the matters referred to az
violations of law were matters Of ma.
| tional policy" rather than a legal ques-
ton.
Afterwards" Mr.. Graham declared,
when there was evidently a discus
| sion in Congress as to the illegality Of
members of the committees on the
| council buying from themselves, the
council discussed this general policy
and it was suggested that this embar-
rassment might be removed by the
| plan of the committee reorganization
now under consideration The minutes
show that on account Of this so-called
embarrassment the War Industries
Board was created. and committees
| were appointed by the National Cham.
| Der of Commerce so the letter of the
law might be complied with, but Of
which scheme no part of the method
1
degree so far as l can observe
Citing cases in which he said the
council formulated legislation before
war was declared, which legislation
later was considered by congress, Mr.
Graham declared that on February
Is. 1917. the council discussed the
draft system and considered a re-
port from Commissioners Samuel
Gompers and Howard E. Coffin rela
tive to the exclusion of labor from
military service on the same day
recommended that Herbert Hoover
be employed by the government in
connection with the food control and
March 3, endorsed the day light saw
ing scheme and recommended q fed
eral censorship of the press.
About the first thing the commits
sion did was to take up the matter
OF arranging an easy method of com
munication between the manufacture
ers and the government" Mr.. Ora
ham continued. IN several meet
ings long before war was declared
the commission met with the rep.
resentatives of the manufacturing in =.
dustries and formed an organization
Of them for selling supplies to the
government.
This method consisted Of havins
the representatives Of various bus
inesses producing goods which the
| government would have to buy from
themselves into committees so they
might be able to sell to the govern
ment direct. When war was declared
this machinery began to move.
| although this scheme was supposed
TO enable the industries to deal with
the government as one man. the gov
eminent was at no time able to deal
| with the industries through one man
| and. on the contrary. throughout the
war numerous federal bureaus were
t!ddIng against each other for the
same supplies with greatly Increases
cost to the government. Under the
| ministrations of the council big busi.
ress' was highly organized while the
government remained wholly disorgan.
lied and incapable of protecting Itself
against fragrant pr"fteering."
Mr. Graham concluded his stateme,,
by saying so far as he had been able
to observe from the minutes of the
council there had not been an act Of
so-called war administration which fa6
rot been discussed and settled upon b,
the councils advisory commission be-
| fore the actual declaration Of war. A,
times. he said. 1.-The activities of the
! commission were such as to greatl,
embarrass the cabinet and it became
! necessary. for the cabinet to prote ),
against them"