New-York tribune., 1919-05-23
House Passes
w ar Risk Bill
In SO Minutes
Continued from page 1

Champ Clark, Democratic leader
that this bill be taken up immediatte-
ly and disposed of this afternoon We
on this side are anxious to mass j. q.
once"
Mr.. Mondell explained mat in NOV
ing an adjournment he was FOLLOWING
the usual procedure, but that he would
be happy if the passage of the bin
could be expedited.
President Wilson was infornod A.
the War Risk funds were low when he
returned to Washington from Paris in
february Before he again departed
Tor Europe he was urged by Secretary
1lass TO cali special session to pro.
vide the money, of which the Govern.
ment was deprived through the failure
of eight supply bills a. the close of the
last session.
Presidents Fund Used
The Presidents special national dc
fence fund was called upon To SAVE
number of bureaus that otherwise
would have had to discontinue. hut il
was not large enough to meet the wa,
risk deficiency. The President did adj
vance $2,000,00O to the bureau 70,
maintaining it's administrative force
but when the April checks were writ
ten out on May 1 they were put away
until such time as the President should
call special session and funds to he
cfecked against could be supplied by
Congress.
Secretary Glass conferred with Re
publican leaders of the House as soon
as their organization was complete
Hearings were ordered on the war risk
deficiency bill at once by Chairman
Good of the Appropriation Committee
When the House met Mr.. Good ex-
planned he wished later in the dav to
report bill so that dependent fami-
lies could get their allowances and
Civil War veterans their pensions.
This appropriation" Representative
Mann, of Illinois, suggested, "would
have to take the form of a bill"
"Of course" Good conceded
Republicans Deny Blame
And in order to become a law it
must receive the signature Of the Pres
ident of the United States"
"Certalnly," Good agreed.
"The President cannot sign the bill
unless it is sent to him in Paris or he
comes here. Does the gentleman know
whether it is safe, If the bill is passed
within week or ten days, to send it
TO the President or whether it should
be held until the Pres dent returns ?
Can any one predict how soon the
President will return? I see no posi-
bic way that this appropriation can
become effective before the middle of
June"
"The committee" Good replied, "has
not considered that at ALL The COM
mittee simply considered the plain
question of the obligations resting
upon this body and Congress. If some
other department should fail to per
form its duty, that is not the blame of
Congress"
The Republicans vigorously applaud
cd Goods remarks
Criticism flew back and forth across
the chamber when Representative
Bryncs attempted to show that the
responsibility for delay in the pay
ment of the allowances was in fact on
the Republicans.
If 1T had not been for the filibuster
in the Senate in March," he said, "this
appropriation would have been made
before the last Congress adjourned"
81 have no sympathy with filibuster
by two or three men," Mr.. Good re-
torted. "Neither have I any sympathy
tor til1ibuter by one man, in refusing
to call Congress into extra session"
"This delay in payment is wholly due
to the Presidents neglect or refusal,
for personal reasons, to call this Con-
gress into extra session when it should
have been called" Representative
Mann, Of Illinois. put in. "He was
afraid somebody would discuss the
league of nations"