Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-07-07
NATION RULED
IN "SECRET"I IS
GRAHAM CLAIM

Continued from Page One)
war department from the public
obloquy which was fast settling
upon it as result of the methods
and incapacity of the commission,
he repudiated and practically de-
fed it.
Our soldiers were actually dy-
ing of pneumonia in the camps be-
cause of lack of proper clothing
and blankets" Mr.. Graham said,
"and General Goethals assumed the
duties of quartermaster general
only on condition he could have
free scope in the performance OF
his duties, unhampered by the
council of national defense.
Immediately he took from the
members of that council their pow
er to order purchases and fix prices
and soon dispensed with the ser
vices of those members of the ad-
visory commission who had so de-
plorably bungled the control Of
supplies for the army.
Violated Laws. Claim.
fudge Gary advised the advisory
commission, Mr. Graham said, that
it was operating in disregard of the
Sherman law, the Clayton law. and
all other statutes that are sup
posed to regulate business, partic-
ularly big business. When the at
torney general was called upon by
the commission to answer Judge
Gary, Mr.. Graham said, he answer
ed that the matters referred to as
violations of law, were matters OF
- n To-
gal question.
Afterwards" Mr. Graham de-
clared, when there was evidently
a discussion in congress as to the
illegality OF members of the COM
mittee on the council, buying from
themselves. the council developed
this general policy and it was sug-
gested that this embarrassment
might be removed by the plan OF
the committee reorganization now
.,under consideration.
Board Created New Law.
&he minutes show that on ac-
count of this sC-caIled embarrass-
ment the war industries board was
created, and committees were APP
pointed by the national chamber OF
commerce, so the letter of the law
might be complied with by which
scheme no part of the method OF
buying was changed in the slight
est degree, so far as | can observe.
Citing cases in which he said the
council formulated legislation be-
fore war was declared, which 1egis-
lation later was considered by con-
gress, Mr. Graham declared that
on Feb. 15. 1917, the council dis
cussed the draft system and con-
sidered a report from Commission
ers Samuel Gompers. and Howard
z. Coffin relative to the exclusion of
labor from military service; on the
same day recommended that Her
bert c. Hoover be employed by the
government in connection for food
control, and on March 3 endorsed
the daylight saving scheme and
recommended a federal censorship
of the press.
Charges Business Called in.
About the first thing the COM
mission did was to take up the mat
ter of arranging an easy method of
communication between the manu-
facturers and the government" Mr..
Graham continued. In several
meetings long before war was de-
clared. the commission met with
the, representatives of leading in
5dstries and formed an organfza-
tion of them for selling supplies to
the government.
This method consisted of having
the Representatives of various bus
inesses, producing goods which the
government would have to buy,
form themselves into committees so
thew might be able to sell to the
government direct When war was
declared, this machinery began to
move.
Unable to Prevent PrOfiteering.
Although this scheme was sup
posed to enable the industries to
deal with the government as one
man. the government was at no
time able to deal with the indus
tries through one man, and on the