The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1920-12-14
SEPARATE TREATY VOTE
SAYS SENATOR MOSES
Congress Will First Take the League
Covenant From Document In
Denial of Wilson Dictum

Washington, d. C. Sweeping econ
omies in the administration of the
War Department will be brought
about by the Republican Congress
during the present short session of
Congress, according to Senator James
w. Wadsworth, Jr., of New York, the
chairman of the Senate Committee on
Military Affairs.
The economies are to be worked out
in the Army Appropriations bill and
in riders which will be attached to
other appropriation bills. These will
direct the War Department to do GER
tain things, and in part will transfer
the control of certain definite policies
from the administration end of the
government to Congress.
While no announcement was made
as to cooperation by Democratic
members of the Military Committee,
or of Democrats in Congress general
". it is known that before making the
announcement Senator Wadsworth
had a long and friendly conference
with Senator George E. Chamberlain,
of Oregon, ranking Democratic men,
Der of the Military Committee, and
chairman of the committee during the
war.
Among the important things which
Congress will insist upon the War De-
partment doing are the following;
Leasing or sale of the huge port
terminals now owned by the govern
ment around New York, particularly
on the Brooklyn and Jersey water
fronts, at Boston, Norfolk Philadel-
phia and Charleston, S. c.
Leasing or sale of the huge storage
depots scattered all over the country,
one of the big ones being at Science
tady, N. Y.
Leasing or sale of the big powder
plants in Pennsylvania and Tennessee
Leasing or sale of the large NUM-
tons plants now in idleness, which
were erected by the government dur
ing the war, generally on land moi
owned by the government.
Leasing of the s9O,00O.OOO power
plant constructed by the government
during the war at Muscle Shoals, Ala
to extract nitrogen from the air.
Leasing or utilization of the can
comments not being used to more thar
, one-tenth of their capacity.
, Reduction of the general admins
; trative expense of the War Depart
, ment, considered to be scandalousl!
| high
q 81 am strongly opposed said Sen
ator Wadsworth, ITO any changes a
the present session of Congress in TN
arm reorganization plan which we pu
, through at the last session. Most o
, us in Congress who worked on tina
n plan. and most Of the army olhcers
, think II should have a trial before
o Is tinkered with any further. More
n over, If any attempts are made to cor
a rect little things here an dthere IN
y result might readily be that we woul
q lose ground instead of gaining.
4 But the administrative expenses 9
q the War Department can be Gu
g sharply and they will be beyond dout
I in the appropriation bills, We ca
n save a tremendous amount OF none
/, for the taxpayers on that without rt
= ducing the size of effectiveness OF Tn
r. army in the slightest degree. In IN
two wears since the armistice Cor
. gress has Topped off exactly $l,OOO
900 900 from the appropriations aske
). nv the War Department. But there
q nothing further to be saved IN Una
n direction without cutting down u
"a strength Of the army to point "
4 think too low
4 ION the administrative side, hoV
J. ever, the expenses are still very muc
NJ too high, and they must be prune
70 The cost of running the departmel
m an administering these big prope
W ties the department acquired durir
n the was is absurdly high"