Evening star., 1920-03-14
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.
EFT us get back to a tripartlte
government as defined in the

law, not OF unen-~llIl tic ASeio
,atfve. executive and judicial branches
all functioning. instead Of the executive
dominating. is the advice Of those states
men who have faith in the Constitution
based on a realization Of how well 1t mas
stood the test Of time in giving this
country a standard-fo -the-world gov
ernment-
We must realize. they say. that the
war is over-a war which the Unlteo
States entered to make the worio
safe for such a standard OF govern
ment as ours-and withdraw extraor-
dinary war powers.
During this war. az all wars the
government became one of men. VINO
held much arbitrary power Military
courts took the place Of civil courts.
The Department of Justice was gwen
large powers and exercised espion-
age and other safeguards. taxing tne
place Of ordinary civil laws. Inc
sacred police power OF the states was
invaded. The executive took over the
railroads, telegraph, telephone anu
cable lines, and controlled all lines
of communication and commerce.
saving what might and what might
not be shipped. The antitrust laws
nut on the statute books as the very
corner stone Of honest business De-
came dead letters when the executive
co-ordinated all industry. just as the
legislative body had said that private
business must not do.
Called "Playins Politics."
.yust playing politics again." says
some captious. casual critic. Yes, 1t
10 politics Of the sort played by the
trainers Of the Constitution, which in
itself was a compromise between
those Of honest difference Of political
opinion as to what was best for the
future republic: but not party, par
tisan politics, for democratic leaders
as well as republican leaders are
heartily convinced OF the necessity
Of getting back to constitutional gov
ernment.
Congress, the lawmaking body. Is
getting tired Of playing second fid-
die.
Congress. the one branch of gov
ernment directly and most closely
responsible to the sovereign voters.
10 coming to realise that It now is Its
duty to bring this eoYutry back to
government Of a1ws. Snl6e the null
tiplicity of the commissions and
boards authorized by the executive
during the war period will not, nat
urally, be eager to kill themselves of.
There always is a temptation for
those who have power to try to re-
war workers who came to the Ma
tional Capital by the thousands are
for the most part eager to hold their
Jobs now that the war is over. There
were 100000 officers in the Army during
the war. most Of whom would be glad to
remain in the service. but the Army re-
organization bill provides for only IT,
ooe. Surely the civilian war. workers
should be reduced in at least the same
proportion.
In the nature of things Congress
cannot by one fell swoop bring the
public business back to a peace basis.
Certain agencies must be allowed to
clean up their work. Some Of the
war powers cease by their own terms.
resolution of peace adopted. Some
have ceased to function through the
simple process of having their appro-
priations cut OF. Definite action for
repeal of others Is contemplated by
the leaders in Congress.
Under the appropriation bills ef-
fective July / next. Congress hopes
to make very substantial progress in
returning to pre-war standards of
expenditure-which means looping of
war expenditures. This progress has
been made mostly in the face Of
insistence by the executive branch of
the government that liberal appropri-
atoms should be continued. With the
war over the executive estimates for
1921 appropriations are nearly four times
the estimates for the fiscal year 1917,
prior to American participation in the
war.
The legislative appropriation bill
passed the other day proposes to
compel the reduction of federal en-
ployes by about 10000, while many
of the departments affected protest
that the reduction is too sharp, and
vet they have left twice as many en-
ployes as they had prior to the war.
Similar reductions are made for the
military establishment in the Army
reorganization bill, which, while it
air service and the chemical warfare
service permanent branches. proposes
to do away with the transportation
service, the Motor Transport Corps, the
real estate service, the construction d.
vision and the war claims adjustment
board as separate and distinct units ol
War Department organization.
Some of the war boards and com
missions that have passed away with
the failure of appropriations include
the committee on public information
the Food Administration, save that
the Department Of Justice Is now reg
ulating food prices under the food
control act; the Fuel Administration
save that some of its work was taken
over BY the Railway Administrator
which reiinquished control of the
roads on March 1. and is winding W
its Affairs; the War Industries Boa1t
and the War Trade Board, part o'
which was taken over by the State
Department.
In this program Of economy which
tho majority In Congress is carrying
Aut q best evidence of sincerity oi
purpose was shown in the decision tc