Evening star., 1921-02-11
In the House and Senate

Tho House military affairs commit
eee has decided to ask Congress for
authority to ind out how Grover
Cleveland Bergdoll, the wealthy Phil
adelphia draft dodger. escaped to
Germany, tho country he had refused
to fight 1t proposes also to ferret
out what influence enabled BerEdoil
to SECURE from the Treasury Depart
ment the $105,00 in gold which ne
concealed in the woods, at time
last year when the supply was oeine
conserved.
The moro important thread to be
followed. members said, was the aoil-
ity of the prisoners lawyers to oD-
tain his release under guard for the
purpose of proceeding to the END OF
a rainbow in the hills of Maryland 70
find and dig up his pot Of gold. IL
was while he was out on the golden
chase that Bersdoll. stopping over in
Philadelphia to visit his mother, m
djcted with him. eluded his sololer
guards and slipped away In tne same
automobile he had used many times
for highway speeding.
Disarmament and the relative value
of capital ships as compared with SUP
marines and airplanes figured Largely
in the general House debate yesterday
on the annual naval appropriation
bill, which carries s6e5.ooO.000 and
provides for a continuation OF the
naval building program and for re-
duction of the enlisted strength OF
the Navy to 100000 men.
Representatives Britten, repuoncan'
Illinois, and Padgett, democrat, Ten
nessee, ranking republican and demo-
cratic members of the naval commit
tee. contended the Navy could not pc
maintained properly on funds Wnicn
would be appropriated under the Dill.
III rf n n
chairman of the appropriations SUD-
committee. which framed the bill, de,
clared the building program started
in 1916 should be completed. but KEEP
resentative Connally, democrat, Texas,
asserted the time was ripe for a dis
armament conference"
Fees paid to counsel employed by
the various House committees investi-
eating war expenditures were crltl-
cised and defended in the House yes
terday Chairman Ireland of the ac-
counts committee brought cheers from
the democrats with a declaration that
he had seen no application OF con-
crete results" from the investigations
and that his committee would un.
doubtedly have disapproved many OF
the contracts for counsel had 1t known
about them.
Actuated, he said. by recent fatal
accidents resulting from operation OF
the Chicago, ST. Paul and Minneapolis
air mail route, Representative New
ton. republican. Minnesota. has intro
duced in the House resolution re-
questing the Post Office Department
for information as to the cause OF the
accidents.
Charges that republican leaders IN
the House are seeking to forestai ac-
tion on the packer regulation bill. al
ready passed by the Senate: Were
sentative Young. Texas. demo-
cratic member of the agriculture COM
mittee, which reported the measure
favorably. He declared the steering
committee and other republicans In
charge of the House legislative pro-
gram were trying to prevent vote at
"a majority of the House members
favor the bill,' declared Mr.. Young.
"and we are going to demand q vote
or it before March 4.
Purchase by the United States Of all
German cables and those of her South
African and Pacific colonies was pro-
posed in a resolution introduced by
Senator France, republican. Maryland. !
1t was referred without discussion to
the foreign relations committee.
The resolution suggested $5,000.0OO,- |
900 as the consideration to be credit |
ed against the indemnity imposed !
upon Germany. Senator France also !
proposed an International conference !
TO fix Germany's indemnity at $15,00o,- |
000. 900.
The diplomatic appropriation bill as /
reported yesterday by the Senate for
eign relations committee carried |
total of s10.4oo.0o0. as compared with |
the House total of sS, 400. 900 and es- !
Inmates of s12.000.000 submitted by |
the State Department 1t would cre- !!
ate new commission. including con- |
gressional chairman and Secretaries Of ]
State and Treasury. to pass on pur- I
chase Of embassy. legation or con- |
sular building sites abroad. and pro- |
vides an item Of 100000 for this pur- |
pose, with the price for any site linn |
tied to $3.50. 900. A provision to make |
payments apply against debts to the !
United States Of countries where sites |