New-York tribune., 1921-02-16
House Calls
For Wilson, s
Paris Bills
Resolution, Adopted by
2ll to 79 Vote, Called
by Democrats Attempt
to Besmirch President
From The Trt6une's Washtnoton Bureau

WASHINGTON, Feb 15.--Party feel
ing IN the House reached high mark
to-day when the Republican majority
passed the Gould resolution calling
upon the President for an accounting
Of expenditures from the $15O,000,000
contingent fund placed at his disposal
during the war. The vote on the meas
ure was 211 to 79.
The measure was opposed bitterly by
the Democrats. They charged an at
tempt to malign and defame the Pres
ident, and said the resolution was with
out precedent. It's Republican advo=
Gates contended the Congress is en-
titled to--sn accounting Of the $780,
O,OOO.
Representative John Jacob Rogers, of
Massachusetts,, made the chief speech
for the Republicans. He went into
details regarding expenditures by the
President at Paris and called attention
to the item of $4,000, "the Presidents
confidential expenses in Paris" There
is no reason, he declared, why the
President should have such expenses.
Chairman Good of the Committee on
Appropriations, who had charge of the
Gould resolution, said that after pre-
vlous request Secretary Tumulty had
furnished statement which showed
only allotments from the huge fund
and not expenditures.
Details Lacking
|. "1t is now four years after the ap
preparations were authorized, and there
u 30 np$ Il
now the money was disposed Of" Mr..
Good said.
The report sent by the President to
Congress went into minute details as
to some expenditures in Paris" Mr.
Rogers said, "but when you get to the
things you really want to know about
generallties are the rule. Here is one:
damage and loss of property at Hotel
de Crillon, $125 5,87O82.'
The report gives no itemization of
this sum. We do not know how manv
chandeliers were smashed. under what
circumstances they were smashed. at
what hour in the morning, by the gen
tiemen who were in Paris representing
the United States. | believe it is the
sort of thing which ought to be dis
closed in response to this resolution.
We paid enough money in damages
and wages and insurance and replacing
of kitchen supplies to buy that hotel
over again in the few months we were
there.
"Another item l wish to discuss is
the confidential expenses of the Presi-
dent, amounting to $17,53416. There
is no explanation whatsoever as to the
disposition of these funds. | ask WHY
the expenses of the President during
that year should be confidential ex-
penses. The President was going forth
as a representative of the American
people to negotiate on behalf of the
American people treaty of peace. Is
there any reason why we should not
know what went to make up that $17,-
0C0?"
Democrats Protest
At the conclusion of Mr.. Rogers's
remarks q dozen Democrats clamored
for recognition. Representative James
+. Byrnes, of/Tennessee. was recog-
nlzed and heatedly declared that the
ACTION proposed was without precedent.
ut is remarkable to me-" he cried,
that you should question the honesty
of the Presidentl" He demanded that
substitute bill, calling upon the gov
ernmental departments to furnish the
information, be considered
president Mckinley" continued MIR.
Byrnes, was not called upon at the
close of the Spanish War for an item
lied statement, and as late as January
8, 1900, the Senate adopted resolution
asking, not the President, but the vari-
Gus departments, ito render an itemized
statement of the expenditures made
out of fund of S50000,000.'"
Calling the attention of Mr.. Rogers
to one item, "the Paris peace commits
sion $155, 102.12," Mr.. Byrnes said:
There was no itemized statement of
food consumed"
This cost sixteen times as much
this last junket," interjected Mr..
Rogers.
"No man in the Senate or the House
rose to question the President of the
CONTINUED on page three)