Evening star., 1921-06-23
P|T|FUL MACHINERY
GIVEN FOR BUDGET,
DAWES COMPLAINT
might as Well Be Handed
Toothpick," Head of New
Bureau Declares.
WILL ASK ASSISTANTS
TO SERVE WITHOUT PAY
Appoints Business Associate as
Aid-Also Requests Detail OF
Two Army Officers.

Aid-Also Requests Detail OF
Two Army Officers.
Charles G. Dawes of Chicago, chosen
BY President Harding to head the ne"
government budget system, announced
after a conference with the Presloeh'
today that he would call on numoer
of experienced business men to serve
In the budget bureau without pay be-
cause he considered the staff provided
by Congress wholly inadequate.
Mr. Dawes said he would ask that
two Army officers who distinguished
themselves for organization work in
the American expeditionary force be
:1etaiJed TO the bureau. and had asked
his business associate in Chicago, VII
liam T. Abbott, to serve temporarily
as acting assistant director.
Mr.. Dawes declared in a statement
chat if the budget system was TO De
success reliance must be placed on
'.something else than the pitlful ma
chinery provided by law.
"One might as we'll be handeo a
toothpick," added the statement, with
which to tunnel Pixies Peak.
Two Ohicers Requested
The two Army officers are Brig.
Gen. George Van Horn Moseley. Ior-
mer assistant chief OF stan IN Gen
Pershing's headquarters in France
and Col. Henry Smither. former as.
sistant chief of staff in the service OF
supply. Both were associates with Mr.
Dawes in France during the war.
Mr.. Dawes statement said. in part:
I'VE all know the desperate condi.
tion of the business of the country at
present-industrial. agricultural and
commercial-and that it is staggering
under a tremendous burden OF taxa,
tion from which it must be relieved
If it is to properly revive.
Congress has passed the budget
law i'm order to give the President
machinery with which to secure the
information necessary for him to
direct the reform of government
business administration and save
taxes.
Appropriation Allowed.
Let US see what Congress has
done to give the director OF the
colossal task. He is given an ap-
preparation of $225,o0o for expenses
and employees and an assistant m
each department appointed BY the
cabinet head. But from the We. ~
appropriation. besides the assistant
director of the budget. he can en-
ploy for this stupendous work only
four men of his own selection at not
over $4,000 each. For the rest Of his
force. he is compelled to take his
BY the Civil Service Commission.
"One might as we'll be handed a
toothpick with which to tunnel Pixies
Peak.
ut is evident that II this. the great
est business crisis which our govern
ment has ever confronted, is to De
properly met. chief reliance will haye
to be placed upon something else than
the pitiful machinery provided by law
with which to exercise the wide pow
ers extended to the budget bureau.
Appeals to Patriotism.
II am therefore accepting the posi-
ton of director of the budget only
with the idea that the patriotism OF
the bureau chiefs and the country as
n whole can be SO aroused in this
emergency that it will be met as was
the emergency of war four yearsago
Unless the bureau chiefs of the de-
partments and the leading business
men of the country respond to the
call of the President as they did four
years ago the situation is hopeless so
far as any material relief for two
years is concerned from this source.
my plan is this: propose to or
ganize my Office, so far as I can go
under the law. as quickly as possible.
after selecting the only four men
upon whose qualifications for service
the law presumes me capable OF pass
ing. The first of these will be my
business associate, William T. Alb
bott, who as acting assisting director
will for few months aid me in the
organization of the work pending
the selection of permanent assist
ant director. Besides, / shall ask the
War Department for the detail of two
great co-ordinators-Gen. George Van
Horn Moseley, assistant chief OF stan.
CT G. H. O.. A. E. F.. and Col. Henry
Smither, assistant chief of staff. G-4,
8. o. S., A. E. F.
VIII INVITE Business Men.
"on or before August 1 I shall ask
the President to invite a number OF
come to Washington. to serve without
compensation, in an advisory capacity
to the budget bureau.
"As soon as possible, pending the
August /, I will call together en-
masse all the bureau chiefs Of the
departments and their assistants In
Washington and explain my purposes
They and they alone, being in inti-
mate and close contact with current
governmental business and each fully
cognizant Of the situation in his own
bureau, must form the chief basis OF
the hope of the President. of Congress
and of our people. for the accomplish.
ment of this work by December 1
Called before the representatives. Of
the budget bureau who. II they re.
spond to this appeal. will include
the best business minds of the nation
= they must furnish the Information
and, in many cases. the suggestions
of the changes in methods to insure
economy through coordination"
Francis j. KILKENNY 9se =. Of. Of. Chicago HssS,
Dental assistant in handling thu
governments annual budget. is wei
known in the District, having lived
here for more than fifteen years
during which time he was confidential
secretary to three successive control.
lers of the currency. He was engaged
in mafy local and national activities
and was the originator of the "bach
to Ireland" movement ten years age
which was responsible for many per
here visiting Ireland on their vaea-
tions.
He is a native of Chicago and came
to Washington in 1899 to be secre.
tary' to Charles G. Dawes, who wa,
then controller of the currency. Fiji
teen years later he retired from ths
government service and entered tht
investment and securities business. >He
attained much success. but he lait
aside his private interest when the
country entered the war and wen,
to France as personal aid to Mr.
Dawes, when he assumed clarge Oi
the finances and supplies Of the A. E
F. on the other side. AT the conclu'
sion of the war he resumed his pri.
vate business in Chicago, only to again
lay it down to be associated In gov.
ernment work with his old chief.-'