Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-03-04
|zty-Sixth Congress
|pes Down In History AS
Dne With Novel Record
option of Suffrage and Prohibition Amend
Eents Stand Out as High Spots of Construct
|e Legislation; Other Acts Bring Avalanche
Criticism.

Washineton, Mar. 4.-Rejectio
" the treaty of Versailles. a sbar
usht on President Wilson by :.
publican leaders. adoption of N
woman suffrage .constitutiono
amendment and passage of the nro
hioltlon enforcement act were o,t
Standing features of the sessions =
sixty-sixth congress which nasse
out To-Day to make way for the six
y-seVenth congress, soon to n
Iai'eu In extra session by Presjden
Harding. = e'Au II
swept INTO control of. both -.
senate and house near the end n
me war after President Wilson ha,
appealed to the country in 1918 t,
return a democratic majority TO co,
sTess' the republicans organized al
committees at the opening session
III 1918 and Immediately launched
an attack on the administrators
This centered around the treaty. q,
versailles, which was taken up ir
the senate before it was signed a
Paris.
Criticism Is Severe.
other acts of the administration
winch came in for criticism incmd.
ed the sending of troops to Russia
the handling of deportation cases
and the winding up of war con-
tracts Investigations of manv
phases of war activities also were
undertaken and continued through
most of the nearly two years of the
me OF this, the first republican
congress in eight years.
-Four vetoes of important meas
ures by the president also were
oVerriden by the sixty-sixth con-
gress. The measures repassed aft
er their disapproval by Mr.. Wilson
included the prohibition enforce
ment act and joint resolutions re-
ducing the size of the regular armv
to 175,0O0 men, repeating the day-
light savings law and reviving the
war finance corporation. In the
case of one important matter, the
Knox resolution to declare the state
of war with Germany at an end,
the presidential veto stood.
Inquiries Are Many.
Besides the were inquiries many
others were conducted, including
those into the 1919 steel strike, the
spread of radical propaganda, the
coal and housing situations, the
between Secretary Dan
iels and Rear Admiral Sims over
medal awards. campaign expendi-
ture. shipping board operations, the
Ford -Newberry election, radical de-
cases, and the escape to
Germany of Grover Cleveland
Bergdoll. Philadelphia draft evad-
er.
International disarmament was a
subject occupying much attention
at the closing session, inquiries be-
ing conducted by both house and
senate committees. Final action
was deferred and the whole ques-|
lion left over to the Harding ad-
The senate naval com
nittee recommended, however, that
there be no halting of American
naval construction at this time.
Many Laws Enacted.
Important measures passed by
he sixty-sixth congress besides the
enforcement law. the
suffrage amendment, and the raso-
ution to revive the war finance
included:
The transportation act.
The merchant marine act.
The Edge bill for foreign finance
The oil and gas leasing laws.
The army reorganization act.
The waterpoweg development
ill.
A bill abolishing the United
itates housing corporations.
In addition the usual annual sup
ly measures were put through and /,
ground work was laid
" the house OF ways and means
for revising both the tar
n and tax laws.
VIlTCE Stfa-iOES IltIus
There we're three sessions of the
itxy-sfxth congress. The first, an
Extraordinary one called by Presi-
ent Wilson from Paris after fail
re of some of the big appropria-
on measures in the preceding con
ress, met on May 10, 1919, and ,
ontinued just six months, to Nov !
9. The second session, a regular
ne. began on December 1, 1919
nd continued to June 5, 1920. end
IL lust beforethe national political
ouvun tisns. the third and final
.ssipn began last December s. In
Iuding the sessions during the war {
I'D ezriJar, congress has been sit
ng virtually in continuous session :
Dr. a dscadA
The Versa5Tles treaty was the (
reat bone OF contention during
oth the first and second sessions
was twice defeated. first on Nov I
}, 1919, and again on March ls'
,ze, when, by a vote Of A 10 81. /,
was returned 20 President Wis ;
!. The Knox resolution to end the
ate Of war with Germany then
as adopted and on May p, 1870. ,
He'd by a presidential veto.
Treaty Debated Long
The treaty debate began May p
80 four days after the new cong
s-rnvened- The treaty was re-
- the senate, with the
~.s-vaions, Sept (, 1919. {