Arizona republican., 1922-01-22
MELVILLE STONE
CONDEMNS BLOC
SYSTEM RULING
IN LEGISLATION
Former Head of Associated
Press Says Too Many
Hands Dipping Into Ma
tional Treasury
TRepubIIcan A. p. leased wlrs1

LnSPuOltCdIl -. r. Leased Wtrol
CHICAGO, Jan. 21.-Melville E.
Stone, former general manager of the
Associated Press, in an address to-
night criticised parts of the constitu-
ton as leaving this country without
leader and condemned congress as
lacking men Of high caliber.
He was guest of honor at a banquet
given by the Commercial club. He
prefaced his talk on "some OF our
problems" with the statement that
this was the first time he had ever
felt free in an address to say what
he thought.
During the years I was general
manager of the Associated Press l
could not express myself on partisan
matters for fear some one would
think was representing the attitude
Of the Associated Press. which neces-
sarily has to remain non partisan and
impartial in all matters" he said.
NOW that l no longer head that or
ganlzation, can say what l please"
Declaring that Germany, through
the war, had left us "a world in which
1t was almost impossible to live be-
cause of the many problems which
were resulting in Chaos Mr.. Stone
suggested changes in the constitution
as remedies. saying it was unwork-
able because it provided three equally
co-ordinated branches of government
the judicial, the executive and the
legislative.
The judicial dominated, he said.
Mr.. Stone said that the relation of
the president to congress had never
been settled and that consequently we
faced many complications.
Il think every student Of our sys-
tenn must agree that our national
congress is not properly composed
nor Its authority properly Defined"
he said. "The seventeenth amend
ment providing for popular election of
senators certainly has not improved
the personnel of that body.
"And there is something very
wrong with the house It's members
all seem to have district minds. There
is no leadership in either house
instead there is something
we'll nigh akin to chaos.
"Out Of the confusion imposed by
q chaotic congress party rule has
nearly disappeared At Washington
and system of bloc control is de-
veloping."
Mr.. Stone said there already were
a farmers bloc, a labor bloc, the
merchant marine clamorlng for a SUBJ
sidy and the American legion for a
bonus.
THAT policy is a bold violation of
economic rules that are elemental
and almost child like" he said.
Mr.. Stone said that labor must re-
duce its wages and he opposed
bonus for farmers.
The farmers may have been
wronged through some of our legisla-
ton, but they must not use that plea
as a justification for dipping their
hands into the national treasury. for
two wrongs never make right" he
said.
Mr.. Stone declared Americans must
participate in world affairs.
1--WE took very small part in the
war;" he said. I'VE did not strain
ourselves. Per capita we did not
meet nearly the stress met by France
and Italy. Yet we came out Dragging
and boasting. I hope the time will
come when some other people will feel
as / do, that we have little respect
IoI lne man VINO boasts ne is lUO per
cent American and not one hundredth
of per cent an international man."
Mr.. Stone said Germany should be
made the economic slave Of the
world for 100 years to pay for her
crimes, but interrupted the applause
to say:
But you can not make that of her"
He declared France had tried to
make Germany pay too much indem-
nifty, but added Germany had lied
about her ability to pay.
Make no mistake" he continued.
You are face to face with an unre-
penta0t and militant Germany for the
next 90 years. l don't say Germany
can become a power again in that
time, yet the Germans have great
power and will try"
He said he thouoht the arms con-
ference a good thing but that neu-
trail nations must be stopped from
private manufacture of arms and mu-
nitions in order to make it effective.
Concerning Germany and China, he
condemned what he termed a lot OF
loose, foolish and untrue talk about
both countries"