Norwich bulletin., 1922-12-19
WASHINGTON AFFAIRS
Especial to The Bunetin.)

Congressman Tilson of Connecticut, ! who during the war was the ordnance | expert of the house military affairs com mittee, and now high up on the com | practical ordnance man as well as | knowing theoretically what can and | ought to be done to keep the United l States from ever again heinz tangled | in net of ordnance unpreparedness, l such as occurred at the outbreak of the World war.
 The Tilson plan has been submitted to the secretary of war, the assistant secretary of war and the chief of ord nance, Gen. Pierce, formerly in command of the Springfield arsenal. Secretary Weeks has left the matter in the hands of Assistant Secretary Wainwright and Gen. Pierce, and it may be authoritative ly said that all three of those high of ficials favor the general outline of the plan submitted informally by Congress- man Tilsop. while Gen. Pierce unhesi- tatingly endorses it in full. l
 Col. Tilson believes that the United States should be prepared to supply arms and munitions on short notice in case of emergency and that such a mass supply cannot be produced unless the mechanical. devices necessary, such as screws, gauges, jig and dies can be readily obtained and so prevent the country from making beginning of mass production until after long de lay has occurred. Cod. TiIsOn believes screw threads, dies, gauges, jigs and other necessary | tools and devices for the production of arms and munitions should be standard ized and sufficient quantity be on hand l to furnish a start on mass production l without delay, if the need occurs. In order that there might be get-together f of the war department and the men on whose shoulders rests the responsibility of furnishing implements of national de- fence, Col Tilson gave small dinner this week at which. the guests of hon or were Secretary of War Weeks and Senator Wadsworth, chairman of the | military committee of the senate. The other guests were leading representatives of the four great tool manufacturers of the country, who would be called on to furnish the necessary tools if an emerg- eney call fer arms and munitions was lsent out. Secretary Weeks is in general sympathy with the Tilson plan and ask i ed Secretary Wainwright to look into the details and submit his findings. He Ialso conferred, the~ day following with lI MT. Wainwright. Today Wainwright and | Pierce were in conference and after 1t had ended Gen. Pierce said to your cor respondent: T am very much impressed with the plan outlined by Col. Tilson. | It is the first step towards one of the Important factors in defence We shall look into existing conditions and the first step we shaN take-and by we mean the war department will be to as- certain how things stand now and re- I port to Secretary Weeks. We shall then take up definite programme and sub
 init it to congress as a part of our na-
 tional defence plan. We are very anxious to bring about cooperation between the government and the producers not l only along the line urged by Col. Til son, but along all lines that we believe ladd to our defense programme. We rec iognize that the ability to produce arms Land munitions without unnecessary de- Hay is one of the vital parts of a nation al defense policy Gen. Pierce added Ithat he should lose no time in making the Investigations authorized by Secre- , tary Weeks and should report at the , earliest possible date so as to have the
 plans for quick production incorporated in the general defense programme. A The protests against the seating ot Senator Henry Cabot Lodge in the 68tt
 congress, filed by the attorney of the
 defeated prohibition candidate at the ; November election has stirred up mucl comment but will not result in any ae l ton by the senate at the present session 3 ,i in spite of the insistance of the attorney g that he will. demand immediate consid Iteration. The constitution makes 1t cleaa that each congress, both senate ant hose, must be the judgeI of its owI : makeup and sit in judgment on tn x eligibility of, it's members So as MT : Lodges present term does not expire til noon on March. 4th, when the 67th r congress comes to an automatic end, an : the protest is concerning his seat in tn :. 6Sth congress, no action can or vii ? ibe taken regardirt the present demand The course of procedure is very simple
 when the proper moment arrives. Pro n tests must be referred to the committe l. on elections, but this cannot be don {, without instructions to that effect froI Ii the senate which authorizes hearings 1 etc. The. present committee is not au . therized to consider cases beyond Mare i' 4th incumbancy, so all that has bee l. gained ,>by the demands of Prohibitio + Candidate Nichols and his attorney, j. notoriety.
 's Members of congress are practicing th 10 art of talking into horn. And tn t horn is the great amplif1er, and it's COT i. inections, that swing from, the high cei . ing of the house chamber just over tt 'S desk of the speaker of Ithe house. The n are practicing how to keep within tt
 
 le their tone suddenly jump from a mag l. nifcent hasso produndo into a hoar:
 bass whisper, If they keep within
 certain radius, it's all right but if the
 get excited and wander off the reserv:
 tion, the effect is exceedingly funny. le a speaker gets to a high pitch of or: ys torical frenzy and walks too far awa
 from the little rnicrophone that rests (
 the reading desk in front of which l
 stands when addressing the house, u & great amplifier over his head doesn se work. So a strip of bright green ca
 pet has been thoughtfully provided l
 the house officials and laid in front /, the desk, so speaker will know swh, " he is wandering too far from the hon Ln plate.
 < The Connecticut delegation has talk
 prominent part in the business of t he week. Congressman Tilson protested vi an orously on the cut-doWn of naval appr ba priations proposed by the little na,
 men, and the Tilson men won the da
 keeping in the bill sufficient fund
 meet the requirements of the present si he of the naval force.
 rs Cengressman WiasIow of Massacl1 ay sets, chairman of the committee on
 terstate and foreign commerce paid
 high tribute to the coast guard when
 bill was before the house, this wet saying in part: When everything e ar fails and there is no man to be feu at to go out and tackle wrecker
 relict or any of those things, these f
 lows go out, they throw a line to sl ., in distress-if it breaks they go ba with another line-they go out in t as nastiest seas-they take more risks so seananship than any man in the na To- ever does. am with the navy, I
 itsis not a seamanship job in the ser
 iof hazard that is the coast guard S
 -t vice for saving pronerfv and life T