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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1917)
TTMP- NOViilMBEE, 1917 The Commoner Summary of Work of Congress at fciXtra bession From the Official Bulletin, Oct. 15. An ofiicial compilation issued by the document room of the house of representatives shows that out of 91 laws enacted by the extraordinary session of the Sixty-fifth congress re cently adjourned 56 related in one way or another to the national de fense and preparation for the prose cution of the war against Germany. Some of these 56 bills relate to minor matters, but all had a bearing in varying degrees upon the efficiency of the national defense. The extraordinary session sat for 188 days. In the senate during that time more.than 10,000 army, navy and marine corps nominations were confirmed. The appropriations for the present fiscal year, including con tract authorizations for the same pe riod, reached a total of $21,390,000, 000. This total includes $7,000, 000,000 in loans to -the allies. In round numbers the authorizations of funds appropriated were as follows: Army, $8,911,000,000; navy, $1, 875,000,000; merchant shipping fleet, $1,889,000,000; loans to allies, $7, 000,000,000; defense fund for the President, $100,000,000; food and fuel control, $173,000,000; soldiers' and sailors' insurance, $176,000,000; interest on bonds and certificates, $200,000,000; civil establishment, $968,000,000; all other expenses, $102,000,000. . Passage of War Resolution. The war legislation began with the passage by the senate, April. 4 last1, and by the'house, April 6, of the joint resolution declaring that a state of war existed between the United States and Germany and the approval of the resolution by the President immedi ately upon its enrollment. The ses sion adjourned on October 6, on which day the President signed va rious war measures, among them the $5,356,666,016 deficiency appropria tion bill. The various appropriation bills were enacted from time to time throughout the session. The second joint resolution to be passed was that of May 12, under which the German ships in the ports of this country were seized and taken over for the use of the government. Then followed va rious resolutions relating to the rights of retired officers when detailed to active duty; to the officers of the public health service serving on coast guard vessels or detailed for duty with the army or navy, and the pen sionable status of themselves or their dependents; to relieve the owners of mining claims who have entered the service from performing assessment work during such mili tary service. Selective Service Law. By way of preparing for additional naval officers, on April 25 an act was approved authorizing one addi tional midshipman for each senator, representative, and delegate in con gress. On the same day the max imum limit of age for officers of the 'naval reserve on first appointment was increased from 35 to 50 years. The next war legislation was the selective service law, approved by the President May 18, under which a selected army of 1,000,000 men was provided for and other legisla tive features pertaining to the army enacted. This was followed, on May 22, with legislation to increase the strength of the navy and the marine -in the case or me navy uu 30,000. On May 29 an act was ap proved giving the interstate com merce commission additional power with respect to car service, and on August 9 the act to increase the membership of the commission, and a day later the act authorizing pri ority of shipments by any common carrier. The War-risk act was amended and enlarged under the act of June 12, which also carried an appropriation of $45,150,000 to in sure vessels and their cargoes and the masters, officers, and crews. The Espionage ILaw Two days later, on Juno 14, the act was approved authorizing the is sue to states and territories and the District of Columbia of rifles and other property for the equipment of organizations of homo guards. The espionage bill became a law with the approval of the President on June 15, and provision was made under it to punish acts of interference with foreign relations, the neutrality, and the commerce of the United States; to punish espionage and better en force the criminal laws of the United States; and for other purposes. On July 2 authority was given the sec retary of war to obtain possession of whatever land might be needed as sites for the construction or prose cution of works for fortifications, coast defenses, and military training camps. On July 24 the . President ap proved the bill to Increase the signal corps of the army and appropriating $640,000,000 for the purchase, man ufacture, maintenance, repair, and operation of airships. On October 1 the aircraft board bill became a law through Executive approval. Its function Is to supervise and direct, under the direction and control of the secretaries of war and the navy, the development of the aircraft ser vice of the United States. Under the act of August 10, con gress appropriated $11,346,400 to provide further for the national se curity and defense by stimulating ag riculture and facilitating the distri bution of agricultural products. Un der the food-control bill approved the same day an appropriation was car ried amounting to $162,500,000, to provide for the national security and defense by encouraging the produc tion, conserving the supply, and con trolling the distribution of food products and fuel. The trading-with-the-enemy act, which was adopted late in the session, defines, "regulates, and punishes trad ing with the enemy. One of the last acts of the session was the soldiers' and sailors' Insur ance bill. It provides a military and naval family allowance, compensa tion, and insurance fund for the ben efit of soldiers and sailors and their families and makes an appropriation for this purpose of $176,250,000. Widows of soldiers of the Civil and the Spanish-American wars are given a monthly pension of $25. Other legislation of the recent ses sion, of minor character, but relating to the war, includes these laws: As signment of fleet naval reserve to active duty; extension of minority enlistments, naval service; authority for additional officers; , hydrographic office of the navy; relating to foreign enlistments in the United States; re lating to enlistments in the naval re serve corps; amending the federal re serve act; authority ror consiruutiuu corps in inew -"J "' " ;. tpmnorary buildings for de- X XB'EMU 1M00"S par' and a percent annex for the treasury department; providing for the repatriation of citizens in tho armies of tho allloa; regulating tho use of explosives during tho war; for the reimbursement of officers and on listed men of tho navy for personal property lost whilo on duty; permit ting foreign ships to cngngo in tho coastwise trade during the period of nrnJiV an,d for 120 Uieroaftcr; providing for six months' gratuity to deneulenta or deceased sailors; pro viding commissions in the army staff rolnl a"d removns ") aee limits of reservo corps ofilcrs requiring dis charge; extending liquor and immor ality sections of array draft law to the navy; prescribing courtmnrtial pro cedure in the navy; providing for the appointment of 20 chaplains nt largo ii the army; prohibiting the publica tion of inventions of value to the en emy; Increasing tho commutation price for rations in tho navy to 40 cents. Dates of Principal Law.s The principal measures of the con gress became laws by tho approval of the President on the following datos: First authorization of issue of Liberty Bonds and loan to the allies, April 24; first appropriation for the support of tho army carrying $273,046,322, May 12; selective draft bill, May 18; in creasing the strength of the navy and marine corps, May 22; espionage bill, Juno 15, appropriation of $3,281,094, 541 for the military and navnl oninh. lishment, June 15; $640,000,000 air craft Din, July 24; food survey and food control bills, August 10; second Liberty Bond issue and further loans to the allies, September 24; the war tax revenue act, October 3; trading-with-the-enemy act, October 6; sol diers' and sailors' insurance act, Oc tober 6; urgent deficiency act carry ing $5,356,066,010 for war expenses, the greatest single budget in the his tory of any government, October G MacMlllan Now York. Company, Publisher, Prlco 1.2G. BOOKS RECEIVED A Prayer Book for tho Public and Private Use of Our Soldiers and Sailors, with Bible Readings and Hymns. Bishop White Prayer Book Society, 533 Arch Street, Philadel phia, Pa. My Four Years In Germany. By James W. Gerard, late ambassador to the German Imperial Court. George H. Doran Company, Publishers, New York. Price $2.00, net. To All the World (Except Ger many). By Arthur Edward Stll- well, author of "Universal Peace-; War is Mesmerism," etc. George Allen & Unwin, Ltd., Ruskln House, 40 Museum Street, W. C, London, England. American Indian Corn. (Maize.) A Cheap, Wholesome, and Nutritious Food. 150 Ways to Prepare and Cook It. By Charles J. Murphy, formerly commissioner for the state of Nebraska. G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York and London. Price 75c. American Presidents. Their Indi vidualities and Their Contributions to American Progress. By Thomas Francis Moran, Ph.D., professor of hlHtnrv and economics in Purdue i I ll.f miinmoo "V O.rrWTttW Cnm UUIV151BHJ'. jiuuiuao . w w . .. w , pany, ruonsners, iew xorn. x-nuu 76 cents, net. The Coming of tho Dawn. By Jane A. PIcrson. The Standard Pub lishing Company, Cincinnati, O. $1.50 postpaid. Between the Upper and the Nether Mill-Stones. By "A. B. C." Old Corner Bookstore, 27 Bromfield St., Boston, Mass. The History of the Fall and Disso lution of Christendom. By Dr. J. E. Thompson. The Public Distribution Company, 417 Church St., Nash ville, Tenn. Price $1.50. The Chinese Nightingale and Oth er Poems. By Vachel Lindsay. The You can read it plainly at night Waterbury Kadiolitc IMAGINE Inky blackness oil about! Can you road your watch then without matches or other light? Sturdy, accurate, dependable Inger soIIb five of tho best models now havo Radlollto dials. You enn read them in broad daylight or in black est night. Tho Rndlolita hands and figure contain real radium. 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