...... :

192-3. C.0NftHtESSI©NAJt RE©

Nellie I. McGill to be postmaster at Oregon,. Wis., ininlace of HAWLEY, BlJTI.ER, BURDJCK, ~ JOHNSON of South. Dakota, LEATHERWOOD, iN. I. McGill. Thcumbent's commission. expired Au.gust. 29, 1923. FLEETWOOD,. JOHNSDN. of. Washingtonr REE.I>- of West Virginia, COOPER: George L. Leverenz to be. postmaster at. New Holstein., Wis., of Wisconsin, WlNTER,r AL"MDN,, HAYD.E:N:. OLDli!UlLD, TA..YLOR of Colorado, in place of W. W. Lanson. Incumbent's com.mission expired BOYCE, CLARK of Florida, LEE. ot Georgia, DUPBlll, LINTHICUM, COLLirill, September 5, 1922. D..ICKINSON of Missouri, EVANS of Montana, SJULLE.NBERGER; RICHARDS, , Walter F. l\fa1·tin to be postmaster at MUkwonago, Wis., in MORROW, Pou, CARTE~ _ BYitN.ES of S.outh Garollna,. B.YRNS of Tennessee,. place of A!... R Craig: Incumbent's commission- expired· August GAR.nm, Mo!'

The message also announced that in accordance with the pro­ The joint resolution was ordered to be engrossed and read Vi!'lions .of Senate Resolution 21, providing for the appointment a third time, was read the third time, and passed. of :-:even Senators on the part of the Senate to join such com­ On motion of Mr. MADDEN, a motion to reconsider the vote mittee as may be appointed on the part of the House of Repre­ by which the joint resolution was passed was laid-on the table. sentatives to consider and report by what token of respect and nffection it may be proper for the Congress of the United States EXTENSION OF REMARKS. to express the deep sensibility of the Nation to the death of the l\fr. McKEOWN. Mr. Speaker, I ask leave to extend my re­ late Pre ident Warren Gamaliel Harding, the President pro marks on the subject of the condition of agriculture in the tempore appointed Mr. WILLIS, Mr. FESS, Mr. HALE, Mr. PHIPPS, Southwest ]\fr. UNDERWOOD, Mr. SIMMONS, and Mr. SHIELDS as such commit­ The SPEAKER. The gentleman from Oklahoma asks unani­ tee on the part of the Senate. mous consent to extei;i.d his remarks on the subject of condi­ tions of agriculture in the Southwest. Is there objection? P.A.nrENT OF SAL.A.RIES ON DECEMBER 20. 1\fr. SNELL. Reserving . the right to object, i\Ir. Speaker, do Mr. MADDEN. Mr. Speaker, I present the following resolu·· I understand they are the gentleman's own remarks? tion and ask for its present consideration. l\'Ir. McKEOWN. Yes; they are my own remru'ks. 'l'he SPEAKER. The gent1eman from Illinois offers a resolu­ The SPEAKER. ' Is there objection? tion, which the Clerk will report. There was no objection. The Clerk read as follows : THE NECESSITY FOR I!IIMEDIATE RELIEF OF THE FARMERS. House Joint Resolution 70, authorizing the payment of salaries of the Mr. ~IcKEOWN. Ur. Speaker, the a~ricultural situation in officers and employees of Congress for December, 1923, on the 20th the Southwest presents a very · gloomy picture at the present day of that month. time. The boll weevil and the weather conditions have brought Resolved, etc., That the Sec1·etary of the Senate and the Clerlt of the havoc for the la t three years to the cotton farmers of Okla­ House of Representatives are authorized and dfrected to pay to the homa. Virtually every farmer is in a bad predicament and officers and employees of the Senate and House of Representati>es, facing financial ruin. They are unable to pay their taxes and including the Capitol police, the legislative drafting service, and em­ debts, and are losing their farms by foreclosure proceeding , be­ ployees paid on vouchers under authority of resolutions, their re­ cause they are unable to pay the interest and commission notes spective salaries for the month of December, 1923, on the 20th day ' due on their lands. of that month. The crop of 1920 was an exceedingly heavy yield of cotton, but the price of this product broke to a point where it was a The SPEAKER. Is there objection? distinctive loss to the farmer to gather his crop. This situation l\1r. GARRETT of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, reserving the started the cotton farmers on the road to disaster. I offered right to object, do I understand from this resolution that it in the Sixty-sixth Congress a measure looking to the relief of is the purpose to adjourn on the 20th for the Christmas holi­ this situation by providing for storage and loans on farm prod­ days? ucts until the following year but was unable to get even serious Mr. MADDEN. I am not advised a.s to what the organization consideration of the measure. proposes to do in th.at respect. Perhaps the gentleman from The invasion of the territory of southern Oklahoma by the Ohio can state. boll weevil in 1921 and 1922 practically destroyed the cotton Mr. LONGWORTH. I\Ir. Speaker, I do not think any con­ crops of those two years, and the farmers llaving entered into clusion has been reached as yet, but I will say to my friend the year 1921 with a large indebtedness unpaid. entered the year there are a number of gentlemen with whom I have spoken 1922 with additional increases of indebtedness and without who think it might be advisable to adjourn for the holidays sufficient funds to meet their taxes and interest payments due on the 21st. on their homes, and the flood and drougth conclitlons occurring in Mr. GARRETT of Tennessee. On the 21st? the year 1923 virtually destroyed the crop fo1· this year, so that Mr. LONGWORTH. That will be Friday, until the Thurs­ the farmers, bankers, and merchants of that section enter the day after the New Year; two days after New Year. I would ;vear 1924 with a very heavy financial burden on their shoulders. like to get the opinion of the gentleman from Tennessee on There are numerous foreclosure proceedings pending in the that subject. courts to foreclose mortgages on farms caused by the inability Mr. GARRETT of Tennessee. Well, I am not able to an­ of the farmer to meet his interest payments. swer now. I was asking for information in that regard. The Federal farm-loan bank has in a number of instances But no definite conclusion-- grunted relief by making loans, but this relief is not granted 1.Ir. LONGWORTH. No definite conclusion has been in the measure it should be. The Government refuses to make reached. I would be glad to confer with the gentleman. loans sufficiently large to enable the farmer to borrow enough Mr. GARRETT of Tennessee. Has the gentleman thought money to pay the amount due on his land. The farm-loan over how long the Christmas adjournment should be? bank offers such small sums to the applicants as to dishearten Mr. LONGWORTH. The gentlemen with whom I have the farmers, and a very great benefit could be done to the spoken thought possibly two days after New Year, which would farmers throughout Oklahoma if the farm-loan bank, through be Thursday, the 3d of January. its inspectors and agents, would make reasonable loans. There 1\Ir. GARRETT of Tennessee. That would be about a 10-day · is no use to say to the farmers th.at the Congress has provided adjournment? legislation for their relief and for their benefit, and then permit Mr. LONGWORTH. Yes; a little more than 10 days. the agents of the Government to thwart the purposes and in­ The SPEAKER. Is there objection to the consideration of tention of the law by failure to carry out the spirit and purpose the resolution? of the law. 1\Ir. REECE. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, There are hundreds of farmers in Oklahoma who have at all there has been a request on the part of the disabled ex-service times heretofore enjoyed a comfortable living for themselves men who are drawing compensation that some provision be and family, but who have by circumstances been reduced to a made whereby those boys could receive their December checks very bad financial condition wholly without any fault on their before Christmas, and the Director of the Veterans' Bureau has part. informed me th.at it will require action on the part' of the The decline in the value of farm lands is merely temporary, Congress. I wish to make inquiry of the chairman of ';be Com­ and the Government, having permitted deflation to take place, mittee on Appropriations whether he thinks such action would should at least fix a more liberal value on the farms than the be possible? private lenders of the country. If the Federal farm-loan bank Mr. MADDEN. I do not think there is any doabt about the would immediately C<•mmence :r poJicy of trying to save the act!on being possible, and I think it would be proper, too. I homes of farmers by extending liberal credit to th.em on farm think it would have to be under a separate resolution from loans they could save the homes of hundreds of farmers, and this. the United States would never lose a penny, but in addition Mr. REECE. I understand that, but I was wondering how thereto, would develop a greater wealth for the country and it could be initiated and gotten through in sufficient time to develop a rural life and rural communities. Nothing can be let the Veterans' Bureau act. more disastrous at this time than to withhold the needed credit Mr. MADDEN. I will prepare a resolution and present it to for the small farmers. It is an unpleasant sight to see farmers the House. struggling under the present conditions, trying to bold on and Mr. REECE. That is very good. save a little something out of what they have put into their l\lr. MADDEN. But I will not be able to do it to-day. homes. . The SPEAKER. Is there objection to the present considera­ I have talked to many of them about their conditions, and tion of the resolution? [After a pause.] The Chair hears the universal reply is "How can I buy anything; I am head none. over heels in debt, and about to lose my home." I insist that 1923. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 255 we do not make so much law as that we should see .that the widely advertised theory that it has for its object and sole agent of the Government carry out the purpose and intent of purpose preventing the investment of large incomes in tax­ the law that the Congress passed for the benefit of this industry. exempt securities, by m~ans of which such incomes escaped an ln addition to this burden the Sixty-seventh Congress passed equitable share of taxation. a tariff law that loaded the shoulders of the already debt- If it were possible to prevent money accumulations from ridden farmers of the country. This law tends to create pros- escaping their fair share of taxation by the ratification of the perity in the manufacturing districts of the United ·states, and amendment under '.:!Onsideration, I pledge that no one would re!'lults in higher prices to be paid by the farmers for the things be more industrious or conscientious in his effort tofard this they have to buy. Prices for the necessities of the farm have in- accomplishment than myself. creased rather than decreased. The prevalent opinion that the adoption of this amendment It is a well-known fact that on an average the consumer pays will reach securities already issued is unjustified and untrue. for the products of the farm three times what the farmer re- Such securities will continue to be tax exempt. There is no ceives for his products. A part of this difference is due to legal way in which they can be reached. The contemplated freight rates ; but the freight rates, while excessively high, are amendment only provides for such securities as shall be issued only about 10 per cent of the spread between the producer and after its ratification. the consumer. "A man is known by the company he keeps." Let me digress There should be an immediate adjustment of freight rates far enough to add that a legislative proposal can be most eer­ touching the cattle industry. I contend that the rates on food tainly identified and characterized by its advocates. products should be low, and if there is a loss to the carriers Why is it that the same gentlemen who some years ago were caused by the reduced rates on food products then the rates exhausting their energy to secure reduction of income taxes on other things not so essential to human well-being should be on incomes in excess of $67,000 a year, at the expense of in­ increased sufficient to make good any loss that results from comes under $67,000 a year, are now so devoted to their "pro­ transporting food products at a low rate. fessed " interest in the people generally · that they use the If the business and financial world do not i.Ji,J.mediately com- same majority of people whom they proposed to tax more rnence to cooperate with the farmer the great basic industry and heavily as the cat's paw of their argument that the proposed foundation for permanent national prosperity will be destroyed. amendment should be adopted. Truly " a leopard can not Cooperative marketing on the part of the farmer and coopera- change his spots "-at least not so easily and quickly. tive buying on the part of the consumer would no doubt greatly Is it consistent to believe that those same gentlemen who a benefit both under present conditions, but in the organization year ago argued for a reduction of tax on enormous incomes of cooperative agents the farmer should not be subjected to should now be so eagerly championing an amendment whose large and expensive overhead charges. sole intent and object is to collect a greater a.mount of taxes It is my hope and wish that this Congress will be able to from those same inflated incomes? "Verily, do I hear the voice pass legislation that will result in giving to the farmers a new of Jacob, but I feel the hand of Esau." lease on life and prosperity. Of course, we can not produce Where did the money come from that has previously been good crops by legislation, nor prevent the ravages of pests and invested. in tax-exempt securities? These incomes are reeeived f insects, floods, and drouths, but we can enact legislation which as dividends from industrial stocks, from -oil stocks, automobile will extend to the farmer an opportunity to survive these dis- stocks-speculation. They are most certainly not the result of asters, and' have an opportunity to regain financial innenend- conservative bond investment, yielding a far more moderate \ ence, and to this end I will work energetically and faithfully. return of interest on the investment. LEAVE TO ADDRESS THE HOUSE. It ls therefore patent that all securities-including the tax- exempt security under discussion-was infinitely less profitable l\Ir. HUDDLESTON. 1\Ir. Speaker, as it appears that we and attractive than the profits to be derived from further specu­ bave no regular order of business to-day, except the address of lation. Why, then, is this money invested in these tax-exempt the gentleman from Wisconsin [l\Ir. FREAB], I ask that on the securities? I am satisfied that there is no desire on the part ' conclusion of ~is address I may. have unanimous consent to of possessors of large incomes to invest them in tax-e-xempt spea~ for 2~ mmutes on the relations between the farmers and securities unless forced to do so by high rates of incomP. tax:. the mdustrial worker~ of the country. . Those securities constitute an entirely safe investment, devoid The SPEAKER. 'I~e gentle~an from Alabama asks unanl- I of the speculative dangers attendant upon speculative stock mous c~ns:nt to spe~ for 2~ mrnutes on the relations between investment. Allowing for tbe safety in the security in>est­ the far~ers and the mdustrial workers of the co:untry. at the ment, the factor that determines is the rate of return. conclusion of the add~ess. of the gentleman from WlSconsm [Mr. When the rate of return from the bond investment, plus the FREAR]. Is there obJect10n? advantage from tax-exemption, approximates the return trom Mr. LON~WORTH.. l\Ir. Speaker, I hop.e the gentleman from speculative stoeks, minus the necessary deduction for payment Aluba~a will d~lay his request. There will be a conference of of taxes, accumulated wealth immediately absorbs the issues of R~pubh~an Members after the speech of the gentleman from tax-exempt securities, not necessarily because they are tax W1sconsm. . . exempt but because of the advantage of increased safety in the Mr. HUD~LESTON. Certamly. I was simply attemI?tmg to knowledge that the net return from such investment will be take up the tlllle whe~ there was nothing else to ?0 • I will post- substantially the same as would accrue from speculative i11vest­ pone my request until to-morrow at the conclus10n ?of the busi- ment after allowing for deductions for payment of taxe as ne :ffeJ of the day. Was my request put, l\Ir. Speaker. result of such · investment. The SPEAKFJR. The gentleman from Alabama asks unanl- _ . . rnous consent that be may address the House to-morrow for ~hese same gentlemen ":'ho are now .asKing tne adoptI.on of 20 minutes at the conclusion of the routine business. Is there ~1s amendment, when the mcome tax bill was un~er const1lera- ob 'ect"on? tion by the House, gave every assurance that if the excess- ~he~e was no objection. profits t~x .and other sur~xes were eliminated or reduced it would elimmate the practice of accumulated wealth seeking TAX-EXEMPTION SECURITIES. refuge in tax-exempt securities. Accepting their assurances, Mr. ROSEN'BLOOl\1. l\lr. Speaker, one of the first legis­ this Congress gave them the relief they sought. Why do they lative proposals to come before the Sixty-eighth Congress will now come before you ~nd say it is necessary to stop the issu­ be the adoption of the amendment to prohibit the further issue ance of tax-exempt ecurities in order to aecomplish the ru;ult of tax-exempt securities. they predicted in .the first instance? Because, gentlemen, the When this amendment was being considered by the Sixty­ continued attractivene s of these tax-exempt securities, whl•rein seventh Congress, in view of the apparent majority sentiment a goodly portion of their money sought refuge and where it now for its adoption, I believed that it would be well to present remains, is no longer to their liking. Immediately a tax is one phase of the matter which had not been presented there­ added to further issues of such securities their holdings will tofore. automatically increase tn value to the extent of the tax. Since the amendment will again be before the House I wish The economic condition of the country's business bas reached to restate my views for the benefit of the gentlemen who were a point where speculative industrial investment can not com­ not present in the last Congress, and also that this particular pete with the security and assured return to be had from in­ pha e of the amendment may not be lost sight of by the vestment in such ecmities. Members generally. As previously stated, these wealthy gentlemen accumulated Mr. Speaker, as the result of a campaign of misleading propa­ their wealth almost entirely· as a result of the speculative in­ ganda, it is my opinion that the proposed amendment to the vestment which they largely control and manipulate. But, if Constitution will pass the House. Although many well-inten­ people wm not invest in industrials, there is nothing for them tioned people, and, I dare say, Members of the House of Repre­ either to control or manipulate, consequently there is no profit, sentatives, have been beguiled into favoring the bill on the and again, consequently, they seek to make the issue of ta:x~ .:·

256 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. DECEMBER 13, exempt security less attractive, so that investment will a.gain In the absence of a ready market it might be necessary to be made through their favored mediums. submit the entire issue to these gentlemen who are a king you I will unceasingly regret my mistake in opposing the adoption to do away with tax-exempt securities. of this amendment if the purpose really be to tax colossal This would add an additional and expensive service to be wealth its just, fair, and equitable proportion by denying to it extracted from the amount of the issue calculated to build the refuge of the tax-exempt security. The slogan, "Stop the the contemplated. improvement. This create additional tax rich from evading taxes " is T"ery popular. Is that the real for tlle people of those communities. Who i benefited? In purpose of the amendment? Let us stop for a moment and con­ this instance there is a minimum cost at which the road can sider. be built-the lowest cost. But you have proceeded to add First. If it be the purpose of those who adYocate this measure additional costs with amazing rapidity, so that there will be a to discontinue such securities so that the money will be invested sizable difference between the lowest cost and the cost at in industrial securities, why do they not say so? which the road will actually be completed. This has occun;ed Second. If it be the purpose to so handicap State and munici­ in the financial end of the transaction. The gentlemen who pal securities that, with leNs attractivene. s and advantages, the wish tax-exempt securities eliminated control that end. interest rates can be dictated by the financiers of Wall Street The reciprocal provision of this amendment permitting the in order to make them salable, why do they not say so? States to tax Federal bonds to be issued in the future is bun­ Third. If it be the purpose to so detract from these securities combe, pme and simple. Nothing is more remote than the issu­ that they will no longer find a ready market, and the issues ance of further bonds by the United States Go,ernment. must be marketed by these same gentlemen who now seek to tax While I am unalterably opposed to prohibiting the issue of them and make them less attractive to the purchaser, why do tax-exempt securities, I would energetically support an equi­ they not say so? table law prohibiting any individual, firm, partnership, cor­ Fourth. If it is the purpose to prevent the Federal Govern­ portion, or combination from holding more than a stated ment, the >arious States, and the municipalities from engaging amount of such securities. This would insure a wider distri­ in what has been regarded as the sanctum sanctorum of private bution of such issues and prevent hoarding money in such in­ business-the building of elevators, furnishing heat, light, and vestment solely with the object of evading taxation. power, transportation, and other essentials of UTban civiliza­ FURNITURE I " THE HOUSE OFJnCE BUILDING. tion-why do they not say so? Fifth. If it be the purpose of those advocating this measure l\lr. CLARK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I desire to ask unani­ to compel the various States issuing bonds for road-build­ mous consent that I may proceed for one minute on a matter ing purposes t.o so embarrass the sale of those bonds by re­ of great interest to the House. moving the tax-exempt feature in order to retard the road­ The SPEAKER. The gentleman from Florida ask·· unaui­ builcling program, and by so doing minimize the competition mou consent to proceed for one minute. Is there objection? that they are developing to the railroads of our country, why There was no objection. do they not say so? Mr. CLARK of Florida. l\fr. Speaker, while this Hou.~e Sixth. If it be the purpo e to remove the guaranty of an in­ seems to be in the way of' liberalization, I want to suggest terest rate not in excess of 6 pei· cent for farm-loan purposes, that for a long time-and I am not so old, either-there bas to destroy the farm-loan banks and compel farmers to go into been a rule, as I understand, which forbids Members of Con­ the open market for money at market rate ·of intere t, why do gress l1aYin°· a couch or lounge or something on which they they not say so? might re8t for a few minutes in their offices if they desire to My own State, having authorized $50,000,000 of such bonds to do so. That I regaTd as a reflection on the integrity and tl1e be sold during the course of the next few year , I can not see honor of the membership of this House, and I wanted to raise my way clear to lend my vote to raise the rate of interest which tbi question now, Mr. Speaker, in order that the commission we will have to pay or to restrict the market that there is for having charge of that building might take into consideration those securities under present conditions. the question of allowing the Members who desired it the But, gentlemen, I do charge that such things as I have pri\ilege of having some convenience there if they desire to e11umerated are susceptible of accomplishment, and are easily rP!'t for a few moments some time during the day. [Appl.o::tu e.] possible, with tlhe proposed amendment in force. CONDITIONS I . I ao quite certain, however, that if either or all of the above The Sl'EA.KER. By the previous order of the House, the propositions had been presented to you as arguments for the gentleman from Wi consin [.Mr. FREAR] i recognized for one adoption of this amendment it would have received but scanty hour. consideration. It is indeed cleverly masked. If I can analyze l\lr. FREAR. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous con.., ent to ex­ the sentiment of the membership of this House, there is an tend my remarks in the RECORD. overwhelming desire to place taxation on the sources best able Tbe SPEAKER. The gentleman from Wi consin asks unani­ to bear the tax:. mous consent to extend his remarks in the RECORD. Is there I can not approve of a policy which will deliver into the objection? hands of the capitalists controlling the money markets the There was no objection. power to dictate the rates of interest at which my constituents RUSSI~ can secure money for permanent physical improvements of their TWENTY GOVERNi\IEINTS lN E UROPE ANO ASIA H.\VE TRADE RELATION"S WITH localities. UUSSIA-EIGHT THOUSAND MILES WERE TRAVELED DURCNG AUGUST AND If the people of Wheeling, or Fairmont, or Grafton, in the SEPTE.\fBER, 1923, TO ASCE RTADI CO:\'DITIOJ\S IN RUSSIA-THE FA\:TS State of West Virginia, wish to build a road or a school and STATED AND CONCLUSIONS DRAW!\ SPEAK FOR THEMSEL\' ES. thus add to the capital of their respective community, and the Mr. FREAR. l\ir. Speaker, from out of the confused tangle proposal is submitted to a vote of those concerned and recei>es of contradictory reports that have filled the columns of repu­ an indorsement of the necessary two-thirds majority, indicating table magazines and new papers in recent years regarding their desire for ·and willingne s to pay for the new roadway or Russia the average citizen has little definite understanding of school, I believe they should be permitted to secure the neces­ the merits of the case. sary money as the result of a bond issue under the most favor­ On one side persistent propaganda pictures a great unwiel<.ly able conditions. Such permanent physical improvement-the government floundering in the hands of a torchbearing anar­ only enterprise for which they are entitled to issue municipal chistic group, with visions of the French revolution being bonds, by sanction of two-thirds majority of tlrn people con­ daily enacted in the streets of Petrograd ancl l\loscow. Law~ cerned-are assets and capital not only to the community but lessness and disorder throughout Russia are represented to th?. to the Nation. mind by news correspondents from Riga, Warsaw, Berlin, and T he bonds issued will be paid. They have the best obtain­ news writers in New York, all outside of Russia, whose imagi­ e should be held responsible for property owners of a given locality. The Nation is benefited to the wild, unfounded tales that emanate from these . the extent of the tax which purely industrial specula tions must Contradicting such reports comes an occasional sweeping bear. Why should additional taxes be heaped not upon the denial from those who have been to nu sia lately, against their bonds but upon the people? With a tax-exempt security they di covery of any existing anarchy, nihilism, or lawless com­ could find a ready market at 4 or 4! per cent. By eliminating muni m, all confused terms and equally menacing to many the tax-exempt provision they would have to return a suffi­ minds. Men who have visited Russia this year come back ciently higher income to recompense for the amount of tax without loss of life, even with bodies intact, which we are they bear in order to meet competition and to find a market. prone to ascribe to a miraculous dispensation of Providence At best, the market would be difficult to find. At least, the rather than to natural causes. interest rate which the people would be compelled to pay would Charges that the propaganda against Russia ls promoted immediately advance from 4! to 6! or 7 per cent. by the holders of many millions of Russian bonds floated 1923. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 257. by New York banking concerns during the war, which the and that to-day life and liberty, as the average Russian defines present Government refuses to pay, are incredible to the · uberty, are about as safe in the great Slav country as in the average understanding. Those who make the charges are cle­ business centers or farthermost parts of other countries and nounced as communists and soviets, who should be deported far greater than ever found under czarist rule. But before because forsooth the woods of our own country are full of peo­ expressing conclusions, let me give a brief picture of the situa­ ple ready to take up the torch against what the communists tion we found, which · I believe will appeal to the average un­ of Russia term a "capitalistic government." That misguided prejudiced, disinterested visitor to Russia to-day. people and sensational writers exist here and abroad we all FACTS OR PROPAGANDA. know, and to ascertain the facts without being influenced by What are the actual facts regarding Russfa? Are they truly extremists on either side is no easy task. represented by anti-Russian or pro-Russian propaganda? Are WE WENT TO RUSSIA TO LEARN CONDITIONS. the communists of Russia preparing to convert the world to It was to get a normal, first-hand view of actual conditions their theories and does danger exist in our own country from that I went to Russia. Frankly, I did not know and had not such teachings? Is Russia to be taken into the sisterhood of attempted to learn recent Russian conditions from the press or nations on equal standing? Will that country regain or sur­ books, because all were alleged to be prejudiced pro or con. I pass its pre-war prestige, and what is its future? In my state­ had no distinct idea whether Chicherin, one of the famous ments I do not assume to represent the opinions of others, but diplomats of Europe, was the name of a Russian drink or of a give individual impressions for your consideration. Russian official. Lunachasky, I may have believed, was the It is proper to suspend judgment until a picture is presented name of a two-cylinder horse car distantly related to the of the country and its people. From the highest official to the drotsky; although a little intelligent reading would have made lowest peasant and worRman, they seem intelligent, hospitable, clear that this was· untrue, because one of the famous writers, and generous to a fault, but the question naturally arises, what dramatists, and organizers of modern days is the man who sits other worthy traits do they possess; for hospitality, generosity, at the helm of Russia's educational work. and kindliness do not alone make good citizens or a strong I was not conscicus of any personal bias in the matter and country. am not now. A natural sympathy for the oppressed may Senators LA.no and Kr:r-;G and I were invited by Albert Jo.l:ln­ have given my mind a feeling of pity for the Russian people, son, an agricultural expert of New York, to accompany him . alleged to be exploited by a few communist leaders, who during and Frank Oonnes, interpreter for the of New semilucid intervals laid down their torches in Russia in order York, on a trip through Russia this last summer. George Bow-en, to send over tons of third international literature and shiploads a medical student of this , accompanied us as secretary, and of torchbearers to propagandize America. Don Levine, a brilliant young news writer. joined us at Berlin. However, I never stopped to analyze my understanding or How did the trip originate and what conditions were imposed? lack of understanding of the subject, because the term " pro­ A natural question. Johnson and Oonnes had made a remark­ Bolshevist '' burled at innocent spectators is more disturbing ably comprehensive survey of Russian conditions two years than the term "radical" frequently emanating from the same before in connection with the Near East Relief Association's source. In order to set aside any misgivings at the outset, let great work during the famine. Johnson as an agricultural me say that after looking the ground over as comparatively few expert and Conness as an expert interpreter, familiar with people have been permitted to do in recent years, I find myself many languages, gave pen pictures of Russia's necessities to not a convert to any of the principles of Bolshevism, men­ a Senate committee, and of suffering and hopeless conditions . hevism, nor communism, nor other "isms." Yet I believe at that time which were hard to comprehend and almost im· those who sweepingly condemn the form of government possible to believe. Two years elapsed, arrd these two men are generally without correct information or knowledge of proposed to the Hearst news syndicate that an unofficial com­ that government. mission be sent to Russia without incurring any obligations OPINION OF HIGH AUTHORITY. from the Russian officials; and with the aid of Johnson and Probably no man had a better understanding of the funda· Connes, who had previously traveled 7,000 miles throughout mentals of government or had made a more comprehensive or western and southern Russia, it was believed a fair under­ exhaustive study of American political and governmental activ­ standing of conditions might be had without other guides or ities than Lord Bryce, ambassador recently representing Great interpreters than were with our own party. The purpose was Britain in this country. His American Commonwealth is on impartially to ascertain the facts. t'he shelf of every man who desires to know the weak links OUR COMMISSION FROM MR. MERRILL. as well as the strong ties that bind our Government together. I have had conferences with men in the past, with commis· In 1922 Lord Bryce published a work on modern democracies, sions to propose, almost invariably tied to a string of conditions. in which he said of the soviet government: The findings of any such commission on Russia would be of little value and its report without merit, due to directing in­ It is not necessarily connected with Bolshevism or any form of fluences, conscious or unconscious, that invariably affect such communism and deserves to be studied apart from any doctrines on its investigations. own merits. • * • If we imagine such a constitution honestly worked in an inte]ligent and educated people, by men desiring only the In the case of our Russian trip the highest tribute I can pay common weal, it would have two merits; the one that of helphlg the Mr. Bradford Merrill, manager of the Hearst news system, is to best talent of the nation to rise to the top; the other that of enabling say that he increased our confidence in the high character of the opinion of the whole nation to be promptly ascertained without the metropolitan press officials generally, for I firmly believe when cost and delay of a general referendum ; for the same issue could be they really want the truth no personal views of theirs are asked simultaneously propounded to all the local soviets and their answers by them to be submitted, but just facts with logical deductions forthwith transmitted to headquarters. to be drawn from those facts. This is all that Mr. :Merrill asked in the few moments we Bryce is a recognized authority, but as his own Government were together. "Get the facts. We have no interests to serve. of England would never adopt the soviet system for all-suffi­ You are free to go where you will, form your own conclusions, cient reasons, so it will never be acceptable in our democratic but get the facts without coloring." With this simple commis­ form of government, to which it is diametrically opposed. sion and with J'ohnson in charge to look after arrangements, It is for Russia to e::A.rperiment with, and it is for the Russian we entered Russia from Poland, traveling to l\1insk and Mos­ 11eople, not' our own, to accept or reject or materially modify. cow, where we stopped for a week or more to study the educa· We have an orderly, constitutional way of settling matters in tional system, industrial proposals, judicial procedure, finan­ this country, and I firmly believe always will have, unaffected cial and religious problems which confront Russia. There we by any of the. various " isms " that are floating around in Rus­ met all sorts of people without guide or hindrance, from arch­ sia; and yet, with her past centuries of repression and oppres­ bishops and other churchmen of various denominations to the sion, her wars and destruction of life and property, he:i; suffer· different commissars, who correspond to our Cabinet officials, ing from famine, her unprecedented political and economic and from these to the cooperative organizations, students, work­ problems, her ostracism by the world-nay, more, her added men, peasants, and peo1'1e of all classes to be met in , difficulties through the efforts of many nations by force to de­ for to many people Moscow is Russia. termine her internal affairs; from all these facts it is certain With a railway mandate authorizing our car fo bE> hitched in my humble judgment, that our form of government would on any train, freight or passenger, and with every car, drotsky, be a hopeless method at this time with which to solve Russia's and other conveyance paid for by the news syndicate, we were problems. Let me say at the outset that a dozen yea1·s hence advised by the officials to see anything and everything, the there is every indication to my mind that Russia will have good and the bad, without restriction or limitation, and to re· taken her place among the first of the nations of the. world, turn prepared to talk frankly, fo1· the Russian officials con· LXV-17 -·

258 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. DECEMBER 13,

fessed that many mistakes had been made and conditions were six hundred and eighty-nine industries, large and small, were in far from perfect or what they hope for when normal living con- operation, \Vhile of 095 stores doing business, 74 were Go\·eru- ditions are resumed. ment owned and 56 cooperatives, all others tnclividually owned, xuosE "u,ooo sonn AGE:-ernment. This was the heart of the fam:nc which we were to be met by 15,000 soviet agents who would guide us swept the Valley. One hundred and forty-four thousand through Russia.. An additional cipher more or less does not seven hundred and seventy-eight died in this Pro\bce in eight deter the propagandist. Not one agent ought to or would ha·rn months, and 342,433 left the country due to the famine. Kazan, been permitted to guide us. We told the soviet officials we the capital of the Tartar , is rebuilding, reconstructing, wislleu to travel unhe.raldeaid for by us we traveled trict in which 180,000 men are employed. The number will be 7,000 miles and never missed a connection, coming in one day increased each year according to the industrial plan sent out ahead of schedule, having changed the itinerary a dozen times from l\los'?ow and directed by Lomov, one of the strong men of during the trip. Another 1,000 mile was added in travel from the Government. 0 Mo~cow to Petrograd and 1:1- .t~ Hel~ingfor ' ~ii;iland, and 0! For example, an iron factory we visited that now employs various conveyanc~s when "Y1 itlilg nllages, .nu~ng towns, 011 1,200 men will have 4,000 employees by 1926, according to plans, ~elds, the mountam C?untries, and .~very distn~at of e easspe~inal and thesP, plans are reasonably certain to be carried out. mterest from the DaltLc to the Black and S'ns1?1 11 ~ ' d j Round about, during the war, revolutionary bands roamed all from Poland to the Urals over on the Sibernm s.icle. The over plannin"" to rescue the Czar whose fnm"Iy had been , the Volga region, tbe wonderful <:~uca us, higher 3.?d j brought here for safe-keeping. without waiting ;or orclers the . more rugged. than l\lount ~lane, ~hese we vi ited and. talked with Iocul officials decided to encl the struggle over the Romanoffs the pe~ple high and low, with prie.st a~d peasant, with boat:nen 1 and exec:uted the entire family in a small residence \\hich we an<.l .railroad worker, those down~ 1~ ·~mnes.' a~d on locomotive~. visited. The execution was consistent with czarist practices, eling facili.ties we covered on the nill'ht of our arrival by a cafe band whicl1 at had co\ered more than the orclmary person could reach m eight once struck up So0usa's "Stars and Stripes" and 1a'ter ''Alex:- months. . . ander's Rag 'l'ime Band." 1 lany tbmgs we saw, and much we ~1.d not see, but no ob- Over 2 000 students are in the Ekaterinberg University and sta~le was found an~.':her~. ~Y~ry .facility was offered to us~ 00 prima~·y schools furnish educational facilities for this 1little w~~le tw? able ~e 11 can lilterp~eters, botll of whom wer~ fa city, the headquarters for aquamarine stone, the topaz, and millar with Russia and ~ad Yis1ted the .cou11 try everal tunes other semivaluabJe Ural stones known the world over. be~ore, gave us an unrivaled opportumty to see and learn Chelybinsk is another lively city, just over the Siberian thmg · border. Good schools are found here as in Ekaterinberg, and WORK, NoT PLAY. we saw wild drotsky driYers who kept their hor es on a keen I have only one complaint to lod 0 ·e again t my col1eagues on gallop in attempts to beat a fl.ivver of the vintage of about 1910. the committee--Senators LADD and KI~G . The highest praise l\Iany demonstration farms are maintained by the Government be. towed during my years of service in Congress came from in this Province. One of these we inspected 10 miles out in Jim l\lann, . who once said whatever small success had been the country, where the floors of the stable, without exaggeration, achieved came through hard work. No one ever approached were swept and washed as clean as many home in our own Mann ·in this particular for laborious and continuous grind. country, while the threshing crew on this 5,000-acre farm would Speaker GILLE'lT, with a similar argument, compelled accept- haYe belied all pictures of Bolshevists seen in cartoons. Not ance of an undesired task respecting the aircraft inve tigation one of the crew numbering 20 or more had whisker , for in by saying he knew it required thankless work that must be I the Slavic country, as elsewhere, women are whiskerless, and per.formed. tbe crew was entirely composed of women. Few demonstra- I speak of this, not in a smug fashion, when chronicling the tion farms in this country can compare with this fine farm fact that I have a personal log containing over 100 closely writ- way off on the edge of Siberia. Senator LADD said so, and he, ten pages covering incidents and interviews with many people like myself, claims to be some farmer. at cities and vi ited. but that Senat(lrS LADD and KING TURXING THE SWORD INTO PLOWSHARES. never failed to perform their full share of the work, and I found myself pressed to the limit to keep up with the pace set is 8 miles over the border in Russia. A factot·y by these distinguished statesmen. We formed individual con­ that. employed 16,000 hands during the war, turning out guns. clusions and examined matters for ourselves, separately or to­ shells, and other nece ·ities, is now used for. manufacturing gether, as each preferred to do. shovels, rakes, hammers, saws, and useful tools that are regen­ Early in tbe summer I had visited France, Switzerla.nd, includ­ erating a devasted country. In other words, the sword literally is being turned into the ploWBhare by Russia. Three thousaud ing the I~eague of Nations' people at Geneva, different place in Italy, Austria, and Germany, meeting many officials and study­ five hundred men are employed in this one factory, but like ing political and economic conditions in the several -countries. other plans the number will be rapidly increased each :rear Thf' information gathered was helpful by way of comparison to meet the imperati">e needs of tl1e people. When in the home when traveling throu,;h Uussia. and incidentally let me say that of one of the workmen named Fidler, I drummed a few chords no American will find in all Europe any place that invites com­ on an open piano from "America." an air that grow in value by parison with our own country. The only way to appreciate wa-y of comparison with all others the longer you are a way from our country. Fidler smiled intelligently and said to our in­ the blessings we enjoy her~ is to see Europe. terpreter he always liked to hear the tune " God save the GLIMPSES Oll' RUSSIA. King." · l\Iay I ask you figuratively to travel with me across the great Mr. LINTIIICUM. Had you played the " Star-Spllllgled 1\Iuscovite country and glance at places we visite.d? Banner," our national anthem, he would not hav-e said that. After several days in Poland we entered at Minsk, near the l\1r. FREATI. In Zlatoust, ·as eTerywhere visited, the people Poli h border, which was once the scene of long, hard fighting. expressed their gratitude for the help given by America t\Yo It is also a center for JE:wish relief distribution and the capital years ago during the famine \."\'hich reached even to Zlatou r. of White Russia, one of four Republics comprising the Soviet 'l'he American H.elief Association saved many hundreds of thou­ Government. In Moscow we spent a number of days, for, like sands of lives in the Volga region alone. \Va hington, it is the seat of government from which radiates With a brief stop at , another city of historic interest, all the lines that hol

RUSSIAN WORKME~ BEFORE THE WAR, kept on half rations and, grown sullen with harsh treatment, breaks his bonds and runs l'ampant. To tempt the creature A word may be offered as to the workmen who are variously with wisps of hay or seek to bind him with wisps of straw is to estimated in the railways. mines, and factories to reach be­ invite destruction to all within reach. Confronted by over a tween three and four million employees. Among these are hundred million people breathing the air of liberty for the first found a large number of the 400,000 communists who are said to time in history, the communists held out a substantial promise rule Russia. Again one must revert to conditions before the of lands to the peasant, better wages to the workmen, and better war under which these workmen lived to find their background living conditions, eery clted. To use one 0.1. Tol toi's descriptions- department of goyernment. Living under conditions far wor e than those or dray horses, yet RUSSIA, AKCIENT AND l\fODEP.N. only complaining of insufficient accommodation in the room where they What of Russia's pa.st cruel governments that the Bolsbe\iks warm themselves. What a feeling of torture to men who never get finally displaced? Russian history dates far back into the early enough sleep · and who are balf frozen, when in~tead of resting and centurie . Many tribes were brought together by great Russian being warmed, they have to creep on the dirty floor under the shelves ar.d rulers, who gradually combined the Finns and Lapps in the then in the stuffy vitiated air become weaker and more broken down. north, the Poles in the west, the Tartars on the east, and the I have only gh-en an extract of conditions set out at length Caucasians, Armenians, and other races on too south. until ame.ng some of the wor1.."!Ilen not far removed from the slavery after many wars all were molded into a government that of serfdom. · In order to keep the operatives in subjection, it is through all the centuries was continuously ruled by the swords reported that in 1912, tbe year before the war, the Russian of the Czar's minions. workel's in 4,245 establishments paid 4,000,000 fines aggregating Ivan the Terrible, wbo centuries ago put out his enemies' eyes $3;)0,000. for amusement and who celebrated his reign by executing 3,470 Another writer says of that period- people in the Red Square, was only one of mariy of the rulers preceding Peter the Great. Peter was succeeded by Catherine, the sanitary and hygienic conditions of the Russian factory are hor­ his wife, and several other Peters and Pauls divinely appointed . rible. Men, women, and children sleep side by side on wooden benches by themselves. Then came the Nicholases and Alexanders who in damp and crowded barracks, sometimes in cellars, often without reign~d until 1900, when Russia through conquering wars window. reached from the Arctic to the Caspian and Black Seas, :mu Laws punishing strikers and other harsh measures, some of from Germany on the west to the Pacific on the east. Siberia, which were later modified, all served to make the worker as with the l\Iongols and Tartars, were all thrown together with bHter and dumbly protesting as the peasant in the fields. the Slav , Jews, Poles, and other races. \Vars were fought WORKMEN AND COMMUN1SM. with neighbors on th~ east, south, and west. Russia at that When the blow fell and the fear of the army and of the Czar time seemed the greatest and most powerful of all tlle coun­ wa gone these peasants and workers revolted and those who tries in the Eastern Hemisphere. were in their way stood no more chance than did the aris­ The Japanese war disc-losed its internal weakness, and when tocracy in the French Revolution. When communism pointed the European war broke, the lack of national spirit, bitterness out that the Czar's many palaces and the great wealth that bad of internal dissensions, . and rottenness of the Government's been hoarded in a few hands was theirs within reach they administration had become notorious not only to the world at became communist supporters and were as harsh in their terms large but also to the Russians. and treatment of their oppressors as their oppressors had been THE PROBLEM. with them. Statisticians will tell you how many million men were killed, It bas been said that the revolution would have come without how many wounded, and how many never again were heard Lenin or Trotski or other leaders who now are conspicuous in from in the Russian Army from the time Czar Nicholas mobi­ the Soviet Government, as it has been said that the present lized his army in 1914, answering Franz Joseph of Austria, Government is strongly established and would continue to exist, down to March, 1917, when the peasants and workmen over­ even though Lenin and Trotski and many other leaders were threw the old Government. Statisticians do not attempt to dropped out to-morrow. describe the sufferings among the peasants and workmen during This may well be believed, because when conditions are ripe that war. They can not estimate the smoldering revolting leaders arise in every crisis, as in our own wars and in other spirit with which millions forced under arms Raw a weak, great revolutions against tyranny; but after studying conditions grafting Government throw their brothers into the bogs and before the war and conditions now it is simply marvelous that marshes by hundreds of thousand without regard for lives of the revolt following the was not a lasting men who had -always been kept in subjection. When the people carnival of crime, followed by a gradual breaking up of the released from the war stretched their muscles, figuratively, they great Russia for years thereafter. Two elements have entered found leaders under a provisional government ready to take into the resurrection of Russia-the level-beaded understanding control. of the Slav, the Jew, the Caucasian, the Tartar, and all who Nicholas II abdicated March 16, 1917, and the Kerensky make up the population of the Muscovite country, and the firm government assumed power. grip of the communist leaders who are believed to have kept The Kerensky government was between two fires. On one their pledges to the people. side the old Czarist Russians still dreamed of the return of the 264 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. DEOEMBEU 13, monarchy, and on the other the Bolshevists had no faith in the WHAT THE SOVIET GOVERNMENT FACED. so-called bourgeoise, because it was claimed they owned the I have briefly described conditions up to two years ago in capital, by means of which they eA'})loited the workers. The order that you may understand the problems that faced the issue was made clear by Lenin within a month after the Ker­ new Soviet Government. Our .Southern States were slow to en. ky government . ucceedeu the Czar, when he declaimed be­ recover from the Civil War. Fifty years after the peace at fore tbe : Appomattox many traces still remained of that conflict. Russia We do not need such a republic as exists in other countries, a repub­ saw the same kind of a frightful war, lasting five to six years, lic with functionaries, police, and a permanent army. I consider that supplemented by an equally frightful famine. Widespread <>ur provisional government emanates from the capitalists. I will be disease still lingers, for it is only three years since the last asked, "Therefore rou are against go>ernment? " No ; this is a sounds of battle were stilled and two years since the worst i;:lander. On the contrary, a government is necessary, but it must be famine in all its history left its frightful trail. the firmest revolutionary government. The monarchist government had failed the people. For years men bad fought and died to secure greater opportunity for I have quoted the above to give in a nutshell tlle schisms better government for the people. Some slight concessions bad in the revolutionary forces and tlleir cause. That Lenin modi­ been granted before Nicholas II cast his fortunes with the fied bis views on armies, police, property rights, and com­ Allies, but the cause was discredited by his wife, who was munism is no part of the discussion hei'e. He had an idealistic believed to be connectell with intrigues to overturn her hus­ communism to offer the people, whereas Kerensky could only band' plans. go half way. Lenin's extreme views were changed aftet· he The communi ts furnished a vehicle for collecting into one was given responsibility, proving the old story that it i .easier cohe"iYe group all di cordant elements with their racial and to criticize than satisfactorily to execute. ·religious prejudices, their deep-seated hatreds for the class On May 3, 1917, the army revolted and refu ed longer to that had held them so long in bondage-hatred by a people who fight against Germany and Austria on the ground that it was had suffered tortures of a living bell, if half the tales told a war of conquest. are true. From that day until November, J917, when the Kerensky gov­ It is not necessary to approve or disapprove such a govern­ ernment was overthrO"wn, the is ·ue was drawn between th~ ment, nor i · it pos ·ible to compare it in any way to our own. property or capitalistic class, as it was called, and the Bolshe­ We are now dealin°· with Rus ~ ia and its existing Government. Yiks, who were com po ed of pea. ant , workmen, and many M:r. BLANTON. I understand the gentleman asserts that soldiers of the disbanded army. the so,·iet is controlled by 400,000 communists. THD PATH OF REAL WAR. l\1r. FHEAR. Just ask a question, and I will answer. No region of Europe, we were told, except t he northern part l\Ir. BLANTON. If that is true, then the most astounding of France. has suffered devastation from the civil war which thing that has occurred over there is an autocracy where followed comparable to tllat which swept over l\Jinsk and White 400,000 men can control 135,000,000. Hu. sia.. We saw this country on cro sing the Polish border l\Ir. FREAR. If that is the question, let me say that before with many remains of the conflict. Buildings battered with the Soviet Government came int'o power one man controlled all shells and their accompaniment of fire, and similar ruins later of Russia. [Applause.] The Czar's word was an edict, and were seen all over Russia. \Vbile the border country saw hard after the overthrow of the Czar's r~gime they brought' back and continuous fighting, the same fierce conflict and complete from Siberia to Russia 80,000 men, women, and children who wiping out of villages and living things came to the entire peo~ had been banished by the Czar. The Czar banished many ple with tJ1e civil war that followed the exit of Kerensky. I bi hops and priests. If a priest dared say anything against the \Ya told thnt about two·thirds of the village of White Ru ·sia Czar's r~gime, he was liable to banishment; if be dared say he were burned, and nearly all of the ·attle and hor. e · were was opposed to vodka, from which the Government derived a killed or driven off. revenue, he was liable to be banished. Twenty-eight bishops We traveled over the Slav country in our 8,000-mile journey. were banished by the last Czar, and innumerable priests were and in practically every city the standinO' walls left by fire. also banished. We all know that 400.000 communists could not sometimes by shell fire, the desh·oyed railways, lights, sewer­ go-rern or control 130,000,000 people for a moment if they were age plants, and waterworks left these cities facing tremendous not giving them better government. But that is what they are tasks of reconstruction. There were stone railway bridges fre­ doing. Tiley are saying to the peasants, " For tlle first time in quently with only a few spans remaining. Fighting trenche!' all history you are going to have your lands to bold for your­ still exist all through the Volga region und out into Siberia selves and your heirs." And they are giving them other rights where Kolchak or Denikin or Wrangell'· men left their de truc­ which they never bad before. The peasants are saying, in effect, tive trail. These White soldiers, includin~ tllc Polish soldiers, "We are willing to accept this Government on probation; we are were largely financed by the Allies after Kerensky came into putting you on record, and the continuance of this Government po,Yer and long after his exit. depends on the good record you make." That is the extent of It was hard to accept all the tales of wanton destruction of government they are surrendering to the 400,000 communists, life and property. From 1918 to 1920 all Russia seemed to be assuming that they are all communists. But of course they a l.mt tle ground, when the people fled before advancing armie~ are not. as from a scourge. Fathers fought again t sons, particular1.v l\Ir. WARD of Nortll Carolina. You have spoken about the in tlie Don Co ack country, where White troops were composed distribution of the lands · among the pea ants. Where was the of the old famous Czar's co. sack riders. l\len were burned in title to those lands before this Government made the distribu­ the s treets and children killed in the merciless warfare, while tion? Was it public or private property; and if private prop­ \Yomen were victims of all the crimes of which drunkeu, erty, what compensation was given for it? licentious, looting soldiers are capable. llujinney and other Mr. FREAR. Two million acres belonged to the Czar, and told u these shocking tales, all much alike. Finally the White 165.000,000 acres belonged to the nobles and other , including oldiers were driven out and the peasants gathered around tile the 2,000,000 acre owned by the Czar. The gentleman a ks smoking embers of their homes. It seemed that nothing more what compen ation was given. No compensation was gi\·en­ could come to a distressed, harassed people whose young man· no more than we gave when we confi cated the property of hoou had been taken away by five or six years' almost con­ Torie , who left us in the days of the Revolution. I am not dis­ tinuous warfare on a great battle field during the revolution cu sing the ju tice or injustice of it. where every community became a war-storm center, swept wit!I l\Ir. LIN'L'HIGCM. I would like to have the gentleman go ue:truction and desolate beyond description. into the system of government a little further, if he will. War is usually accompanied by disease and other calamities Ur. FREAR. I will explain that briefly. \VllicL follow in its trail. In 1920 came the great famine that THE SOVIET GOVER:-IMElNT ORGANIZATION. continued through 1921, only two years prior to our visit. Figures mean little in describing such horrors; 3,000,000 lives Ko extended discus ion of tbe present soviet organization were lost through starvation and disease in the Volga region c"an be offered at this time, but in order to understand the alone ; the weaker ones went first. Women and children who Government's powers, its distribution of re pon ibility an

border, which includes two autonomous Republics of 54 counties Chicherin speaks English :fluently, as does Krassin, who looks, and 609 towns in .Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia. Third, the talks, and dresses like any ordinary business man. Trotski, Ukranian Republic of 53 counties and 706 towns, including the like Chicherin, is known throughout Europe for his ability, great agricultural district around Kiev, Karkof, and Odessa. one as an organizer the other as a diplomat, and no one fa­ Fourth, White Russia, a small district adjoining Poland with miliar with the facts will seek to discredit either by their Minsk for its principal city. looks or abilities, much as we may differ from their views on Politically administered, first, come the All-Russian Congress communism, in which views Cbicberin is not an extremist. of Soviets, including members selected by electors of the towns The same is true of others we met-Yakovenke, commissar of nnd counties under the constitution, and who in turn select; agriculture; Sokolnikov, commissar of finance; Kameneff, the second, an All-Russian central committee of about 360 members, commander; Bujinney, the dashing caYalry leader; and on these select; third. the executive committee; and fourth, the dow.n the line with officials in the various Provinces and cities, uresident, who is now Kelinill, a genuine peasant of marked who, generally speaking, are quiet-spoken, modest-acting men ability. It is undoubtedly a closely knit form of government of plain dress. I believe we were all agreed as to their force and resembles some of the propositions offered when our own and ability, whether they came from the ranks of the peasants, Government was in the process of organization after the Revo­ teachers, or military, from furniture makers or shopkeepers, lution. from railway employees or factory workmen or women. We Seventeen comrnissarats, corresponding to our President's met throughout Russia many officials-judges and others in au­ Cabinet, includes heads of the different departments of foreign thority, coming from all these classes-and, generally speaking, affairs. internal affairs, foreign trade, finance, justice. educa­ they were as normal in actions and appearances as those of tion, labor, economics, railways, agriculture, army and navy our own land or of other countries I visited. If occasionally workers. and peasants' inspection, social service, and other one would appear to IJe different, it only prm·es the rule ; but in branches of government. The constitution, which is attached to ability to fill the position for which selected I

l\Ir. GARRETT of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, will the gentle- death and shot as a spy. John Andre and Wraggs are on either man yield? side of Wesley. Both lost their lives for their Kin()' and one. Mr. FREAR. Yes, certainly. like hundreds of others, lost the property he po se ss~'d througl~ l\h'. GARRETT of Tennessee. The gentleman referred w the confiscation, a small sacrifice indeed when compared to life. fact that raw materials were needed. THEN AND Now. 1\Ir. FREAR. Their industries are working only about 35 per cent of full capacity, largely due to lack of raw materials. That occurred nearly a century and a half ago, when tl1e Mr. GARRETT of 'J'ennessee. And the gentleman mentioned stern hand of war slew enemies and confiscated enemy prop- ~pecifically cotton. erty while making this land of ours free and indepenral bil- Goveroment operates the industries? lions of private mortgages and other securities existing before Mr. FREAR. Largely so, but not entirely. They lease a great the war, some of which were held in this country. The same many of them-the sugar factories among others. result occurred in Austria, Poland, and even in France and Mr. GARRETT of Tennessee. Did they confiscate them in Italy, where debts llave been scaled down to thret>-fourths or the first instance? wiped out by cancellation in depreciated currency. Billions of Mr. FREAR. I think so, quite generally. dollars in the aggregate in these European securitie::; now be1 4l Mr. GARRETT of Tennessee. Took them from l1L'irnte in this country haYe been lost to American holders. o-wners? Again, nearly $4,000,000,000 indebtedness by the French Gov- Mr. FREAR. Yes; I so understood in many cases. . ernment to this country is certain to be lost if Germany is Mr. GARREr.rT of Tennessee. Did any of these gentlemen dismembered and reparations fail, while, strange to say, Ameri­ over there say anything about paying us what they owe us? cans who have been most loudly and persuasfrely urging a [Laughter.] cancellation of English, French, and other foreign obligation::; l\lr. FREAR. They said as much about it as the gentleman owing to this country and amounting to ~.tout $11,000,000,000 in · knows France has said. The gentleman knows that France tbe aggTegate, vocife :.: -u.sly protest flgaiust Ru:-:. ia's recognition has not said anything about $4,000,000,000 they owe us. In because she will \lot agree to pay Llonds of a former Govern­ Germany we have lost practically every dollar that was owed to meut amounting to less than 3 per cent of the total amount uue us from private owners because of depreciation in the Yalue from our allies. In one case the deht is national, in the other of the mark. Outside of England and Czechoslovakia, we are the bond ~ are lleld by private hands. simply questioning to-day whether we are going to get anything These instances of direct or indirect confL ~ ation were not. from the other countries of Europe that owe us money-many suggested as precedents, l.Jecau::;e every case ~ tands on its own billions of dollars. Russia is not paying comparatiYely few merits, but from various sources come reminder. that ham creditors for all they had from our Government was less than been briefly discussed. $200,000,000, or thereabouts, on the Bakhmeteff proposition, Russu.'s couNTERCLAIM Paorosu. which I have set forth elsewhere in my remarks. I thillk the Russian Government ought to pay other bonds that were is. uecl Russian officials claim that the $187,000,000 given IJy Arneri­ by the Czar's Government. because the salvation of the Soviet can officials was for a paper govermneut of Bakhmeteff and Government depended on the Allies, whose work on the we:;tern part of this enormous sum was turned over to him afte~· the front protected the Russians from the. Germans at t1lat time. Kerensk~- goYernment bad been deposed. l\Ir. LAGUARDIA. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield? When asked why they urged a counterclaim in this case. Mr. FREAR. Yes; certainly. · the same people, speaking unofficially, said that Russia had . Mr. L.AGU.AilDIA. Did the gentleman ascertain how much of never been at war with America. She had helped us in our tlrn loan made to the Kerensky government by this Government Revolution and her people have always l.Jeen our friends. They ever reached Russia? look upon America as the great advanced agent of civilizatio~. l\Ir. FREAR. Oh, I am grateful to my friend from New York, although they do not agree with all our policies or form of for that money was used to pay American manufacturers of government. munitions of war. None of it ever went to Russia; at least none Specifically stated they claim the Kerensky provisioual goY- to the present Soviet Government so far as we could learn. ernment went into power March 16, 1917, when the Czar \Y!ls Possibly we may have forgotten that in one form or another overthrown. About seven and one-half month thereafter, on the same questiou of confiscation has arisen in the past. and November 7, 1917, the Kerensky government gave way to the then, as now, provoked discussion and difference of opiniou. Bolshevik government, that has remained in continuous poweL· In ·westminster Abbey is an ornamental marble slab erected to for over six years, and up to the present time. John Wesley, founder of a great religious denomination that has On June 9, 1919, and for some month prior thereto (H. R. placed its churches in every hamlet of this land of ours. 132, p. 43, 1919), after having been in power for over a year When I paused to read the inscription several weeks ago I and a half, the Bolshevik government was strongly assailed by chanced to glance at another memorial erected near by to a de- Kolcbak, a counter revolutionist who claimed_to have set up a ceased English patriot by the name of Wraggs, whose sole claim separate government at Omsk, Siberia. On that clay the Allie.· to fame apparently arose through his flight from America durinO' made public a letter to Kolcbak, set forth in the bearings, from the Revolution and confiscation of his property by America~ which is quoted: colonists. 1\Ir. Wraggs, through love for the mother country, The allied and associated powers wish to acknowledge the receipt de erted the Colonies and sailed for England, but was lost in a of Admiral Kolchak's reply to their note of l\Iay 26 (1919). They storm, and the galaxy of renowned military and naval heroes welcome the terms of the reply which seems to them to be in sub­ resting in Westminster w.as thereby increased by one. He stantial agreement with the propositions they have made, and to con­ loved his King, forfeited his property to the colonists, and was tain satisfactory assurances for the freedom, self-government, ano enrolled among those who preferred royalty to the new democ- peace "of the Russian people and their neighbors. They are, there­ racy of .America. So the story goes and the marble monument fore, willing to extend to Admiral Kolchak ancl his associates the speaks for itself. support set forth in the original letter. A few feet to the riglJt of the Wesley slab was also noted a I LLOYD GEORGE. simple marlrnr erected for another supporter of the King, who WILSON. bad been captured by the American Army and, notwithstand-1 CLEMENCEAU. ing many " estimable personal qualities,"_ was condemned to MIKINO. 268 CONGR.ESSION AL RECORD-HOUSE. DEOEl\iBER 13: r The "original letter" is dated l\fay ~6. 1010, and is found loaned to the Kerensky government over $187,000.000 that is on pnges 43 and 4-1 of the hearings. One provision reads: alleged to be a claim against Russia; and third, $75,000,00C of Since the signatul'e of the armistice, on November 11, 1018, they War bonds and $11,000,000 in Russian Government notes is. ued (the Allies ) have kept forces in various parts <>f Russia. Munitions from 1914 to 1917 were bought by innocent holders who paid and supplies have been sent those associated with them at a very full value. consi

270 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-- HOUSE. DECEJ\ffiER 13 '·'

of the average country. The people are devout, and us a l\Ir. FREAR. It is not worth that; it is only worth 5 cents great majority are peasants, it is difficult to believe that any and a fraction in France. The lire is not worth anything here serious opposition now or in the future will be offered by the to-day. Government to restrict worship by the Greek Catholic Church, Mr. BRITTEN. It is worth 8 cents. or those of any other denomination. l\Ir. FREAR. No ; it is worth only four and a fraction cents FORMER PERSECUTIO:"!S BY CHURCH. in Italy. I said the cbervonitz is worth $5 in Russia. Now, Centuries of oppression during which the Greek priests have since learned it is worth nearly par in England. Now, throughout that countr y were said to be representatives of the to answer the gentleman's other question, I did not read Ule Czar, the head of the church, bring back unhappy memories to sign. I heard that there was a sign there. If there is one the comparatively small group of communists who have caused there, I did not see it and never had my attention called to it. the church pendulum to swing in the opposite direction. But I was told many of the atheists do believe that of religion The church was always subservient to the Czar. as we learned there, not religion as in this country but what they term the from recognized spokesmen. Yevdokin, a priest who states he Greek Church superstition, and they feel that in that sense it is not a Bolshevist, is quoted as set forth a few moments ago. is an opiate. I have never beard them express that exact That record, if true, the once famous checka of the com­ thought, however. I can go that far with the gentleman. munist government would find hard to rival. The deportation l\lr. LAGUARDIA. Wi:.l the gentleman yield? of priests and laymen, without trial, always existing under the l\fr. FREAR. Certainly. Czars, has been abolished by the present officials. For cen­ l\1r. LAGUARDIA. The gentleman referred to the oil in­ turies all attempts to reconcile religious differences by brutal dustry. Is that operated by the Soviet Government? force have been profitless, and that fact is as true to-day as Mr. FREAR. The private oil industries were larg-ely taken during the days of the Spanish inquisition, the burning of over by the Government. They have been nationalized. I Jea.nne d'Arc, or of witches in our own country. Bigoh·y and rode around the district with Mr. Morris, an American expert cruelty are evils· existing not alone with the Czars or with theil' oil man, who bad 20 drillers working for the Soviet Govern­ succe sors. ment. He said when they get American methods they are To those who dogmatically insist their particular religion is going to do a wonderful work for Russia and make a surpris­ t11e only true faith I can understand how tbe belief of au In­ ing record. ger oll or of a.ny other atheist or the theory of Darwin is an l\Ir. KUNZ. Will the gentleman yield? unpardonable sin, whether offered to create controversy or hlr. FREAR. I will. sought to be maintained by scientific demonsh·ation. l\Ir. KUNZ. Is it not true that every enterprise over there, Not as a confession of faith but to explain my own stand· e\ery business in Russia, is conducted through the Government? point of reasoning, let me say I am only one of the vast multi­ l\Ir. FREAR. Oh, no; I would not say that at all. tude who feels this money-grabbing, struggling, more or less l\lr. KUNZ. Does the gentleman know? selfish existence of ours is not all, and without arguing with l\Ir. 1',REAR. I do. As I said, specifically, there are V95 Norateva of the foreign office over his disbelief in biblical stores in Kazan, for example, and there are only seventy-odd miracles, none the less I holcl to a faith in things spiritual. stores that are Gol'ernment owned. The industrie are handled In the l\fobammedan mo que I saw the same simple mani­ by the Rus ian GoYernment. Frequently they lease them out festations of faith that were found in the synagogue, and the in specific terms. Some of the men who have had their own faith of priests in the many Greek churche • we visited I had places nationalized by the Government are leasing them back preYiously seen in China by those who knelt in Buddhist to-day, the same places they owned before. My good friend temples. from New York [l\lr. LAGUA.RDIA] speaks about oil. They do No rational being can reasonably beJie·rn that a compara­ not pay any such salaries o\er there as they do here in the tive handful of atlleists in Rus ia will eyer overturn the New Jer ~·ey companies. The salaries of 12 officials of one oil Muscovite's faith in his God, any · more than that a compara­ company here runs over a million dollars in the aggregate. th·e handful of communists will change the economic order That is nearly fifty times as much as all the salaries of all tlle of things throuo-bout the world. It is a matter for Ilussians to commissars of Russia to-day. decide. The 340,000,000 heavenward-bound worshipers of on­ Mr. AS WELL. Will the gentleman yield? fucianism and 240,000,000 bound heavenward Mohammedans l\lr. :b.,REA..R. Certainly. cutnumber the orthodox Christians of the world but live their l\1r. ASWELL. Did the gentleman investigate as to the ois­ mvn liYes without disturbing ours. tribution of congressmen in the Rus ian Government in the dif­ ferent indush·ies~ Is it not true that for every 125,000 farmers MOUALS IN RGSSIA AND AMERICA. there is one congressman, for every 25,000 industrial workers It is sometimes argued that atheism causes Russia's easy there is one congressman, and for every 30 doctors, lawyers, divorce laws. To this charge officials respond that while their and other intellectuals there is also one congressman? )[)any wars broke up or estranged families to an unprecedented Mr. FREAR. With the present representation there is a extent divorce statistics this year do not exceed the per­ difference just the same as to-day in some States here where centages recorded before the war, indicating a reaction back men are not permitted to Yote by local conditions, but the Rus­ to normal living. Practically all the communist leaders Jike siaus are well able to determine their own policies and l>asis Lenin, who has been married 34 years; Norateva, about half of represenatation. the period; and many others, it was stated to me, are living l\Ir. ASWELL. Can the gentleman tell the House whether happily with their wives, while the great mass of the people every 30 lawyers in Russia have a representative in congi'ess composed of peasantry are rarely found in the dh·orce courts. as again t the requirement of 125,000 farmers to have a mem­ Polygamy, they f•1rther pointed out, while recognized by the ber of congres ? world without serious protest when found in Turkish harems Mr. FREAR. I do not know, I am sure. The result may not and among other polygamous people, is prohibited by law in be an unmixed evil. Russia, as it is now in this country, although here it was l\1r. VAILE. I understand from the gentleman's statement openly practiced by one religious sect until prohibited by Fed­ that instruction in governmental science is given these 610,000 eral law. This whole subject opens up an illuminating field for soldiers? argument. l\fr. FREAR. Yes. l\Ir. BRITTEN. Will the gentleman yield? Mr. VAILE. Am I correct in assuming that governmental in­ ~Ir. FREAR. Certainly. struction must be satisfactory to the party in power? Mr. BRITTEN. Did the gentleman observe a big sign over Mr. FREAR. I do not think there is a doubt of it. The the entrance to the Kremlin in which it said that religion was Government will certainly maintain its own theories as we do the opium of the state? I would like to know if my good our own in this country. friend, who is a very careful observer-and I met him in Mos­ cow-brought home with him one of those chervonitz? RUSSIA'S FINANOI!L POLICY. ~Ir. FREAR. No; I did not. l\Iy funds were too nearly Without reiterating the many disasters that have befallen exhau ted. Russia uuring the past decade through wars and famine and l\1r. BRITTEN. I brought one home and it was not worth a the necessity for enormous expenditures in public philanthropie.:!I nickel outside of Russia. It was worth $5 in Russia. and reconstruction under its nationalistic program, the com ~ Mr. FREAR. H is worth $5 in Russia. missar of finance stated to me that a budget deficit of Mr. BRITTEN. The gentleman said it was worth $5 every­ $200,000,000 last year will be reduced to $125,000,000 during tha where else. present year, and at the rate of progress recorded the budget Mr. FREAR. Oh, no; the gentleman misunderstood me. The will be balanced within two years, after which the financial franc to-day is not worth anything here problem will be eliminated. That to-day is necessary to Russia's l\Ir. BRITTEN. Oh, yes; it is worth 6 cents. reestablishment of her business and industries. 1923. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE: 271

Taxation is concededly heavy and can not well be increased met men who had thus leased their own property, and while Other sources of income are bringing in revenues. Notwith­ they made bitter complaint because of the original seizure, standing that large national expenditures due to reconstruc­ they found operation under the lease a profitable proceeding. tion following the war were absolutely necessary and excep­ Nationalized industries are being enlarged on a plan that pro­ tionally heavy, the financial outlook is bright. This is em­ poses to increase the output each year, and practically all lines , phasized by the success of the chervonitz issued by the Russian will have passed the pre-war mark by 1926 if plans materialize. State Bank, which is equal to 10 rubles in gold and equivale11t These plans, which include oil wells, mining, factories, and to about $5 in American money. The State bank, with a other industries, are being developed along these lines all over capital of 5,000,000 chervonitz, had laid aside a cash reserve of the country. $50,000,000, against which, under the law, four times that When factories are leased to private parties the lessee is amount can be issued in circulating currency on a reserve of given a contract, the terms of which we were informed enable 25 per cent. I ha·rn been through the vaults of the bank and him to profitably compete against the Go\ernment-operated have seen gold, silver, English pounds, and American currency factory. said to amount to $50,000,000. I saw more $100 bills than any­ Djzerzhinsky, formerly head of the cbecka, now in charge where, save in our own Government Treasury. To date of railways, is reputed to be a strong, capable man. I did not $100,000,000, in round numbers, we were advised. had been meet him, but his assistant told me that something near 50,000 authorized in chervonitz issues, making possible a legal issu­ miles of railway, if I remember the figures con·ectly, are being ance of double that amount if necessary. As a result, the operated by the Government. After the war, when work ceased, chervonitz is quoted in the money markets of the world at par. the railway was a haven for men temporarily out of employ­ $5, or higher than the English pound. This evidence of con­ ment, as it is to-day in Austria, Germany, Italy, and elsewhere fidence in the chervonitz issued for business transactions by I visited. the Russian State Bank indicates a sound basis for that part The knife has been used to cut down useless Russian rail­ of the Russian :financial system. The ruble, like the German way employees from 1,500,000 to 680,000, the number now em­ mark and the Austrian kroner, will be wiped out without any ployed. Sixty per cent of the railways were owned by the attempt to redeem, from present indications, but the chervonitz Government before the war. Some of these were then operated will remain as good as gold. in new undeveloped sections without profit. Under the process The present Government proposes to repeal the sales tax tht't of nationalization the Government now owns and operates. all was fixed nt 6 per cent last year, reduced to 3 per cent during the roads, but at a loss. This is due in part to several causes. the present year, and is to be superseded by an income tax here­ The roads were in bad shape after the war. Depots, bridges, after to meet the deficit thereby resulting. That in itself shows and tracks were blown or torn up in many cases and in need a return to economic and political sanity. of repair. Rolling stock needed replacing and locomotives were In a word, the Government's economic policy ls being de· old or of little use. veloped on conservative lines, and promises an early return t l I rode on two locomotives in going from Kazan to Ekaterin­ sound financial methods. burg on different occasions. The engineers told me one loco- They have two great cooperative associations in Russia, ·motive had been used for 35 years and the other 28 years. which are the largest in the world to-day, one numbering over The engineers said they were drawing the princely sum of 4,000,000 units, not members but organized units with 27,000 about $20 per month and the helper and fireman received less stores in Russia, and the other maintains 60,000 distributing than that figure. The roadbed, culverts, and bridges, generally stores. speaking, were of a substantial and permanent character. You may ask whether they will be able to place their financial New locomotives and new rolling stock have been purchased, system on a sound basis, and the answer is yes, in my judgment, but due to closed factories, famine, war, and other industrial and I will tell you why. The chervonitz currency issued by the troubles only about 35 per cent of normal freight was hauled state bank is worth $5. in 1922. Fifty million dollars or more went into repairs and Mr. BRITTEN. Where? reconstruction this year. The roads are run for the public and Mr. FREAR. It is worth that in Russia anywhere. It is not for profit, so that numerous excm·sions given peasants to worth more than the English pound. the Moscow exposition at nominal price, and low passenger Mr. BRITTEN. It is not worth that except in Russia. rates generally, enable the people to travel at slight cost. Mr. FREAR. It is worth that there. And let me say that When normal conditions return, it was claimed the railways I went through the vaults and saw $50,000,000, held as a re­ will be placed on a self-supporting basis. serve for the issue. I did not count the bullion, but their state­ COOPERATIVE ORGANIZATIONS. ment showed that amount as stated. Two cooperative organizations, greater than ·any others in 1\Ir. BRITTEN. That is in Russia only. the world, are found in Russia, and both combined have a mem­ Mr. FREAR. Of course; not in England. bership and connections reaching many millions of people. Both Mr. BRITTEN. That is only in Russia. organizations buy and sell for their people and import and ex­ l\1r. FREAR. Just wait a moment -and let me conclude my port goods into and from Russia. statement. I will yield to a question or to two or three then if The Selskosoyus was organized in 1918 as a purchasing agency you desire. They have issued $100,000,000 in chervonitz; that is, for agricultural cooperation. During the recent wars it became they have issued that amount, measured by our exchange, and somewhat dormant but again is reaching out with strong :finan­ they have authority to issue $200,000,000 if they choose. Now, cial backing and an extensive agency system to help the people. that goes current, based on their present cash reserve, every­ Recently one district required Siberian cattle to meet impera­ where in Russia. The ruble is not worth much and the German tive needs, as a result of the loss of all cattle during the war. mark is not worth much, but the Russians have something be­ These cooperative organizations backed by the general govern­ hind the chervonitz. They have two great cooperative associa­ ment :financed the job and brought in 15,000 cattle to start the tions in Russia, which are the largest in the world to-day, one peasants of that Province over again. Eggs, butter, flax, grain, numbering over 4,000,000 units, not members but organized machinery of all kinds are handled by the associations. units with 27,000 stores in Russia, and the other maintains Less than a month ago an ordinary-looking busine s man, 60,000 distributing stores. clean shaven and modestly dressed, came to my office in Wash­ 'Vhile I met men having oil, manganese, potash, asbestos, ington. If his name had been Jones or Johnson, no notice fur, timber, and other concessions, I did not meet any Teapot would have been taken of his personal appearance, because the Dome oil gifts or other grants like those, that from time to Washington telephone directory contains the names of a thou­ time have made men wealthy at public expense in this country, sand Joneses and .Johnsons. But the business man who called and that sometimes gave public officials lucrative positions with on me is named ... Serejniko:ff," which sounds Russian and is those who had been granted such concessions. Russian. The Soviet Government has an objectiop.able way of im­ Serejnikoff was introduced to several Senators, including two prisoning and sometimes an uncomfortable practice of shoot­ possible presidential candidates, both from States as far West ing its ofl:icia.ls who fail to protect the public rights. Such. as Idaho and California, and also to the Sergeant at Arms of powers exercised by the communists will probably never be the House, and I would challenge any detective to disco>er from popular outside of their own country. physiognomy which one of all these good men and true, if any, LEASING AND PROFIT SHARING. is trying to overthrow the world as proclaimed by New York press pronouncements. Serejnikoff, I da.re say, is a duly quali­ The Government has leased some of its industries to private fied communist, having been seized by the Czar's Government parties. This seemed necessary in the case of sugar factories, while a member of the Duma before the war and imprisoned flour mills, and other plants that could profitably be leased or for eight months, because he suggested that peasants ought to worked under a profit-sharing agreement. Frequently the have at least one square meal a day, or something to that effect. property seized has been rented back to the ori'"ginal owner. I Condemned as dangerous for promulgating such no>el doctrines, 272 80NGRESSION AL RECORD-HOUSE. DECEMBER 13, be was transferred from prison to Archangel where he was was charged carry selfishness and acquisitiveness into their banished for two years, returning after the OJ.ar's own trip to national affairs. Siberia. If ~he French should eek to dismember Germany and by A COl\IPAXY WITH 27,000 SOCIETIES. super10r force destroy an unarmed nation, the Russian Govern­ Serejnikoff smiled pleasantly as he related his Arctic ex­ ment may possibly enter the war, as a matter of self protection perience and explained tbe scope of his pre ent work, to which against a country that they believe has imperial designs and I had given some study when I first met him in Moscow. He would become a dangerous neighbor if Germany is destroyed. is tbe foreign manager of the Selskosoyus with its 27,000 socie­ The Slav's psychology is not different from that of other coun­ ties distributed throughout Russia. We saw many of them _in tries and they appreciate that while French soldiers at Verdun our travels. This association has 4,000,000 units and 18,000,000 were invincible, with the sympathy of the world at their backs men, women, and children connected with it and did a business while defending French soil, that the story would be different of over $40,000,000 last year, which figures will be greatly in­ when fighting to secure more territory. creased this year. The soviet army will not easily be drawn into any war in He told me the Centrosoyus, the other cooperative organiza­ my judgment, based on talks with officers and officials, but if tion, was as large or larger than his own and that the two it does enter with such men as Trotski, Bujinney, Kamineff, associations were seeking to serve the manifold needs of the and other well known military leaders, it will give a good Russian people. Serejnikoff did not have whiskers nor pro­ account of itself, according to their predictions. truding teeth while here, or in Moscow, and he is a common Mr. SHERWOOD. Of those 600,000 Russian soldiers, how type of business men we met there. He was trying to arrange many are under pay in Russia? credit with which to aid his organization in this country, but Mr. FREAR. I think they are all under pay, General but had difficulty in interesting those who are ever ready to finance their pay is only nominal. They do not get one-tenth or' pos­ the tribes of Timbuctoo or the Dons of San Domingo, and who sibly one-twentieth, I assume, of what the soldiers receive in thereafter expect the American Navy to be their permanent this country. collecting agency. l\lr. SHERWOOD. Were there any United States soldiers Reverting to the cooperative organizations of Russia that :fighting in Russia after the armistice; and if so, how long? to-day lead the world in membership, in amounts handled, and Mr. FREAR. Yes; there were, as I expect to show later. in economy and efficiency of administration, it may be America On the Archangel front we had 6,000 soldiers, many of them can learn omething from the Russians in that particular, fighting the Bolsheviks in 1919, a year after the armistice ·was whether Bolshevist , communists, menshevik~, or czarists, for signed; these 6,000 American soldiers were with the English they look much like our own people, and have business quali­ soldiers fighting against the Russians, with whom we were sup­ fications as evidenced by their great cooperative organizations. posed to be at peace. Mr. LAGUARDIA. Whom were they fighting? SOHET MILITARY STRENGTH. Mr. FREAR. They were fighting the Bolsheviks, with whom I have seen the soviet army on parade in different places. we were not at war. On the Siberian border we had 8,477 Those against whom they have fought in the past do not ques­ American soldiers, if I remember correctly, of whom 4,000 tion the Russian's fighting qualities. Normally a man of were Illinois soldiers, fighting the Bolsheviks in 1919 over in peaceful occupation, rarely quarrelsome., the Russian neverthe­ Siberia. That was also in 1919. On the south, on the Black Ie s has great staying qualities. Sea, we were sending from this country women and children Judging from the number of soldiers who saw war service on >essels carrying arms and ammunition to Deni.kin, who was as late as 1920, and have since reentered civil occupations, fighting down on the Black Sea against the Bolsheviks in 1919 added to the intensive training short-term enlistments of a before he was succeeded by Wrangell. Kolchak, you will re­ standing army of 610,000 men, the Soviet Government could member, was over in Siberia. I have referred to this before. probably place several million men in the field properly equipped l\Ir. KINDRED. The gentle1""'an has stated in his excellent and ready for business inside of 60 days. Their Cossack address that the Ru sian Government was caring for about Cavalry is famous the world over. We saw them in evolutions. 1,000,000 of the 3,000,000 destitute in that country. They are natural hor emen, well officered, and long experienced Mr. FREAR. One million five hundred thousand, they said. in the art of fighting. The Russian soldier of to-day is also l\fr. KINDRED. Can the gentleman tell us as a result of a thinking machine whose spare moments are given to study bis own observations whether criticisms in the current ptess and political instruction, in addition to his military training. were true that the Government was failing to supply any proper The dull gray costume is not very spectacular, but red coats moral influences to those children, but, on the contrary, were and red pants were also discarded by the British and French even teaching them that there was no God and no sexual long ago, after discovering the enemy was more affected by morality? flying bullets than by flaming colors, l\lr. FREAR. I can not an wer that as an individual state­ The soviet officials neither sought to impress us with their ment, but I will say that among statements I received from military or air forces, nor did they obstruct investigations. I others and statements that have been published by people who saw what appeared to be a thousand or more field guns parked have been there-one by a church bishop-it was to the effect in one place. Like other duties handled by the Government, it that this gentleman said he would be willing to have his is purely a business matter. A fairly large standing army child educated in those schools the same as he would in any is maintained, as was frankly stated, due to the proximity of of tbe schools in this country where we do not have religious the Polish army of 270,000 on the western border partly sup­ teaching. There was no religious teaching there one way or ported by France, as well as an uncertainty and fear as to the other. There were no atheistic or religious teachings in French purposes. the schools, generally speaking. ' If Poland will reduce her army, we will reduce ours," Mr. KINDRED. Is the trend toward the teaching of re­ one of the leading officials said. "We don't want Poland nor ligion to the children there? any territory belonging to any other country. We have plenty Mr. l!...,REAR. In the churches there is a member ·hip of of land and all we want is peace, but if necessary we are 87,000,000 men, women, and children who ~ttend the churches, prepared." and they are the most devout people I ever saw. On the otller The Red army drove out the White armies on the Polish, hand, they have 400,000 atheists; not all communists, but, of Siberian, and Black Sea borders, calling into action the peas­ course, many of them are. Many of them would not really ants who had just laid down their arms, but who answsred know what their religious opinions are, because they do not the summons when their land was in·rnded. The soviets are make any particular study of religion; but 60,000 priests at all now giving careful attention to the peasantry and as long as times are combating atheists, and we need not fear for the the people get good government they will support it. result, in my judgment, when these conditions are found. RUSSIA. DESIRES PEACE. JUSTICE IN RUSSIAN COURTS. Press rumors claim that if France invades Germany, the Any fair discussion of the courts is impossiblE;l within the soviet army will enter the war game. I was not in the con­ brief time afforded, ancl yet I believe in the several courts fidence of the officials who decide such questions, nor would visited in Moscow and other places the people have greater they be likely to show their hand until a crisis arose, but these certainty of administration of justice than in all their past officials desire peace. They will go a long way to avoid a history. The presiding judge of Moscow accompanied us to quarrel, not through fear but because they have definite plans the city courts, where civil and criminal cases were being for rehabilitating Russia that would again be delayed by war. tried. Three judges sat in each court, as they did in Karkov The communistic government is more opposed to war it was and other places. One or two women sat on the bench in insisted than individualistic critics in other countries, who it every case. Sometimes they were.gr1J.duates in law or practi- 1923. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 273

tioners and in every i.nstance close attention was given to the entire family when probability of their release by the White testimony and arguments. troops at Ekaterinberg was imminent. Possibly it is like wearing a new shoe, but I am not sure Tbe ensuing peace brought about with the same iron hand justice is not often as likely to be found in these trials as under seems now firmly established, but the feared checka was abol­ other systems. That does not mean any acceptance of their ished by decree in February, 1922, or nearly two years ago. Ar­ trials of fact by judges, but because justice is often blind and rests by the " Gaypu " police force are still frequent, but officials all systems have their imperfections. There are some argu­ insist that all those arrested are released after an investigation ments in favor of participation by women judges that have or they are given open trial in the courts. much force and women are a permanent part of their judicial Seventy-five per cent of all those arrested, I was advised by system. the investigator at Karkov, were released after trial, a greater In a criminal case we witnessed a judge, without seeking proportion probably than under our own system. In the autono­ to confuse the culprit, questioned in simple manner without mous Georgian Government of the Caucasus, the checka still display of prejudice or emotion. The defendant stood before existed, while we were there, but we were told by responsible the beilch and was closely watched by all three judges, as were officials that this part of Russia which contains several millions the witnesses for the prosecution. out of a total of 130,000 people would also abolish the checka Two contesting parties in a civil case stood before three some time during the present year, following the example of judges in another court. Our own interpreters, accustomed t'o the main Government. court procedure, easily followed proceedings. Both parties had SAFETY IN RUSSIA. their day in court and seemed satisfied with the opportunity to Our party traveled approximately 8,000 miles, sometimes to­ present their case. In Ka.rkov an argument was being pre­ gether, frequently separated, with only an interpreter for com­ sented in one court by two attorneys, one representing the Gov­ pany, and I occasionally walked the streets alone in cities from ernment, the other acting for a tobacco concern. Both attor­ Petrograd on the north to Baku, Tiflis, and Alexsandropol, neys argued the case with care, but with no more heat or below the Black Sea, on the south. excitability than is found in Justice Taft's court in this Capitol. In all my travels through cities and villages by day or Building. In fact, it was a revelation to one who had expected to find crude, high-handed methods of railroading men to prison night I was never accosted discourteously by men or women, and deciding civil cases under a code practiced only in horse nor did any instance of violence come to my attention. The races or pokee games. Again, preconceived opinions were sub­ same, I believe, was the experience of every member of our jected to correction. party. Either the Government or defendant can appeal criminal In this respect I note a published statement attributed to cases from lower courts in Russia. Decisions in the courts Bishop Blake, who says of Moscow: must be agreed to by at least two judges, subject to appeal to A person is much safer on the streets of Moscow than those of the highest court in the district, which in turn is appealabla to Brooklyn. There is less crime in Moscow than in any city of similar the supreme court of Russia. sizti in the United States. The Soviet Government is appreciably re­ The number of cases tried and other data apart from average ducing illiteracy. The personnel of the Soviet army is the finest convictions of 25 per cent in criminal cases are matters of in the wol'ld. Private ownership of property is returning. The detail that can not be covered here; but in orderly procedure, church has been freed from monarchistic domination, and the Soviet strict decorum, and efforts to dispense exact justice the Russian Government is more tolerant than formerly toward religion. A renais­ <;ourts visited appeared to be above criticism. sance is dawning in the church and theological schools are reopening. Comparatively recent trials of clerics wherein one was con­ I am not familiar with Bishop Biake's opportunity for study, demned and executed, as before referred to, leave in the aver­ but can indorse much of the above statement. Life ls as safe age mind a pi.cture of harsh justice in Russia. I discussed in Moscow with its 2,000,000 people as in Washington with its these trials with various people in Moscow and Petrograd and 400,000. More lives are lost and more injuries are reported with a subordinate official in the latter city who had been a from automobiles in Washington, I am sure, than in Moscow witness against the executed priest. I would not convict any from violent deaths every year. More bank holdups, more man on the statement he made to me, unless strongly supported murders and crime are committed in the one city of New -York by others, and can not help believing that prejudices of the presumably than in all of Russia during the same period, so far past and memories of bitter conh·oversies during recent wars as I could learn. may have been factors in trials for treason ; yet with the recol­ This is not due to any different standard of morals here than lection that a non-Bolshevist priest, as hereinbefore quoted, in Russia ; but the communist go•ernment, composed of ideal­ states that 28 church bishops and "innumerable priests" were ists, if you will, is a government of law and order. Its laws sent to Siberia by the last Czar, in addition to 80.000 Russians are made to be obeyed. Its commissars receive only $75 per exiled by the same power, it is not difficult to understand why month in our money, but are giving their time and energies to hatred and bitterness still exist against' the old partnership of the Moscow people. joint church and state control and for all who were connected They have checked crime, and nowhere in the world, in all with it. probability, will be found more severe penalties inflicted for Again I revert to the eulogy on the marble slab in West­ grafting, stealing, and other offenses than in Russia. Again I minster, which contains John Andre's record as viewed from repeat that the Soviet Government is dealing with conditions a British standpoint, and criticisms directed against Wash­ absolutely foreign to our normal ways of living. ington for approving his execution. One was in time of war and the other in peace, but the echoes of the World War and SOVIET PROPAGANDA IN AMERICA. civil wars still linger throughout Russia, and neithe1· the <'OUrts The people of America and of other countries are continually nor other branches of government discriminate bet,veen priests, warned against Russian communistic propaganda in its alleged laymen, or nonbelievers when administering the law. efforts to revolutionize the world. Impending danger to our form of government is found in the existence of 400,000 com­ CRIME OR LAWLESSNESS, PAST AND PRESENT. munists in Russia, who are charged with instigating practically A popular impression, cultivated by anti-Russian propaganda, all of the world's economic and labor trouble. is to the effect that Russia is a country of crime and lawless­ I have been informed that in December, 1917, during the ness. Under the reign of the Czars it was a country where European war, the new Soviet Government set apart 2,000,000 official crime was rampant. Rulers were assassinated, conspira­ gold rubles-$1,000,000-for the revolutionary internationalist tors in turn were executed without ceremony. Graft permeated movement. This .propaganda was used against surrounding ene­ the whole Government system according to many writers, and mies, as England and the United States were then operating all the evil accompaniments of these offenses existed to a against Germany. Of that $1,000,000 of soviet money, I am greater or less degree throughout the regime of the monarchists. further informed, 95 per cent was spent for literature in the After the revolution ended, and the assassination of Bolshevist German and Austrian languages to propagandize countries on officials occurred, the Soviet Government firmly seated in P•.)Wer, their own borders with which the Bolshevists were then engaged through the cbecka or secret service of the Go,ernment im­ in active warfare. This statement is attributed to Albert Wil­ mediately enforced the same drastic policies pursued by the liams, an American correspondent, whom I met in Russia. Czar Governments. The soviets were determined to deRtroy It was also asserted that no particular attempt was e\Ter all further danger of uprisings after the ·manifold horrors of made to propagandize America. In 1919 I am advised a . sub­ civil war. Church officials as stated, who advocated opposition committee of the United States Senate held hearings covering to the Government, were seized and thrown in jail by the f"ame a thousand pages seeking to ascertain what communistic propa­ relentless power that caused the execution of the Czar and his ganda, if any, was being circulated here. I have made no ex- LXV-18 274 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. DECEl\IBER 13' amination of the record, and others may ascertain the facts for found him for these kindred spirits o:i:ganized a " Security themselves. League," appropriating two of the principal offices of the league The Sonet Government officials declared to us unequivocally for themselves. But let the official record and Report No. 1173, that not one dollar or one ruble is spent or has been spent by Sixty-fifth Congre s, third session, speak for itself. That report the Gcrrernment recently in spreading communistic propaganda was made by an unbiased committee, a majority of whom, like in other countries. Mr. Parker, are Democrats, and two of these former members That the Communist Party may be seeking directly and are now able United States Benators. indirectly to spread its propaganda throughout the world is · J. Stanwood testified before this congressional committee that easy to believe, and that it has some converts in every land he, J. Stanwood, was a ''superman," and that the bulk of man.. i also reasonably certain, but that 400,000 Russian communists kind were " subnormals." He believes this to be so an MENKEN EXAMPLES OF ANTI-RUSSIAN PROPAGANDISTS. apology from a one-time pre idential candidate needs no com· ment. Hypercritical complaints or protests on various subjects con­ Judging from the 100,000 letters recently written by .M.r. stantly aired through the press are also noted with the Rus­ Parker, and like effusions from "Superman" l\Ienken, who are sian question. Two men whose estimate of their own abilities now writing on Russia, both running neck and neck in their never sufier through depreciation by them elves, and who are lack of knowledge, it appears that l\1r. Parker again finds him­ constantly in the press, are Mr. Alton P. Parker and J. Stan­ self in bis zeal practically in the position he occupied when ha wood l\Ienken. Few opportunities slip by where they fail to testified be did not know what Men.ken was connecting him up get the spotlight in their struggles to save this Nation and to with in their " security " league. project their own opinions on front pages of metropolitan ,papers. The latest letter from Parker to us on Rus ia, 100,000 WOl\UN'S DEBT TO WOMAN. copies of which, I am told, were printed and circulated at the Interests that ever hover in the background frequently cover expense of those .he represents, is characteristic of his notable up their purposes and propaganda by enlisting the aid ot "Security League" bubbles. What he and Menken do not women's clubs or acting under the name of women's organiza­ known about Russia, as evidenced by their own questioning let­ tions to ai·ouse sympathy for their own cause. ters, would fill volumes. As they haY-e addressed frequent No one will question the right of women to act in all such pointed, personal queries by letter and through the press on matters, but if unconsciously instigated by influences they do Ru ia and on other subjects, a word is offered in reply. not correctl.Y apprise just condemnation should fall on such l\lr. Parker is the same individual who 20 years ago was se­ secret agencies that woxk every avenue and pull every string Iectec.1 by a group of New Yoi:k financial interests for President to secure their ends." · Probably in no country in the world has of the United States. As a pronounced reactionary he ran woman greater respon ibilitie.s accorded her than in Russia. 2,5-15.515 >Otes behind the successful candidate. That she is measuring up to these new untie mndc po gible by l\lr. Parker again burst into the news columns when he dis­ the overthrow of the Czar few well-informed people will ques­ covered J. Stanwood 1\Ienken, or when J. Stanwood Menken tion. That she is a moral, stabilizing force in the new order 1923. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 275 of things I firmly believe, and whatever helps her to a h.igher weather was suitable to a Czaristic hunting expedition, insured plane of citizenship by better living conditions, better edu­ free passage to Siberia without annoying delays by judge or cation, and better prospects and opportunities in life is her jury, unless the quota of executions had run short, in which due from all nations. event the average was made good and the Siberian trip indefi­ She is a part and an important part of the Russian Govern­ nitely postponed. ment to-day, apparently as well behaved, moral, modest, able, In Turkey, Persia, and many other countries of that day, and unassuming as a rule as people in the same walks of life even as in Mussolini land, the Spanish Peninsula, and other in our own country. Before any of her sex are persuaded to countries of 1923, right to discuss the Government was and is lend their influence to those who have given but one side of the fully as liberal as in the land of the Czars, with similar restric­ story, it is but fair and just to investigate the facts and ascer­ tions. The Constitution gave to the American people rights tain the truth. that for over a century and a quarter were held inviolate, batring PURPOSES ANU INFLUENCES. brief periods of war. Charges of official and private corruption Naturally those who measure things by the dollar mark ex­ in our country dming the recent war were suppressed by both pect to find some hidden purpose or interest influencing others the stern arm of the law and public sentiment, for fear of giving who differ from them on matters like the Russian situation. aid to the enemy, and after that period the right to censor press I have an interest, possibly not hereinbefore mentioned, that and speech was preserved in some degree as in time of war. ought to be weighed when considering the value of testimony Any communist or other man who advocates the overthrow of here offered. It does not concern obligations past, present, or our Government to-day by violent means is punished under the future to or from the present Russian Government. I owe law. none. Neither does it relate to any concessions or other finan­ I am not questioning the proper duty of officials to suppress cial interest given by Russia in the past, present, or future to threats of Government overthrow, however inane or insanely anyone, or promises or expectations of any kind. it comes to made, although in Trafalgar Square and again in front of Lon­ me with compelling force, however, that governments are only don Tower I recently heard talk, just talk, that might land the skeleton frameworks with which to promote the welfare of the talker in prison in free America. The London bobby only people, and that, however crude or imperfect the framework, grinned and said, "They fame and foam and then are for­ those affected are after all the ones most vitally concerned. gotten." The German peasant had no more to do with the policy of RUSSIA, PAST .AND PRESFJ~T. the Kaiser's Government than had the Slav peasant with that The Czar's Government, that recently went out of business, bad of the Czar or with the overturning of those monarchistic ever denied any semblance of free speech or free press in Rus­ governments. The people can register a protest, and that they sia for centuries. The present Government on the heels of a did do against an oppres ·ive form of government. l\1y recol­ long war that overthrew the Czar and many other powerful lection of Russia now does not dwell on its officials or its agencies, with memories of soldiers and agents of other Gov­ history or on its particular form of government, which would ernments quartered in Russia, naturally feels suspicious when probably not have been imposed on any people save when driven proposals are made to overthrow the Soviet Government. to the last resort, as were the people of Franc-e and Russia In fact that Government does not intend to be overthrown prior to their revolutions. It dwells, however, on the many any more than our own, and with the overhanging shadow of hundreds of men, women, and children, particularly the latter, the last war constantly before it any attempt or suggested whom I saw sometimes clothed in only a one piece garment, attempt to overthrow the soviets will doubtless be treated as shoeless, often hungry, and lacking the commonest comforts severely as our departments treat the same proposals from of life; on a country that is taking care of only 1,500,000 of communists in this country. her 3,000,000 orphans to-day, due to her many other burdens Due to faulty early training, few of us have acquired the caused by war and famine. . Possibly not a half dozen 1\Iembers of the Responsibility, blame, and criticism are beside the question American Congress of 531 Senators and Representatives, with when the Near East Ilelief, American Relief Association, and the President's Cabinet thrown in for good measure, could the joint Jewish organization distribute their charities. speak any Russian. I believe one-half of the 17 commissars Russia is struggling to get on her feet, and what she needs speak or understand English, together with several other lan­ most is not charity but the right to help herself, to engage in guages. With this personal handicap I could not read Russian trade with countries that will furnish raw materials for her papers or get the drift of Russian conversation, but through factories, shoes, clothes, agricultural implements, .and the count­ our interpreters we were informed that many criticisms against less supplies needed to rehabilitate that country. After view­ the Government appeared in the press, although the censor has ing the imperati"Ve needs of the people as di tinguished from powers that may be 'exercised if need be. Again, we had trans­ its Government. whether monarchistic or communistic, I believe, lations of conversations in Russia that might have needed blue as a responsible citizen acquainted with the facts, that I ought penciling to get by officials in other countries. Criticism is to give voice to the needs of tbese people and to urge that we permitted, we know, but not to an extent that undermines con­ owe them at least the right to obtain goods in our markets; fidence in their existing Government. that we should make possible their ability to live like normal Eighty thousand Russians sent over to Siberia by the last civilized beings. By so doing we will relieve much suffering Czar because of• their too free speech and too free press are that mast for a long period continue to exist, and we will aid again back in their home country. It was suggested that they them to become a happy, grateful, self-sustaining people. To will see that any places left vacant in Siberia are filled with that extent, and that alone, I am " influenced " in seeking to l\Iensheviks or other anti-Bolshevists who advocate the Soviet place the conditions in Russia before you as I understand them. Government overthrow. It was also suggested that never in Neither Bolshevik nor communist nor any other agency bas Russia have they bad any similar constitutional protection for favored me with any advice or suggestion in reaching these free speech or a free press like that guaranteed in America. conclusions. None are aware of my purpose at this tirue tc OTHER OPINIONS. expr~ss views formed from contact with conditions there, but I am here reminded of the parting remark of a leading ,1ificial After my return to Washington and after putting down these who said to me in Moscow : hastily prepared notes, based in part on data gathered in a daily We need the help that your country can give, but with or without it log of over 100 pages written on the Russian trip, I glanced over we are bound to succeed in .time. a number of works on Russia, m:iny written before or during the war and of little value in throwing light on present condi­ FllEEDOM OF SPEECH AND PUESS-RUSSL!. tions. The charge has been made that speech and press are not A book by Mackenzie, herein mentioned, and one by Ross yet free in Russia. In my early study of the American Con­ in 1923 on the Russian Soviet Republic are recently published stitution I learned the first amendment proposed by the first works, and both are supported by data that makes them of Congress in 1789 guaranteed freedom of speech and freedom value by way of reference. I know Ross personally. He is a of the press with right of the people peaceably to assemble and big, 6 feet 4 specimen of humanity with independence, who to petition the Government for redress of grievances. always speaks his mind. Roi::s uniquely presents bis last book This amendment was addressed to Congress and prohibits with this introduction: such interference with these inalienable rights on the part of To my fellow Americans who have become 'weary of being fed lies Congress, and, strange to say, was only ratified by 11 of the and propaganda about Russia this book is dedicated. States. Pardoning those who w1·ite on Russia from bitter recollections of lost The suppression of free speech and free press by Russian kindred or friends, perhaps even home or livelihood, he will write out Czars prior to and after Olfr own Revolution was so noturious of deep emotion and indignation-he will always try to make out a that adverse comment on the weather by speech or press if the case. 276 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. DECEl\IBER 13'

Speaking of his own attitude, he says: BERLIN, November 29.--'rwo important developments relating to th& negotiations between France and Russia for a political and economlo I, on the other hand, remote and detached, ought to preserve im­ treaty were brought to light to-day. First, the Russian Embassy de­ partiality and judicial poise. clared that a large concession to exploit the coal mines in the Donetz But he adds: Basin had been given to the Marchand group and, second, the French I am wroth with the fork-tongued propagandists who almost from Embassy diplomatically denied knowledge of the negotiations but ad· the beginning have bidden communist Russia from the eyes o! the mltted that de facto recognition of the Soviet Government in the world by enveloping it in a jungle growth of lies. near future was probable. In other words, l\lr. Ross is not converted to the methods of Also: supermen like Parker and Menken, professional propagandists, BELGRADE, November 29.-Tbe Yugoslav Government is seeking an recommended by the House of Representatives for prosecution. accord with the Russian Soviet. Minister Strandman, official repre­ Ross says of the Bolshevik reign of terror that- sentative of Czarist Russia at Belgrade, will be expelled soon with Under Kerensky the death penalty had been abolished and we hear General Wrangell's party of Russian monarchists. of no life taken by the Bolshevik government during the first seven Again: months of its existence. Moscow, November 29.-Walter L. Brown and Maxim Litvinoft', On August 30, 1918, Dora Kaplan, a former anarchist, shot who negotiated the agreement between the A. R. A. and the Soviet Lenin, dangerously wounding him, and on the same d.ay by a Government in 1921, are to meet again in Moscow soon, and perhap• well-carried-out conspiracy Uritzky, Commissar of the Interior, their conference will lead to Anglo-American fina.ndal participation in and Volodovsky were assassinated. Many other killings and the affairs o! Russia. • • • " We are here to study the ecouomio conspiracies occurring at about the same time are related by situation," l\Ir. Brown said, "Perhaps it may lead to the participa­ Ross. A bitter effort at retaliation ensued on the part of the tion of American and English capital

1923. co.r:rGRESSION AL RECORD-HOUSE. 277

It is the greatest European country territotially and 1n popu­ interesting as a novel form of constitution. lt is not necessarily con­ lation, with the greatest undeveloped resources, affording un­ nected with Bolshevism or any form of communism, and deservts paralleled trade possibilities. to be studied, apart from any doctrines, on its own merits. • Its financial tudget system is more certain and businesslike I! we imagjne such a constitution honestly worked in an intelligent than systems possessed by a majority of European countries. and educat~d people by men desiring only the common weal, it woulo>e-mentioned measures have been taken were of the .reactionary i:;ettlements pro>e mutually helpful and satisfactory to both Greek Ortllodox Church and were, under the Czar's .regime, membei·s of countries after a fair trial, full recognition will naturally fol­ the "Union of the Ru sian People," a well-known "black hundred" low a a matter of course. organization, distinguished for instigating Jewish pogroms, etc. 'l'hat seems to be a logical conclusion and in keeping with It will also be of great interest to know that many of the former our meals which should guide us when dealing with a country Czar's high officials-officers as well as known leaders of the black with which for over a century and a quarter we have had hnndred-became priests and even bishops in order to more conveni­ friendly relations-a people who e a sistance in our own hours ently carry on their antisoviet activities. of distress made possible our successful revolution and na­ By way of example the following names may be cited : tional greatness. We wish the Russians well. It is their Gov­ N. N. Dulov, former prince and captain of the Czarist army, became ernment. not like ours, to continue or change as they see iit. a priest in 1921; M. A. Polsky, a lieutenant of the Czar's army, became That right of change is occurring throughout the world with a priest in 1920; M. M. lvanhotr, .forme.r .colonel, took to priesthood in imparalleled frequency to-day, ·and ours should be the last 1920; L. G. Sadkovsky, an offi.cer of the Whlte ru·my, turned pdest GO\-ernment to withhold a helping hand from the Russian in 1921; D. V. Semienov and P. P. Poliunsky, both for.mer state p ople. councilors, turned, the former a priest in 1920, the latter a bi. hop Se11ators and ex-Cabinet officers. American ambassadors, and in 1921. other~ in authority with first-hand information to guide them There were instances of entire dioceses, Jn.eluding the church watch­ baYe reached similar conclusions and recently have been quoted men, e<>nsisting or- former Czarist officers. For example, Town Ilolog­ in favor of trnde relations with or without full re<>ognition onslry, Country Tiehonovskaya, Irkutsk Province (C Upkymckow). by the United States of Hussia. These opinions, based un such .As rega1·ds other religious creeds-whether they be Christian denom· knowledge, I Jeave for others to assemble, being content here inations, Mohammedans, or Jews-there is not on record a single case to et forth my own observations that may enlist the impartial of e:rile ar confinement t<> concentration camp, the simple Teason being study of men and women who do not require " steadying by that the for the first time in Russian history gave propaganda" bat ask to know the truth as we found it to be. them th,e opportunity to ,preac.b their beliefs without fea:r of molesta­ tion. In conclusion, I might add that nearly half of the number -0f exiles ADDEND.A. have by now repented, and in -accordan-ce with the p ractices of the GOVERNl\IEl'\TS TH.AT IIAVE RELATIONS WITH RUSSI.A. central executive e<>mmittee will probably be released long before the Statement furnished by Russian officials of countries with expiration of their re pective terms. whom relations are established by Russia : The above data .I am sure will serve .as the best refutation of the First. Formal diplomatic relations on basis of peace treaties: wild storie-s about thousands <>f priests shot, exiled, or held in concen­ Esthonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolia, tration -camps, which are being pread ab.road by individuals and organ­ Poland, Persia, Turkey, Afghanistan, Bucbara, and Chiva. izations to-0 well known for their antisoviet activities to be taken Second. Trade relations on basis of trade agreements: seriously. Austria, Czechoslovakia,.Denmark, Great Britain, Italy, and RUSSIAN CONSTITUTION, 19~3- Norway. CONS'.rITUTION OF THE UNION OF SOCIALIST SOVIET REPUBLICS. 'l'bird. Trade relations without formal trade agreements but with exchange of trade missions: At the session of the union central executive committee, on Chlua and Sweden. July 6, 1923, the declaration and treaty of union, which to­ gether form the constitution of the Union of Socialist Soviet OPINION OF LORD BRYCE ON RUSSI.AN G-OVERl'\.MENT. Republics, was formally ratified. The following is the treaty The following excerpt from "Modern Democracies," by the of union: late Lord Bryce, published in 1922, sets forth his views of the THE TBEIATY OB' UXION. Rus ian form of government: The Russian Socialist Federal Soviet Republic (R. S. F. S. R.). the This scheme of government by a series of local bodies, primary as· Ukrainian Sociali t Soviet Republic (U. S. S.. R.), the White Russhm semblies, both administrative and elective, sending delegates to bodiP:'I Socialist ~oviet Republic (W. R. S. S. R.), anll the Transcauraf

I. COMPETENCE OF THE SUPREME GOVERNING BODll!IS OB' THJl UNION. 10. Delegates to the Union Congress of Soviets are elected at the 1. The competence of the Union of Socialist S<>viet Republics, as provincial soviet congresses. In Republics where there are no pro­ exercised by its supreme governing bodies, shall lnclude-- vincial units -delegates are elected directly at the soviet congress of (a) Representation of the union in international relations, the the Republic. conduct of all diplomatic intercourse, the conclusion of political and 11. Ordinary union soviet co.ngresses are summoned annually by the other treaties with other states. union central executive committee. Extraordinary congresses are sum­ (b) Modification of the external frontiers of the union, as also moned by the union central executive committee on its own initiativo the regulation of questions regarding the alteration of the boundaries or on the demand of the union council, the council o! nationalities, or between the contracting Republics. two of the Republics. ( c) Conclusion of treaties for the incorporation of new Republics 12. Under exceptional circumstances when the Union Congress of in the union. Soviets can not be called at the proper time the union central executive (d) Declaration of war and conclusion of peace. committee is authorized to postpone it. (e) Floating of foreign and Internal union loans, and sanction of IV. THE UNION CENTRAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEfl. foreign and internal loans of the contracting Republics. (f) Ratification of international treaties. 18. The central executive committee of the union is composed of the (g) Control of· foreign trade and establishment of a system of union council and the council of nationalities. internal trade. 14. The Union Congress of Soviets elects the unio.n council, which (h) Establishment of the basic principles and of a general plan consists of 371 members, from delegates of the contracting Republics for the whole national economic system of the union ; deUmitation proportionally to the population of each Republic. of the branches of industry and of separate industrial undertakings 15. The council of nationalities ls constl1.uted of representatives of which are of importance to the whole union ; and the conclusion of the contracting and autonomous soviet socialist R epublics on the basis concession agreements both relating to the union as a whole and also of five delegates from each of these, and the representatives of the in the name of the contracting Republics. autonomous regions of the R. S. F. S. R., each of which sends one (i) Control of transport and posts and telegraph. delegate. The constitution of the council of nationalities as a wholo (j) Organization and control of the armed forces of the union. must be ratified by the Union Congress of Soviets. (k) Adopting of a single state budget for the union, comprising [NOTE.-The autonomous Republics o.f Adzharia a.nd Abkhazia and the budgets of the contracting Republics; determination of the general the autonomous region of south Osetia shall have one representative union taxes and revenues, as also of deductions therefrom and addi­ each on the council of nationalities.] tions thereto for the budgets of thP contracting Republics; authoriza­ 16. The union council and council of nationalities shall examine tion of additional taxes and dues for the budgets of the contracting all decrees, codes, and regulations ubmitted to them by the presidium Republics. of the central executive committee and the council of people's com· (I) Establishment of a single currency and credit system. missarles of the union, by separate people's commissaries of the union, (m) Establishment of general principles governing the dish"ibution or by the people's commissal'ies of the union, or by the central execu­ and use of land, and the exploitation of mineral wealth, forests, and tive committees of the contracting Republics, also when the question waterways throughout the whole territory of the union. of such decrees, etc., ls raised on the initiative of the union council (n) General union legislation on migraflon from one Republic to or the council of nationalities. another, and establishment of a colonization fund. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ISSUES DECREES. (o) Establishment of basic principles for the composition and pro­ cedure of the courts aI!d the civil and criminal legislation of the 17. The union central executive committee issues codes, decrees, union. regulations, and orders, and forms a single legislative and executive (p) Establishment of the fundamental labor laws. body for the union ; it further defines the work of the presidium of the (q) Establishment of the general principles of national education. central executive committee and the council of people's commlssaries (r) Adoption of a system of weights and measures. of the union. (s) Organization of statistics covering the whole union. 18. All decrees and decisions concerning general political and eco­ (t) Fundamental legislation as to the rights of foreigners to citizen· nomic conditions within the union, or introducing fundamental altera· ship of the union. tions in the existing practice of the State depa1·tme11ts of the union, (u) Amnesties throughout the whole territory of the union. must be submitted to the union . central executive com\Ulttee for ex· (v) Veto of decisions of soviet congresses and of central executive amination and ratification. committees of the contracting Republics which infringe the present 19. All decrees, regulations, anu orders issued by the central execu­ constitution. tive committee are compulsory throughout the territory or" the union. (w) Adjudication of disputes arising between contracting Republics. 20. The union central executive committee may suspend or set aside RATIFICATION .L"'iD AMENDMENT. decrees, regulations, and orders of its presidium, the Soviet Congresses, and the central executive committees of the contracting Republics as 2. The ratification and amendment of the fundamental provisions of well as of other governing bodies throughout the territory of the union. the present constitution is the exclusive prerogative of the Union Con­ 21. Ordinary sessions of the union central executive committee am gre. s of Soviets. summoned by its presidium three times a year. Extraordinary ses­ II. SOVE:REIGN RIGHTS OJJ' THE CONTilAC'I'ING REPUBUCS AND UNION sions are called by decision of the presidium of the union council or of CITIZE~SHIP. the presidium of the council of nationalities, as also on the demand 3. The sovereign rights of the constituent R publics are restricted of the central executive committee of any one of the contracting Re· only to the extent. laid down ln the present constitution, and only in publics. connection with matters falling within the competence of the union. DR.AF'.r LAWS WHEN OF LEGAL FORCE. Outside the e limits each contracting Republic exercises its state au­ 22. Draft laws which are submitted to the union central executive thority independently; the Union of Socialist Soviet Republic safe­ committee only acquire legal force when they have been approved by guards the sovereign rights of the contracting Republics. the union council and the council of nationalities; they are published 4. Each of the contracting Republics retains its right to leave the in the name of the union central executive committee. union if it so desires. 23. In case the union council and the council of nationallties fail 5. The contracting Republics shall modify their constitutions ns re­ to agree, the question is to be submitted to a conciliation commission quired by the present union constitution. formed by them. 6. 'l'he territories of the contractmg Republics may not be altered without their consent, and the consent of all the Republics forming the 24. Should no agreement be reach d by the conciliation commission union is pecessary for any alteration, limitation, or annulment of the question ls referred for consideration to a joint session of the paragraph 4. union council and the council of nationalities, and should no majority 7. Union citizenship replaces citizenship of the separate Republics. of votes of the union council or of the council of nationalities be secured, the question may be submitted at the request of either body III. THE UKION Co::rnRESS OF SOVIETS. to an ordinary or extraordinary union congress of soviets. The supreme authority of the union i the Union Congress of 25. The union council and council of nationalities each elects a Soyiets, and in the interval between congresses the union central ex­ presidium of seven of its members to arrange its sessions and conduct ecutive committee , con isting of the union council and the council of the work of the latter. natiunalitie . BASIS OF REPRESENTATION. ElXilCUTIVE COMMITTEE SUl'REME IN INTERIM. 9. The Unio.n Con ~t·e s of Soviets is composed of representatives of 26. In the intervals between ses ions of the union central execu­ to,vn soviets and soviets of town settlements in the proportion of one tive committee supreme authority is vested in its presidium, formed by delegate for every 25,000 electors, and of representatives of provincial the union central executive committee of 21 members, amongst whom soviet congresses in the proporti():l of one delegate for every 125,000 are included the whole of the union council presidium and the presi­ inhabitants. dium of the council of nationalities. 1923. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 279.

27. The central executive committee elects, in accordance with the (a) To give authoritatiye Interpretations on questions of general numb.er of contracting Republics, four chairmen of the union central union legislation to the supreme courts of tbe contracting Republics. executive committee from members of its presidium. (b) On the recommendation of the procurator of the union supreme 28. The union central executive committee ls responsible to the court to examine the regulations, decisions, and sentences of the un ~ on congress of soviets. supreme c.ourts of the contracting Republics, and to appeal against V. THl!l PRESIDIUM OF THE UNION CENTD.AL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEJ!I. them to the union central executive committee on the ground that they violate general union legislation or in so far as they are prejudicial 29. In the interval between the sessions of the union central execu­ to the interests of the other Republlcs. tive committee its presidium is vested with supreme legislative, execu­ (c) To give decisions at the request of the union central executive tive, and administrative authority. .committee on the legality 01' any regulations of the contracting Re­ 30. The presidium of the union central executive committee super­ publics from the point of vi~w of the union constitution. vises the application of the union constitution and the carrying out (d) To adjudic.ate in judiciable disputes between the colltrncting by all departmental authorities of all decisions of the union congress Republics. of soviets and of the union central executive 'committee. (e) To examine a2cusatlons against high o1fie1als of the uhlon for 31. The presidium of the union central executive committee is em­ crimes of ·office. powered to suspend or to set aside the decisions of the council of 44. The union supreme court functions through­ people's cominissarles and of separate people's commissariats of the (a) Plenary sessions. union, as also of the central executive committees and of the councils (b) Civil and criminal divisions. of people's commissaries of the contracting Republics. (e) Military and military transport divisions. 32. The pres idium of the union central executive committee is em­ 45. ·The plenary sessic>I'l of the union supreme court consists of 11 powered to suspend the decisions of soviet congresses of the contract­ members, indudlng the chairman and vic.te chairman, the 4 chairmen ing Republics, but must subsequently submit these decisions for ex­ of the plenary sessions of the supreme courts of the contracting Re­ Jimination and ratification by the union central executive committee. publics, and 1 representative of the political deparh1ent. PRESIDIUM ISSUES DECREES. (See paragraph 61.) The chairman, vice cba:irman, and the other . 33. The. presidium of the union central executive committee issues five members are appointed by the presidium ot the union central decrees, regulations, and orders, examines and ratifies draft decrees executive committee. :ind resolutions submitted by the council of people's commissaries, by 46. The procurator and assistant proeurato-r of the union supreme separate departments of the union, or by the central executive commit­ court are appointed by the presidium of the union central executive tees a.nd other governing bodies. committee. The duties of the procurator of the union supreme court 34. The decrees and decisions of the union central executive com­ include: To give an opinion on all questions submitted to the union mittee, its presidium, and the council of people's commissaries ot the supreme court, and to sustain such op·inion at its sessions, and in union are printed in all languages ordinarily used in the Republics­ case of disagreement with the decision of the plenary session of the Russian, Ukrainian, White Russian, Georgian, Armenian, Turco-Tar­ union supreme court, to appeal ·against it to the presidium of the tar. union central executive committee. 35. '!'he presidium ot the union central executive committee decides 47. The right to submit the questions indicated in paragraph 43 t:> all questions regarding the relations between the union council of the pl~mary session of the union .supreme court may only bE! exercised by ili.e union central executive committee, its presidium, the procurator people's commissaries n.nd the people's commissariats of the union on the one hand and the central executi-ve committee ot the contracting of the union supreme court, the procurators of the contracting Repub­ Republic and their presidiums on the other. lics, and the union state political department. 48. Plenary sessions of the union supreme court constitute special 36. The presidium of the union central executive committee is re­ sponsible to the latter. full judicial sessions for the trial of- (a) .Criminal and civil cases of exceptional importance in which the VI. THE UNION COUNCIL OF PEOPLE'S COMMISSARil!IS. safety of two or m-0re of the contracting republics is involved. 37. The union council of people's commissaries is the executive and (b) Cases involving the personal liability of members of the union administrative body of the union central executive committee, and 1s central executive committee and the union council of people's com­ formed by the latter as follows : missaries. The chairman ot the union council of people's commissaries. The union supreme court may only undertake the trial of such ca es The vice chairman ot the union council of people's commissaries. on the authority of a special decision of the union central execut ive 'rile people's commissary for for eign affairs. committee or its presidium in each separate case. The people's commissary for military and naval affairs. VIII. THE UNION PEOPLE'S C011n.IISS.ARIATS. The people's commissary for foreign trade. . The people's commissary for transport. DUTIES OF COM.MISS.ARI.ATS.. The people's commissary for posts and telegraphs. 49. For the direct control of separate branches of state administra­ The people's commissary for workers' and peasants' inspection. tion coming within the competence of the union eouncil of people's The people's commissary for labor. commissaries, 10 people's commissariats are esta.blisb.ed, as lildicated The people's commissary for food. in paragraph 37 of the present constitution, to- work in accordance The people's commissary for finance. with statutory provisions regarding people's commissariats laid down The chairman of the supreme economic council. by the union central executive committee-. UNION COUNCIL ISSUES DECREI!lS. 50. The union people's commissariats are divided into-- 38. The union council of people's commissaries issues decrees and (a) Interunion people's com.missariats--single commissariats for regulations, which are compulsory throughout the territory of the the whole union. union, within the limits of the powers conferred on it by the union (b) Joint people's commissariats o-t the union. central executive committee and by' the statute whereby it is estab­ 51. The following are interunion people's commissa.l"iats: Foreign lished. affairs, military and naval all'airs, foreign trade, transport, posts and 39. The union council of people's commissaries ex.amines decrees and telegraphs. regulations submitted to it by .'separate people's commissariats ot the 52. The following are joint people's commissariats: union or by the central executive committees of the contracting Re­ Supreme economic council, food, labor, finance, workers' and peas­ publics and their presidium. ants' inspection. 40. In all its work the union council of people's commissaries is 53. The interunion people's commJssariats have their own represent­ reRponsible to the un.ion central executive committee aDd its presidium. atives, who are directly respon ible to them. in the contracting Re­ 41. Regulations and orders made by the union council of people's publics. conunis,aries may be suspended or rescinded by the union central 54. Tbe departments whkh carry out the work of the jom't people's executive committ ee and its presidium.. commissariats of the union in the contracting Republics are the corre­ 42. The central exec.'lltive committees of the contracting Republics sponding people's commissariats of tbese Republics. and their presidium.s may appeal against the decrees a.lld decisions of 55. The union people's comm~sariats a~ directed by the members the union council of p2ople's commissaries to the presidium of the of the council of people's commissaries-the un.ion people's com­ union central ereeutive committee, but may not, ill the meantime, eus­ missaries. pend t heir execution. 56. Each people's commissary is a ssisted by a board, of which be is chairman, and the members of whkh are appointed by the union council VII. THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNION. of people's commissaries. 'l'HE SUPREME COURT. 57. The people's commissa1·iPs have authority to take persona.I deci­ 43. For the mahltemrn ce of r evol ut iona ry law throughout .the ter­ sions on all questions within the compet_en cc of the particular com­ ritory of the union. a suprem~ court 0! the union is attached to the missariat, but they must apprise thei r bo:u

cutlon of the decision, appeal against it to the union council of peo­ RUSSIA~ FEDER.lL GOYERN:\IE!\T. ple's commissaries. The members of the Government and presidium of the United Soviet :; . Ordet·s issued by individual union people's commissariats may Socialist Republics, according to the latest constitutional changes : be annulled by the union central executive committee and the union President of the central e·xecutive committee of the soviets, l\I. T. council of people's commissaries. Kalin in. 59. Orders issued by union people's commissariats may be suspended Second president of the central executive committee of the soviets. bv the central executive committees of the contracting Republics, or A. G. Cherviakov. their presidium, if such orders are clearly inconsistent with the union Third president of the central executive committee of the soviets. constitution, union legislation, or the legislation of the contracting Re­ G. I. Petrovsky. publics. Such suspension of an order must be immediately notified to Fourth presiiet Republics consist of 21a. People's attorney general of the "narkomjust." the hammer and sickle emblazoned on the globe, encircled by ears of 21b. Government's political department (G. P. U.). grain, with the inscription " Proletarians of the world, unite" in the 22. Regional economic divisions. six languages enumerated in paragraph 34, and surmounted by a flve­ 23. Regional economic conferences ( oblekoso). pointed star. 26. State executive committee (gubispolkom). 71. The cfficial flag of the union is of red or scarlet cloth, bearing 28a. Its branches. the arms of the union. 29. County executive committee (uispolkom), township executive 72. The capital of the union is the town of Moscow. committee (volispolkom), village soviet (selsoviet). 1923. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 281

EXPLANATORY NOTE TO THE SCHEME Oli' GOVER MENT ORGANS OF THE The jurisdiction of the other committees ls evident from their names, Rl'SSIAN SOCIALIST FEDERATED SOVIBT REPUBLIC (" R, S. l!', S. R."). and corresponds to that of similarly named departments in other coun­ tries. Beside these committees there is the central statistical d1'part­ 1. All-Ru sian Congress of Soviets: The R. S. F. S. R. is the Re­ ment (Z. S. U.), which keeps a record of the agricultural and eco­ public of :::loviets of Workmen's, Peasants', and Red Army Deputies. nomic resources of the whole country. The l:Hate authority belongs to these soviets and the supreme body of 2lb. Government's political depa1;tment: The commissariat of tbe the country is the .AU-Russian Congress of Soviets. It convenes in home omce (department of interior) directs the Government's po­ Moscow not less than once a year, and is made up of representatives litical department, which examines all crimes against the political and of city and State congres •es of soviets elected ace<>rding to popula­ social structure of the State and deals with all counter-revolutionary tion-one delegate for every 25,000 voters from the city, and one for movements. every 125,000 from the State congresses, the voters including only 22. Regional economic divisions: Cel'tain deparlments of the national those who work. (This does not necessarily mean manual labor.) government are established according to region. These are: (22a) The jurisdiction of the Congress of Soviets covers all branches of Military, (22b) tran portatiou, (22c) post and telegraph, (22d) min­ l<>gislation and administration of the country. ing. Economic regions are erected without regard to State boundaries, 2 . .All-Russian Central Ex E cutl>~ Committee (V. Z. I. K.) : The .All­ though they follow county boundaries. They frequently consist of the Rus ian Congress of Soviets elects the .All-Russian Central Executive whole or parts o! a number of States, and their administration is en­ Committee, in whom full authority is vested, between the meetings of tirely separate from the State administration. The basis of the the All-Rus ian Congress. The V. Z. I. K. is the supreme legislative regional divisions is economic unity and not political. and executive body of the Republic. 23. Regional economic conferences : The activities of the variou 8- 5. Presidium of V. Z. I. K; president of V. Z. I. K; secretary of local regional divisions are centralized and coordinated by means of V. Z. I. K: The V. Z. I. K. elect among themselves a presidium, con­ economic conferences. The local organization of Soviet Russia is si ·ting of a president, a secretary. and members. The position of the ide11tical with the national organization. The ~upreme authority in president corresponds approximately to that of President of the Re­ the State, county, and township (including several villages) is vested public in .American and European republican j!overnments. in f'tate, county, and township (volostnoi) congress of soviets, re­ 6- 10. Committees of V. Z. I. K.: Those d ( _1 ntments of Rtate organi­ specti>ely. In the periods when the congress is not in session. the zation which demand special attention a r e regulated directly by supreme a-uthority is delegated to the gubispolkom, the uispol)rnm, and Y. Z. I. K. through special committee'. These are the committee on the volospolkom, elected by the respective congresses. The general agl'iculture, committee on liquidation of the famine, committee fot• control of the p9licies of the local governments is in the hands of the child welfare, administrative committee (directing the organization of re pective presidium of the ispolkoms (executive committees). the administrative and economic program of the Republic), and others. 28. State executive commilte.e (gublspolkom) : The direction of the 11. Council of people's commissaries (sovnarkom) : The executive different branche of the State government is under ditrerent commit­ authority is concentrated in the council of people's commissaries, which tees, as in the National Government. The following committees are i11 is appointed by the V. :l. I. K. and is accountable to the latter for all operation: Military, education, health, labor, peaRants' and workmen's its actions. The sovnarkom corresponds to the cabinets in European in. pection, alimentation, finance, agriculture, political department, com­ countries, but posses es much wider authority. The general direction munity farm life, gubsoynarhos, statistics. of the sovnarkom's activity belongs to the premier (or president of the 29. County executive committee (uispolkom) : The county executive councll) ; there are three vice presidents. .All the organization work is committee is divided into subsections analogous to those ot the gubl­ carried OJl by the executive secretary and the secretary. ·polkom. There is, however, no county council of national economy,. 12-14. Committees of the sovnarkom : There are several committee~ Township executh·e C!Ommittee (volispolkom) : The township execu­ of the sovnarkom. The principal ones are the central committee for tive committee doeFI all the local work directly :rncl bas no subdl>isions. students' welfare (zakubu) committee on • ci~nce; committee on conces­ Jn order to understand the structure of the Go>ernment of Ro>iet sions. Rus ia. it must be noted that the soviet organization iIJ. the State._ and 15. Small council o.f people's commissaries (small so>narkoru) : For counties is a reproduction of the uati-Onal organization. The committees the preliminary examination of questions to be deliberated in the of the uispolkom are directly subordinated to the respective committees council of pEople's commis. aries, and also to see that its decisions are of the guhispolkoms and they in turn to the respective commissariats. carried out by the central bodie~, the small council of people's commis­ The uispolkom, as an administrative unit, is directly connected with saries has been established. But questions of state defense and foreign the gubispolkom and the gubispolkom likewise to the all-Russian cen­ policy are taken up directly by the sovuarkom. tral executive committee. The relations between the State and county Hi. Council of labor and defense (S . .T. 0.) : In order to regulate committees and their respective executive committees (ispolkom~) aro and to centralize the activities of the different departments concerned exactly like those between the narkomats and so>narkom and the with economic recon-struction and to jn ure the defense of the country v. z. I. K. the Rovnarkom has established the council of labor and defense under Village sodet (selsoviet) : The basic soviet organization is the sel­ the direction of the president of the council of people's commif':saries soviet. elected in the rural communities, one delegate for every 200 (premier). The separate branches of the work of economic reconstruc­ people. Following the ge11eral principle of the soviet constitution, only iion are directed by the committee of the council of labor and defense. those who work-peasants and workmen-arP entitled to vote. The The main subcommittees are- village soviet consists of the preside.nt and two members. In yillage>1 17-20. Committees: The State general plans committee-working with a population of less than 400 there is no separate village soviet. out the general economic plan for the whole State; the committee on The soviet is formed by an association of several >illage~. internal trade; the supreme arbitration committee-the central body Tbe SPEAKER. The time of the gentleman from Wisconsin for the decision of controversies between State institutions ; and the has expired. committee on indu trial reimmigration from America. ADJOURNME -'l'. 21. People's commissaries: The separate departments of the Govern­ :i\lr. LO~GWORTH. l\lr. Speaker, I mov0 that the Hou~e do ment are centralized under the direction of the people's commissariats, now adjourn. cone ponding to the ministries of European Governments. There are The motion wa. agreed to; and accordingly (at 1 o'clock and 18 people's commis ariats; (a) justice; (b) transportation; (c) post 18 minutes P- m.) the House adjourned until to-morrow, Fric1ay, anu telegraph; (d) military; (e) naval; (f) education; (g) health; December 14, 1923, at 12 o'clock noon. (h) labot·; (i) peasants' and workmen's inspection; (j) allmentation; (k) finance; (l) agriculture; (m) department of the interior; (n) supreme council of national economy ; ( o) foreign trade; (p) foreign EXECUTIVE COUl\IUNIOATIONS, ETC. office; (q) social insurance; (r) affairs of small nationalities. The •supreme council of national economy superintends State industry Under clause 2 of Rule XXIV, executi'rn communicati<_111s were and general problems of economic reconstructio.n. The people's com­ taken from the Speaker's table and referred as follows : mis ariat of social insurance administers the aid given by the Govern­ 1-15. A letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting ment to those disabled in war and in industry. The committee on a draft of proposed legislation transferring a certain portion affairs of small nationalities directs the policies of the Soviet Govern• of land on Fayette Street at the southeast corner of the post­ ment toward the small nationalities and the development of education office site in Baltimore, ~:Id .. to tlie city of Baltimore, ~Id., in­ and industry in these nations, and strives to bring about close co­ cluded in House Document No. 531, Sixty-fifth Congress; to the operation between the small nationalities and the Soviet Go>ernment. Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds. The peasants' and workmen's inspection committee organize the various 146. A letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting local bodies of the country under the central State control a draft of proposed legislation authorizing the Secretary of the 21a. Attorney general of the narkomjust : The people's commissioner Treasury to accept a correctionary deed to the United States to of justice is also the Republic's attorney general. He passes on the certain land in the city of New York, N_ Y., for a post-offico legality of all the acts of the various State bodies and has the authority building site, incorporated in House Document 532, Sixty-fifth to protest any of them before the supreme bodies of the Republic. Congress; to the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds. 282 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. DECEMBER 13'

147. A letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting 163. .A. communication frOQl the President of the United the report of the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service States, transmitting four communications from the Postmaster for the fiscal year 1923; to the Committee on Interstate and General, submitting estimates of appropriations in the sum of Foreign Commerce. $5,890.85, $2,410.61, $3.501.76, and $898.~6, respectively, a total 148. A letter fi'om the chairman of the United States Taritr of $12,701.48, to pay claims which he has adjusted and which Commission, transmitting a report showing in detail an travel require an appropriation for their payment (H. Doc. No. 107); performed by officers and employees of the Tariff Commission to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered to be printed. during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1923; to the Committee 164. A letter from the Secretary of War, transmitting, with on Appropriations. a letter from the Chief of Engineers, reports on preliminary 149. A letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting examination and survey of Duwamish Waterway, Seattle Har­ a detailed tatement showing the number of claims filed under bor, Wash., with a view of widening or deepening, or both 41 Stat. 281 and the present status of the work involved in widening and deepening, the channel to accommo

Moran Towing & Transportation Co., New York, N. Y. 1 in the 178. A letter from the chairman of the Federal Trade Com­ sum of $1.000, which ·claim he bas adjusted and which requires rr.ission, transmitting a statement showing the number of type­ an appropriation for its payment (H. Doc. No. 106) ; to the writers, adding machine , and other similar laboe-saving ·ae­ Committee on Appro11riations and ordered to be printed. vices exchanged by the Federal Trade Commission during the 1~23. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 283 fiscal year ended June 30, 1923; to the Committee on Appropri- By 1\Ir. RAKER: A bill (H. R. 3221) to amend the revenue act of 1921; to the Committee on Ways and l\1eans. ations. · f th B 179. A Jetter from the chief scout executi".e o e oy By Mr. DICKINSON of Iowa: A bill (H. R. 3222) to autho.r­ Scouts of America, transmitting a co:py of the thirteenth a~ual ize and direct the Secretary of War, for national defense m report of the Boys' Scouts of America (H. Doc. ~o. 114) , to time of war and for the production of fertilizers and other the Committee on Euucation and ordered to be prrnted. useful products in time of peace, to lease to Henry Ford, or a corporation to be incorporated by him, nitrate plant No. 1, at Sheffield, Ala.; nitrate plant No. 2, at Muscle Shoals, Ala.; PUBLIC BILLS, RESOLUTIONS, AND MEMORIALS. Waco Quarry, near Russellville, Ala.; and to lease to Henry Ford, or a corporation to be incorporated by him, Dam No. 2 and lTn<'ler clause 3 of Rule XXII, bills, resolutions, and memorials Dam No. 3 (as designated in H . Doc.1262, 64th Cong., 1st sess.), were introduced and severally referred as follows: and for other purposes; to the Committee on Military Affairs. Bv 1\Ir. OAl\IPBELL: A bill (H. R. 3203) to provide for the By 1\Ir. WOJ.FF: A bill (H. R. 3223) to provide for a monthly equi.table distribution of captured "".ar devices and troph.ies .to maintenance allowance for all rural carriers on either horse­ the States and Territories of the Umted States and the Dish·ict drawn or motor routes in the Postal Service; to the Committee of Columbia; to the Committee on Military Affairs. on the Post Office and Post Roads. By l\Ir. LEHLBACH: A bill (H. R.. 3204) to m~ke Newark, By Mr. GELLER: A bill (H. R. 3224) to create a commission N". J., a port through which merchandi e may be impo.rted for of inve tigation in connection with the eighteenth amendment transportation without appraisement; to the Committee on to the Constitution of the United States; to the Committee on Ways and l\lean, . the Judiciary. Bv Mr. FULLER: A bill (H. R. 3205) to amend the act By l\Ir. BARKLEY: A bill (H. R. 3225) to prohibit the man- of i\iay 1, 19:!0, entitled "An act t? revise and eq_ualize rates ufacture, sale, or transportation in interstate commerce of of pension to certain soldiers, sa~lors, and ~arm~s of ~be misbranded articles, to regulate the traffic therein, and for Civil War and the WR!' with Mexico, to Cf'r~dam widows, m- other purposes; to the Committee on Inter~tate and Foreign eluding wido\YS of the War of 1812,. former. wi ows, dependent Commerce. parents, and children of such soldiei;s. sailo~·s, aud :r;nar.ines, By. Mr. EDMOJ\TDS: A bill (H. R. 3226) amending the pro­ and to certain Army nurses, and granting pensi?ns and mcrea~e hibition act; to the Committee on the Merchant Marine and of pensions in certain caRe: "; to the Committee on Invahd I Fisberie .. Pemdons. . . . a , • • By Mr. SALl\.fOK: A bill (H. R. 3227) to amend section 5202 By l\lr. FULMER: A bill (H. R. 3206). obllgatm~ 11 edernl re- 1 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, as amended by sern~ banks to pay interest upon all reallzed balances, wliether an act approved October 22 1919 · to the Committee on Bank- reserve or otherwise, maintained by all men,ber banks; to the ing and Currency. ' ' Committee on Banking and Currency.. _ By Mr. FOSTER: A bill (H. R. 3228) to create a negro in- 9 By l\1r. THOMAS of Kentucky: A bill ~H ..R. 3-01 ) to deter- dustrial commission · to the Committee on the Judiciary. mine the jurisdiction of c!rcuit and dist~·1~t courts of the By l\Ir. l\IURPHY; A bill (H. R. 3229) to amend Public Law United States; to the Committee on .the Judi~rnr~. _ 306, approved September 18, 1922, extending the time for com- A.lso, a bill (H. R. 3208) defimng combmatl~:ms and co~- mencing construction· of a bridge across the Ohil) River to con­ spiracies in trade and labor disputes a~d regulatmg th.e . granL- 1 nect the city of Benwood, w. Va., and the dty of Bellaire, ing of injunctions therein: to the Cemrmttee ~°: the Judiciary. Ohio; to the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce. Also, a bill (H. R 3209) to correct the ~mlltary reco~·d and I Bv Jllr. BAOHARACH: A bill (H. R. 3230) making October pr~vide for ~h.e .granting of pens~ons to sm~v~vo~·s of ~~rt;~un bat- 27 :i national holiday, to b~ .known as Roosevelt'.s Birthday; tallon of militia; to the Committee on M11ltmy A~a,rs. to the Committee on the Judiciary. Also, a bill (H. R. 3210) for the benefit of railway postal 1 By Mr. SUTHERLAND : A bill (H. R. 3231) for the con- clerks; to the Committee ~n the Post Office and Pos~ Roads. 1 struction of a lighthouse and fog signal at Harding entrance By l\Ir. LANGLEY,: A bill (H. R. 3211) t? autho~ize th~ con- I to Resurrection Bay, Alaska; to the Committee on Interstate struction of a nurses home for the Oolun;ib1a Hospital. fo1 'Yo- and Foreign Commerce ; meu and Lying-in A ylum; to the Committee on Public Bmld- Also, a bill (H. R. 3232) to extend the provisions of the ings and Grounds. Federal highway act to Alaska; to the Committee on Roads. By Mr. KELLY: A bill (H. R. 3212) to provide for the reten- By 1\lr. WHITE of Kansas : A bill (H. R. 3233) fixing date tion of books, charts, and similar supplies by beneficiaries of for the beginning of regular sessions of Congress; to the Com­ vocational training; to the Committee on Interstate and For- mittee on Election of President, Vice President, and Repre- eign Commerce. sentatives in Congress. By l\lr. ALl\ION: A bill (H. R. 3213) to authorize the appro- By l\1r. BROWNE of Wisconsin: A bill (H. R. 3234) to amend priation of additiortal sums for Federal aid in the construction a provision contained in the Indian appropriation act for. the of post roads; to the Committee on Roads. 'fiscal year 1917, approved May 18, 1916 (39 Stat. pp. 123-156), Also, a bill (H. R. 3214) to provide for an allowance for appropriating the suru of $95,000 to be used in addition to the maintenance of equipment for carriers in rural mail delivery tribal funds of the Stockbridge and l\.lunsee Tribes of Indians service; to the Committee on the Po t Office and Post Roads. in Wisconsin who are enrolled under the act of Congress of By l\1r. GREENE of Massachusetts: A bill (H. R. 3215) to l\larch 3, 1893; to the Committee on Indian Affairs. provide and adjust penalties for violation of various navigation Also, a bill (H. R. 3235) providing for the protection of the law:::;, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the Mer- public health and the prevention of fraud and deception by chant Marine and Fisheries. prohibiting the manufacture, the sale, the offering for sale, or Also a bill (H. R. 3216) to amend section 4132 of the Re- exposing for sale, or the having in possession with the intent vised Statutes and to repeal an act approved August 18, 1914, to sell, of adulterated or deleterious butter, and prescribing entitled "An act to provide for the admission of foreign-built the penalt~· for the violation thereof; to the Committee on ships to American registry for foreign trcde," and for other Agriculture. purpo es; to the Oom:nittee on the Merchant Marine and Fish- By l\Ir. Z I HL~B.. N : A bill (H. R. 3236) to regulate the prac- eries. tice of optometry in the District of Columbia ; to the Com- Also a hill (H. n. 3217) to abolish the inspection districts of mittee on the District of Columbia. Fla., and Burlington, Vt., and the office of one By 1\1r. SEAHS of Florida: A bill ( H. R. 3237) to provide for Apala~icola, 1 supervising inspectur, Steamboat Inspection Service; to the 1 the disposition of abandoned lighthouse, life-. aving, and Coast Committee on the Merchant Marine and Fisherie . Guard reservations in the State of Florida; to the Committee Al:;;o a bill (H. R. 3218) to prohibit the payment of gratui- on the Public Land~. · ties td the masters of vessels or other persons for the pur- Al o, a bill (H. R. 3238) to provide for the disposition of pose of inducing or securing contracts for repairing 1essels or abandoned military re ervations in the State of Florida; to the furni:'lhing vessels with supplies or other necessities; to the Committee on the Public Lands. Committee on the Merchant l\Iarine and Fh;heries. By ~Ir. VESTAL: A bill ( H. U. 3239) amending the act of Feb- Al!'lo, a bill (H. R. 3219) to amend sE>ctions 4402, 4404, and ruan· 5, 1H17, entitled "An act regulating immigration of aliens 4414 of the Revised Statute· of the United States, to classify to and residence of aliens in the United States," amending also and provide salaries for officers a.nd clerks of the Steamboat the act of June 29, 1906, entitled ".d.n act to provide for a uni­ In ·pection SeiTice; to the Committee on the Merchant Marine form rule for the naturalization of aliens thro_ngh~:mt .~he Ur;ii~ed and Fisheries. States and establishing the Bureau of Naturahzation, providmg By 1\lr. ZIHLMAN: A bill (H. H. 3220) to amend section for issuance abroad of certificates to immigrants, for th.e regis- 196 of tile Code of Law for the District of Columbia; to the tration of aliens, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Committee on the Di trict of Columbia. I mmigration and Katuralization. 284 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. DECEMBER 13, Also, a bill (H. R. 3240) to regulate and control the man11- Iconstruction of hangars and the maintenance of flying .fields facture, sale, and use of weights and measures and weighing for the use of the air mail service of the Post Office Depurt­ and measuring dev-ices for use or used in trade or commerce, ment; to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads. and for other purposes; to the Committee on Coinage, Weights, Also, a bill (H. R. 3262) to authorize the temporary re- and Measures. serring and setting apart certain public lands for experiments Also, a bill ( H. R. 3241) to establish the standard of weights in sheep growing, and for other purposes; to the Committee and measures for the following wheat-mill, rye-mill, and corn- on the Public Lands. mill products, namely, flours, hominy, grits, and meals, and all By Mr. THOl\lPSON: A bill (H. R. 3263) for the purchase commercial feeding stuffs, and for other purposes; to the Com- of a post-office site at Wauseon, Ohio; to tbe Committee on mittee on Coinage, Weights, and Measures. Public Buildings and Grounds. By l\1r . .McKENZIE: A bill (H. R. 3242) to provide adjusted Also, a bill (H. R. 32GJ) for the purchase of a post-office compensation for veterans of the World War, and for othe1· site at Bryan, Ohio; to the Committee on Public Buildlngs purposes; to the Committee on Ways and l\Ieans. and Grounds. By l\Ir. WINSLOW: A bill (H. R. 3243) to create a bureau By l\1r. LINDSAY: A bill (H. R. 3265) for the construction of civil aeronautics in the Department of Commerce, encourage of a bridge between the Boroughs of Brooklyn ancl Queens, in and regulate the navigation of civil aircraft, and for other pur- the city and State of New York; to the Committee on Interstate poses; to the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce. and Foreign Commerce. By Mr. ROSENBLOOM: A bill (H. R. 3244) to provide re- By Ur. Till."""KHAM: A bill (H. Il. 3266) for the establisb- lief for the victims of the airplane accident at Langin Field, ment of a United States industrial home for women at Mount- 1\Joundsville, W. Va., to the Committee on Claims. Weather, Va.; to the Committee on the Judiciary. By .Mr. CABLE: A bill (H. R. 3245) to provide for the ar- By Mr. LA.l\IPERT: A bill (H. R. 3267) to amend an act rest and punishment of aliens who unlawfully enter the United entitled "An act making appropriations for sundry civil ex­ Sta tes; to the Committee on Immigration and Naturalization. penses of the Government for the fiscal year ending June 30t By l\Ir. STEVENSON. A -bill ( H. R. 3246) to amend section 1884, and for other pmposes "; to the Committee on Patents. 5190, Revised Statutes of the United States, and paragraph By. Mr. THOMPSON: A bill (H. R. 3268) to amend section 1, section 9, Federal reserve act; to the Committee on Banking 7 of the act approved Januai·y 16, 1883, entitled " An act to and Currency. regulate and improve the civil service," to give preference to By Mr. McLEOD: A bill (H. R. 3247) to authorize the na- soldiers, sailors, marines, and Red Cross nurses; to the Com­ tion-wide recording by :fingerprint and footprint record at mittee on Reform in the Civil Service. birth of all children born within the territorial confines of the By Mr. TINKHAM: A bill (H. R. 3269) providing for plac­ United States of America and the possessions thereof; to the ing of Government employees en.gaged in the enforcement of Committee on the Judiciary. national prohibition under the civil service; to the Committee Also, a bill (H. R. 3248) declaring November 11 a legal public on Reform in the Civil Service. holiday, to be known as Armistice Day; to the Committee on the By Mr. JONES: A bill (H. R. 3270) for tbe erection of a Dy l\Ir. DOYLE: A bill (H. R. 3249) to prohibit the callee· public building in the city of Plainv-ew, county seat of Hale tion of a surcharge for the transportation of persons or bag- County, State of Texas, and appropriat·ng money therefor; to gage in connection with the payment for parlor or sleeping car the Committee on Public Buildings anstab- Torrington, in the State of Connecticut; to the Committee on lish a fish-hatching and fish-cultmal station in the State of Public Buildings and Grounds. Tenne see· to the Committee on the Merchant Marine and Also, a bill (H. R. 3278) to provide for the purchase of a Fisheries. ' site and the erection of a po t office thereon at Derby, in the .Also, a bill (H. R. 3256) to amend an act to authorize the State of Connecticut; to the Committee on Publlc Buildings and Secretary of War and the Sec1·etary of the Na\y to make cer- Grounds. tain disposition of condemned ordnance, guns, projectiles, and Also, a bill (H. R.' 3279) to provide for the -purchase of a site other condemned material in their respective departments; to and th~ erection of a post office thereon at Waterbury, in the the Committee on l\Iilitary Affairs. State nf Connecticut; to the Committee on Public Buildings By Mr. WOLFF. .A bill (H. R. 3257) making eligible for and Groundf. retirement, under certain conditions, officers of the Army of By Mr. LARSEN of Georgia: A bill (H. R. 3280) to provide the United States. other than officers of the Regular Army, for the authorization of appropriation for the purchase of a who incurred physical disability in line of duty while in the site and tbe erection of a Federal building at Hawkinsville, service of the United States during the World War; t,1 the Ga.; to tbe Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds. Committee on Military Affairs. Also, a bill (H. R. 3281) to provide for the authorization of Ily Mr. SEARS of Florida. A bill (H. R. 3258) mdking appropriation for the purchase of a site and the erection of a additional appropriation for improvement of Miami Harbor, Federal building at Eastman, Ga.; to the Committee on Public Miami, Fla. ; to the Committee on Rivers and Harbors. Buildings and Grounds. - Ily Mr. McKEOWN. A bill (H. R. 3259) authorizinlo{ the Also, a bill (H. R. 3282) to provide for -the authorization ot establishment and maintenance of an Indian sanatoriu~ at appropriation for the purchase of a site and the erection of a Shawnee, Okla.; to the Committee on Indians Affairs. Federal building at Fort Valleyt Ga.; to the Committee on AJso, a bill (H. R. 3260) to amend the practice and pro- Public Buildings and Grounds. cedure in Federal courts, and for other purposes; to the Com- Also, a bill (H. R. 3283) to provide for the authorization o:t mittee on the Judiciary. appropriation for the purcha ·e of a site and the erection of a By Mr. LEATHERWOOD. A bill (H. R. 3261) to authorize Federal building at Vidalia, Ga.; to the Committee on Publia and provide for the payment of the amounts expended in the Buildings and Grounds. 1923. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 285

By Mr. LAZAilO: A bill (H. R. 3284) to provide a site and Also, a bill (H. R. 3309) for the purchase of a post-office site erect a public building at Oakdale, La.; to the Committee on and the erection thereon of a suitable public building at Law­ Public Buildings and Grounds. renceburg, Tenn. ; to the Committee on Public Buildings and Also, a bill (H. R. 3285) to provide a site and erect a public Grounds. building at De Ridder, La.; to the Committee on Public Build­ By Mr. DRA.l'ilD: A bill {H. R. 3310) to enlarge and extend ings and Grounds. the post-office building at Lakeland, Fla. ; to the Committee on By Mr. BRAJ\"'D of Ohio: A bill (H. R. 3286) for a post-office Public Buildings and Grounds. building at Springfield, Ohio; to the Committee on Public By Mr. ALMON: A bill (H. R. 3311) for the purchase of a Buildings and Grounds. site and the erection of a public building at Tuscumbia, Ala.; By Mr. KURTZ: A bill (H. R. 3287) to provide for the erec­ to the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds. tion of a public building in the borough of Tyrone, county Also, a bill ( H. R. 3312) for the purchase of a site and the of Blair, Pa.; to the Committee on Public Buildings and erection of a public building at Sheffield, Ala. ; to the Committee Grounds. on Public Buildings and Grounds. By Mr. FISHER: A bill (H. R. 3288) to increase the cost of Also, a bill ( H. R. 3313) for the purchase of a site and the the public building at Memphis, Tenn.; to the Committee on erection of a public building at Athens, Ala. ; to the Committee Public Buildings and Grounds. on Public Buildings. and Grounds. By Mr. LILLY: A bill (H. R. 3289) to authorize the acquisi­ By Mr. VAILE: A bill (H. R. 3314) to grant medals to sur­ tion of a site anu the erection of a Federal building at Prince­ vivors and heirs of volunteers of the Port Hudson forlorn-hope ton. W. Va.; to the Committee on Public Buildings and storming party; to the Committee on Military Affairs. Grounds. By lUr. SUTHERLAND: A bill (H. R. 3315) to increase the By l\!r. CROWTHER: A bill (H. R. 3290) to enlarge and percentage of national forest receipts to be paid to the Terri­ extend the post-office building at Amsterdam, N. Y.; to the tory of Alaska ; to the Committee on Agriculture. Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds. By Mr. BRIGGS: A bill (H. R. 3316) for the education and Also, a bill (H. R. 3291) to enlarge and extend the post-office civilization of the Alabama and Coushatta Indians in Texas, building at Schenectady, N. Y.; to the Committee on Public and making an appropriation therefor; to the Committee on Buildings and Grounds. Appropriations. By l\Ir. SUTHERLAND: A bill (H. R. 3292) for the erection Also, a biJI (H. R. 3317) authorizing the acquisition of a site of a Federal building at Fairbanks, Alaska; to the Committee at Galveston, Tex., for a naval aviation station; to the Com­ on Public Buildings and Grounds. · mittee on Na val Affairs. By l\fr. LEATHERWOOD: A bill (H. R. 3293) to provide for By l\Ir. MILLS: A bill (H. R. 3318) to provide for the ap­ the purchase of a site and the erection of a public building pointment of two additional judges of the district court of thereon at Lehi, Utah ; to the Committee on Public Buildings the United States for tbe southern district of New York; to the · and Grounds. Committee on the Judiciary. By Mr. PARKS of Arkansas: A bill (H. R. 3294) for the Also, a bill (H. R. 3319) to protect navigation from obstruc­ purchase of a site and the erection of a public building thereon tion and injury by preventing the discharge of oil into the at Warren, Ark.; to the Committee on Public Buildings an•l coastal navigable waters of the United States; to the Committee Grounds. on Rivers and Harbors. Also, a bill ( H. R. 3295) for the purchase of a site and the erection of a public building thereon at El Dorado, Ark. ; to By Mr. McLAUGHLIN of Nebraska: A bill (H. R. 3320) to the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds. repeal section 852, chapter 16, and the first paragraph of sec­ By l\Ir. MAJOR of l\fis ouri: A bill (H. R. 329&) to increase tion 848, chapter 16, Revised Statutes of the United States, and the appropriation heretofore made for the erection of a public to amend the first paragraph of page 377, chapter 200, volume building at Fayette, Howard County, 1\fo. ; to the Committee on 35, part 1, session 1, United States Statutes at Large of the Approp1ia tions. Sixtieth Congress, by striking out the words "in the States of Al o, a bill (H. R. 3297) to provide f9r the erection of a public Wyoming, Montana, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, building at Sedalia, l\Io. ; to the Committee on Public Buildings Idaho, Colorado, and Utah, and in the Territories of New Mexico and Grounds. and Arizona " ; to the Committee on the Judiciary. By Mr. TAYLOR of West Virginia: A bill (H. R. 3298) pro­ Mr. McDUFFIE: A bill (H. R. 3321) authorizing the Secre­ viding for the purchase of a site and the erection of a public tary of the Treasury to remove the quarantine station now building at Beckley, W. Va.; to tbe Committee on Public Build- situated at Fort Morgan, Ala., to Sand Island, a site now ing and Grounds. · owned by the United States Government, .near the entrance of By Mr. BRAND of Georgia: A bill {H. R. 3299) to construct the port of Mobile, Ala.,_ and to construct thereon a new quar­ a public building for a post office at tbe city of Madison, Ga.; antine station; to the Committee on Public Buildings and to the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds. Grounds. By l\Ir. WASON: A bill (H. R. 3300) to provide for the pur­ By the SPEAKER (by request) : A bill (H. R. 3322) to cha~e of a site and the erection of a public building thereon at confer jurisdiction upon the United States Court of Claims to Peterboro, in the State of New Hampshire; to the Committee determine the rights and equities contested for by certain per­ on Public Buildings and Grounds. sons designated in the bill in equity filed in the Supreme Court By l\1r. EVANS of Montana: A bill (H. R. 3301) for the pur­ of the District of Columbia in 1915, Rebecca Bowers, C. B. chase of a site for and tbe ereetion of a post-office building Williams, and Mamie Thompson, and all other persons simi­ at Anaconda, Mont.; to the Committee on Public Buildings and larly interested in that subject matter, No. 33573, on the docket Grounds. • of tbat court, etc.; to the Committee on Claims. Al o, a bill (H. R. 3302) for tbe enlargement of the Federal By Mr. LAMPERT: Joint resolution (H. J. Res. 71) con­ building at Missoula, Mont.; to the Committee on Public Build­ ferring jurisdiction upon the Court of Claims for the adjudi­ ing and Grounds. cation of claims against the United States for flowage damages By Mr. WASON: A bill (H. R. 33-03) to provide for the pur­ suffered by riparian landowners on the Fox and Wolf Rivers chase of a site and the erection of a public building thereon at in the State of ·wisconsin; to the Committee on Claims. Claremont, in the State of New Hampshire; to the Committee By l\1r. SWING: Joint resolution {H. J. Res. 72) authorizing on Public Buildings and Grounds. a preliminary examination or survey of San Diego Harbor, By Mr. STEDl\IAN: A bill ( H. R. 3304) to provide for the Calif. ; to the Committee on Rivers and Harbors. purchase of a site and the erection of a public building at By l\Ir. SUTHERLAJ\"'D: Joint resolution {H. J. Res. 73) Mount Airy, N. C. ; to the Committee on Public Buildings and authorizing a preliminary examination or survey of the Yukon Grounds. River near Holy Cross, Alaska; to the Committee on Rivers Also, a bill (H. R. 3305) to provide for the purchase of a and Harbors. site and the erection of a public building at Greensboro, N. C.; Also, joint resolution (H. J. Res. 74) authorizing a prelimi­ to the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds. nary examination or survey of the Yukon River near Fort Also, a bill ( H. R. 3306) to provide for the purchase of a site Yukon, Alaska; to the Committee on Rivers and Harbors. and the erection of a public building at Elkin. N. C.; to the By Mr. ANTHONY: Joint resolution (H. J. Res. 75) pro­ Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds. posing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States; By l\fr. SALMON: A bill (H. R. 3307) for an appropriation to the Committee on the Judiciary. for and the erection of a post-office building at Franklin, Tenn. ; By Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota: Joint resolution {H. J. to the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds. Res. 76) proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Also, a bill (H. R. 3308) for the purchase of a post-office site United States; to the Committee on the Judiciary. · and the erection thereon of a suitable public building at Dick­ By Mr. BROWNE of Wisconsin: Joint resolution (H. J. Res. son, Tenn. ; to the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds. 77) conferring jurisdiction upon tbe Court of Claims for the 286 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. DECEMBER 13,

adjudication of claims against the United States for flowage PRIVATE BII,LS AND RESOLUTIONS. damages suffered by riparian landowners on the Fox and Wolf Rivers in the State of Wisconsin ; to the Committee on ·Claims. Under clause 1 of Rule XXII, private bills and resolutions Also, joint resolution (H. J. Res. 78) proposing an amend­ were introduced and severally referred as follows: ment to the Constitution of the United States in relation to By Mr. ALMON: A bill (H. R. 3323) granting a pension to convening Congress, in either House thereof, in extraordinary Elizabeth Horton; to the Committee on Pensions. sessions on the volition of the Members or l\Iembers elect By l\Ir. ARNOLD: A bill (H. R. 3324) granting a pension to thereof: to tbe Committee on the Judiciary. Francis M. Perkins; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 3325) granting a pension to Nora V. Mc­ By Mr. JOST: Joint resolution (H. J. Res. 79) designating Daniel ; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. and naming an historical ocean-to-ocean highway, and recogniz­ Also, a bill (H. R. 3326) granting a pension to Celestia Bar­ ing patriotic organizations which have promoted it; to the nett; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Committee on Roads. Also, a bill (H. R. 3327) granting a pension to Daisy Fear; By l\fr. LINDSAY: Joint resolution (H. J. Res. 80) declaring to the Committee on Pensions. October 12 a legal public holiday, to be known as Columbus Also, a bill (H. R. 3328) granting a pension to Jacob Staley; Day ; to the Committee on the Judiciary. to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, joint resolution (H. J. Res. 81) proposing an amendment Also, a bill (H. R. 3329) granting a pension to 1\Iamie H. to the Constitution of the United States; to the Committee on Barrack; to the Committee on Pensions. the Judiciary. Also, a bill (H. R. 3330) granting a pension to Elizabeth By l\1r. HAYDEN: Joint resolution (H.J. Res. 82) extending Hofer; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. the time during which certain domestic animals which have Also, a bill (H. R. :3331) granting a pension to Charles L. crossed the boundary line into foreign countries may be re­ Dewey ; to the Committee on Pensions. turned duty free; to the Committee on Ways and Means. Also, a bill (H. R. 3332) granting a pension to Minnie Hosier; By 1\fr. GREENE of l\:Iassachusetts: Joint resolution (H. J. to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Res. 83) proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Also, a bill (H. R. 3333) granting a pension to Charles United States; to the Committee on the Judiciary. Snyder; to the· Committee on Invalid Pensions. By 1\fr. LAMPERT: Joint resolution (H. J. Res. 84) propos­ By Mr. AYRES: A bill (H. R. 3334) granting a pension to ing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States; to Thomas G. I'.edd; to the Committee on Pensions. the Committee on the Judiciary. Also, a bill (H. R. 3335) granting a pension to Luella M. By l\fr. EVANS of Montana: Joint resolution (H. J. Res. 85) Myers; to the Committee on Pensions. proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United Also, a bill (H. R. 3336) granting an inc1·ease of pension to States; to the Committee on the Judiciary. . Julia C. Moses; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. By Mr. LARSEN of Georgia: Concurrent resolution (H. Oon. Also, a bill (H. R. 3337) granting an increase of pension to Res. 6) relative to printing the Biographical Congressional Di­ Laura Myers; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. rectory; to the Committee on Printing. Also, a bill (H. R. 3338) for the relief of the heirs of James By Mr. MOORE of Virginia: Resolution (H. Res. 74) to 1\1. Downey, deceased; to the Committee on War Claims. amend the rules of the House of Representatives ; to the Com­ By Mr. BACHARACH: A bill (H. R. 3339) for the relief of mittee on Rules. Joy Bright Little; to the Committee on Claims. By 1\Ir. HASTINGS: Resolution (H. Res. 75) to amend sec­ Also, a bill ( H. R. 3340) for the relief of Elizabeth T. Cloud ; tion 3 of Rule XIII requiring five or more Members to object to the Committee on Claims. to strike bill from Unanimous Consent Calendar the second Also, a bill (H. R. 3341) for the relief of Frederick W. Peter; time; to the Committee on Rules. to the Committee on Claims. By Mr. COOK: Resolution (H. Res. 76) to amend the rules Also, a bill (H. R. 3342) for the relief of Robert Turner; of the House of Representatives; to the Committee on Rules. to the Committee on Claims. B3- Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota: Resolution (H. Res. 77) Also, a bill (H. R. 3343) for the relief of Lee C. Davis; to creating a committee on veterans' legislation; to the Committee the Committee on Claims. · on Rules. Also, a bill (H. R. 3344) for the relief of Ida E. Godfrey; to the Committee on Claims. By l\fr. LEHLBACH: Resolution (H. Res. 78) directing the Also, a bill ( H. R. 3345) for the relief of Thomas N. Emley; Personnel Classification Board to furnish certain information ; to the Committee on Claims. to the Committee on Reform in the Civil Service. Also, a bill (H. R. 3346) providing for a further survey and By Mr. SNELL: Resolution (H. Res. 79) creating a

Also, a bill (H. R. 3339) granting a pension to George D. By Mr. BURTON: A bill (H. R. 3389) granting a pension Jones; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. to William Camp ; to the Committee on Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 33GO) granting a pension to Theodosia By Mr. BUSBY; A bill (H. R. 3300) to reimburse J. W. H arris ; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Duford, William M. Mosley, Clifton E. Mosley, and William Uy Mr. BEGG: A bill (H. R. 3361) granting an increase of C. Mosley ; to the Committee on Claims. peru;ion to Lela M. Karr ; to the Committee on Pensions. By Mr. BUTLER: A bill (H. R. 3391) for the relief of Hy Mr. BELL: A bill (H. R. 3362) granting an increase of Charles Ritzel; to the Committee on Naval Affairs. pension to Vance Perkins; to the Committee on Pensions. Also, a bill ( H. R. 3392) granting a pension to George ~L • By l\fr. BLACK of New York: A bill (H. R. 3363) for the Dorn ; to the Committee on Pensions. relief of Ella Miller ; to the Committee on Claims. Also, a bill (H. R. 3393) authorizing the Secretary of War Ily Mr. BOYLAN: A bill (H. R. 3364) granting a pension to to donate to the borough of Marcus Hook, State of Pennsyl­ Mary L. Bender; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. vania, one German cannon or fieldpiece ; to the Committee on By Mr. BRAND of Georgia: A bill (H. R. 3365) authorizing Military Affairs. the Secretary of War to donate to the city of Monroe, State ·of Also, a bill (H. R. 3394) authorizing the Secretary of War Georgia, one German cannon or fi.eldpiece ; to the Committee on to deliver to the city of Coatesville, State of Pennsylvania, Military Affairs. captured cannons or fieldpleces and suitable outfit of cannon Also, a bill (H. R. 3366) authorizing the Secretary of War to balls; to the Committee on Military Affairs. donate to the city of Lexington, State of Georgia, one German Also. a bill (H. R. 3395) authorizing the Secretary of War cannon or fi.eldpiece; to the Committee on Military Affairs. to deliver to Darby Township of Delaware County, State of Also, a bill (H. R. 3367) authorizing the Secretary of War to Pennsylvania, a captured cannon or :fieldpiece and suitable out­ donate to the city of Carnesville, State of Georgia, one German fit of cannon balls ; to the Committee on Military Affairs. cannon or fieldpiece; to the Committee on Military Affairs. Also, a bill (H. R. 3396) authorizing the Secretary of War Also, a bill (H. R. 3368) authorizing the Secretary of War to to deliver to the borough of Norwood, State of Pennsylvania, donate to the city of Washington, State of Georgia, one German two captured cannons or · fieldpieces and suitable outfits of cannon or fi.eldpiece; to the Committee on Military Affairs. cannon balls; to the Committee on Military Affairs. Also, a bill (H. R. 3369) authorizing the Secretary of War to Also, a bill (H. R. 3397) authorizing the Secretary of War to donate to the city of Greensboro, State of Georgia, one German deliver to the borough of Aldan, Delaware County, State of cannon or :fieldpiece; to the Committee on :Military Affairs. Pennsylvania, a captured cannon or fieldpiece; to the Com­ Also, a bill (H. R. 3370) authorizing the Secretary of War to mittee on Military .Affairs. donate to the city of Eatonton, State of Georgia, one German AL

Also, a bill (H. R. 3417) granting a pension to Rose E. Kline; Also, a bill (H. R. 3451) granting a pension to Nathan E. to the Committee on Pensions. Hopkins; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. By Mr. CURRY: A bill (H. R. 3418) granting a pension to By Mr. FULLER: A bill (H. R. 3452) granting a pension to Llewellyn Sawyer; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Lottie Wilmarth ; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 3419) granting a pension to Edward By Mr. GILLETT: A bill (H. R. 3453) for the relief of the Powell; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. widow of Warren V. Howard; to the Committee on Military By Mr. DAVIS of Tennessee: A bill (H. R. 3420) authoriz­ .Affairs. ing the Secretary of War to donate to the county of Cannon, Also, a b1ll (H. R. 3454) granting a pension to Julia J. Bliss; Tenn., one German cannon or fieldpiece ; to the Committee on to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Military Affairs. Also, a bill (H. R. 3455) granting an increase of pension to Also, a bill (H. R. 3421) authorizing the Secretary of War to Arthur N. Jones; to the Committee on Pensions. donate to the county of Caffee, Tenn., one German cannon or By Mr. GLATFELTER: A bill (H. R. 3456) granting an in­ fieldpiece; to the Committee on Military Affairs. crease of pension to Isabelle Wolford; to the Committee on Also, a bill (H. R. 3422) authorizing the Secretary of War to Invalid Pensions. donate to the county of Lincoln, Tenn., one German cannon or Also, a bill (H. R. 3457) granting a pension to Jesse E. :fieldpiece; to the Committee on Military Affairs. Smith; to the Committee on Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 3423) authorizing the Secretary of War to By Mr. GOLDSBOROUGH: A bill (H. R. 3458) authorizing donate to the county of l\loore, Tenn., one German cannon or and directing the Secretary of War to cause to be made a pre­ fleldpiece; to the Committee on Military Affairs. liminary examination and survey of Honga River and Tar Bay Also, a bill (H. R. 3424) authorizing the Secretary of War to (Barren Island Gaps), in Maryland; to the Committee on donate to the town of Tullahoma, Tenn., one German cannon Rivers and Harbors. or fieldpiece: to the Committee on Military Affairs. By Mr. GRAHAM of Pennsylvania: A bill (H. R. 8459) grant­ Also, a bill (H. R. 3425) authorizing the Secretary of War to ing an increase of pension to James F. B. P. Gould; to the donate to the county of Rutherford, ·Tenn., one German cannon Committee on Pensions. or fieldpiece ; to the Committee on Military Affairs. Also, a bill (H. R. 3460) granting a pension to Robert M. Also, a bill (H. R. 3426) authorizing the Secretary of War to Daniels ; to the Committee on Pensions. donate to Middle Tennessee State Normal School, of 1\Iurfrees­ By Mr. GREEN of Iowa: A bill (H. R. 3461) granting a boro, Tenn., one German cannon or fieldpiece; to the Committee pension to George 1\1, Howe; to the Committee on Invalid Pen­ on Military Affairs. sions. Also, a bill (H. R. 3427) authorizing the Secretary of War By Mr. GRIEST: A bill (H. R. 3462) granting an increase of to donate to the county of Bedford, Tenn., one German cannon pension to Philip Dieter ; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. or fieldpiece; to the Committee on Military Affairs. Also, a bill (H. R. 3463) granting a pension to Lizzie B. Also, a bill (H. R. 3428) authorizing the Secretary of War Shreiner; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. · · · 1 to donate to the county of Dekalb, Tenn., one German. cannon Also, a bill (H. R. 3464) granting a pension to Mary J. Light or fieldpiece; to the Committee on 1\Iilitary Affairs. Lawrence; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 3429) authorizing the Secretary of War Also, a bill (H. R. 3465) granting an increase of pension to to donate to the county of Marshall, Tenn., one German cannon John l: sner; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. or fieldpiece ; to the Committee on l\filita.ry Affairs. Also, a bill (H. R. 3466) granting an increase of pension to By Mr. DEAL: A bill (H. R. 3430) for the relief of Picton Edward D. Henderson; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Steamship Co. (Ltd.), owner of the British steamship Picton; Also, a bill (H. R. 3467) granting a pension to John Zellers; to the Committee on Claims. to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. _<\.lso, a bill (H. R. 3431) granting a pension to Mary A. Also, a bill ( H. R. 3468) granting an increase of pension to Kane ; to the Committee on Pensions. Sarah Ann Eby; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. By Mr. DOWELL: A bill (H. R. 3432) granting a pension to By 1\Ir. IIA. STL.~GS: A bill (H. R. 3469) granting a pen­ :Mary A. Reece ; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. sion to Robert Ross; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 3433) granting a pension to Mary A. By Mr. HAUGEN: A bill (H. R. 3470) granting a pension Wilfong; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. to Fred B. Cogswell; to the Committee on Invalid Pensious. Also, a bill (H. R. 3434) granting a pension to Julia Mc­ By Mr. HAWLEY: A bill (H. R. 3471) for the relief of Nichols; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Horace G. Wilson; to the Committee on Claims. By l\1r. DRANE: A bill (H. R. 3435) for the relief of special Also, a bill (H. R. 3472) for the relief of Albert Wood; to road and bridge district No. 4, of De Soto County, Fla.; to the the Committee on Claims. Committee on Claims. Also, a bill (H. R. 3473) for the relief of the Brighton By l\!r. DYER: A bill (H. R. 3436) granting an increase of :Mills Co.; to the Committee on Claims. pension to Martha R. Biddle; to the Committee on Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 3474) granting an increase of pension to Also, a bill ( H. R. 3437) for the relief of Mary Shine ; to Charles D. Felter ; to the Committee on Pensions. the Committee on Claims. By l\Ir. HERSEY: A bill (H. R. 3475) to settle the accounts Also, a bill ( H. R. 3438) for the relief of Frank Emile of the St. John River Commission ; to the Committee on Perrot; to the Committee on Claims. CWm& . Also, a bill (H. R. 3439) for the relief of William Elder; to By Mr. HUMPHREYS: A bill (H. R. 3476) for the relief the Committee on Claims. of Herbert A .. Wilson ; to the Committee on the Public Lands. Also, a bill ( H. R. 3440) for the relief of John A. Clayton ; By l\Ir. JOST: .A. bill (H. R. 3477) for the relief of J. B. to the Committee on Claims. Porter; to the Committee on Claims. Also, a bill (H. R. 3441) for the relief of the Missouri Pants Also, a bill (H. R. 3478) for the relief of Clara Fitzgerald; l\Ianufacturing Co.; to the Committee on War Claims. to the Committee on Claims. Also, a bill ( H. R. 3442) for the relief of Dr. E. S. Bailey ; By Mr. KURTZ: A bill (H. R. 3479) granting an increase of to the Committee on Claims. pension to Annie McNamara ; to the Committee on Pensions. By Mr. ELLIOTT: A bill (H. R. 3443) granting a pension to By l\.fr. KEARNS: A bill (H. R. 3480) granting a pension to Leonidas Duncan ; to the Committee on Pensions. Samuel C. Shattler ; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. By Mr. EVANS of Montana: A bill (H. R. 3444) for the re­ Also, a bill ( H. R. 3481) granting an increase of pension to lief of certain nations or tribes of Indians in l\Iontana, Idaho, Laura A. Moore; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. and Washington; to the Committee on Indian Affairs. By :Mr. KELLY: A bill (H. R. 3482) granting a pension to By l\Ir. FENN: A bill (H. R. 3445) granting a pension to Rachel Tweedle; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Henrietta Richmond; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill ( H. R. 3483) for the relief of John Buchanan i By Mr. FISHER: A bill (H. R. 3446) for the relief of to the Committee on Military Affairs. Marion B. Patterson; to the Committee on Claims. Also, a bill (H. R. 3484) granting a pension to Ocie Billet; Also, a bill (H. R. 3447) granting a pension to Amanda Bor­ to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. den· to the Committee on Invalffi. Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 3485) for the relief of Walter P. King; By Mr. FREEl\lAN: A bill ( H. R. 3448) granting an increase to the Committee on Claims. of pension to Sarah E. Parker; to the Committee on Invalid Also, a bill ( H. R. 3486) to correct the military record of Pensions. A. G. Vincent; to the Committee on Military Affair~. Also, a bill (H. R. 3449) granting a pension to Cora B. Rem­ Also, a bill (H. R. 3487) granting a pension to Martha Hoff­ ington ; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. man; to the Committee on Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 3450) granting a pension to Margaret B. Also, a bill (H. R. 3488) granting a pension to Michael V. Davison; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Murray; to the Committee on Pensions. 1923. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE 289

Also, a bill (H. R. 3489) granting a pension to Nettie Walker; .Also, a bill (H. R. 3522) authorizing the Secretary of War to to the Committee on Pensions. donate to the city of Marietta, State of Georgia, one German By l\lr. KENDALL: A bill (H. R. 3490) to provide for the cannon or fieldpiece; to the Committee on Military Affairs. retirement as second lieutenant of Field Artillery in the Army Also, a bill (H. R. 3523) authorizing the Secretary of War to of Cadet Joseph P. Constantine, jr.; to the Committee on Mili­ donate to the city of Cartersville, State of Georgia, one German tary Affairs. cannon or fi.eldpiece; to the Committee on Military Affairs. By l\1r. KETCHAM: A bill (H. R. 3491) granting a pension to Also, a bill (H. R. 3524) authorizing the Secretary of War to Addie Peck ; to the Committee on Pensions. donate to the city of Calhoun, State of Georgia, one German Also, a bill (H. R. 3492) granting a pension to Julia cannon or fieldpiece ; to the Committee on Military Affairs. Metzger; to the Committee on Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 3525) authorizing the Secretary of War to Also, a bill ( H. R. 3493) granting a pension to Lydia Be­ donate to the city of Chatsworth, State of Georgia, one German dortha ; to the Committee on Pensions. cannon or fi.eldpiece; to the Committee on l\lilitary Affairs. Also, a bill (H. R. 3494) granting a pension to 1\Iary E. Also, a bill (H. R. 3526) authorizing the Secretary of War to McGill; to the Committee on Pensions. donate to the city of Rockmart, State of Georgia, one German Also, a bill (H. R. 3495) granting a pension to .Alice Had­ cannon or field piece ; to the Committee on Military Affairs. sell ; to the Committee on Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 3527) authorizing the Secretary of War to Also, a bill (H. R. 3496) granting a pension to Elizabeth donate to the city of Ringgold, State of Georgia, one German Tice; to the Committee on Pensions. cannon or fieldpiece; to the Committee on Military Affairs. Also, a bill (H. R. 3497) granting a pension to Esther T. By Mr. LEHLBA.CH: A bill (H. R. 3528) for the relief of Church; to the Committee on Pensions. Edgar M. Taylor; to the Committee on Military Affairs. By Mr. LAMPERT: A bill (H. R. 3498) to make a prelimi­ Also, a bill (H. R. 3529) for the relief of Alexander H. Rob­ nary survey of the Wolf and Fox Rivers, State of Wisconsin, ertson; to the Committee on Military Affairs. with a view to the control of floods, and for other purposes; By Mr. LILLY: A bill (H. R. 3u30) for the relief of Joseph to the Committee on Flood Control. C. Holley, of West Hamlin, W. Va.; to the Committee on Claims. 3531) By Ir. LANGLEY: A bill (H. R. 3499) for the relief of By Mr. LI1'.TDSA.Y: A bill (II. R. granting a pension to J. I. Hall, of Jackson, Ky.; to the Committee on Claims. Catherine Ahern ; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. 3532) Also, a bill (H. R. 3500) granting an increase of pension to Also, a bill (H. R. granting a pension to Elizabeth Gibson; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Burnham Gibson ; to the Committee on Pensions. R. 3533) Also, a bill ( H. R. 3501) granting a pension to Scott Tussey ; Also, a bill (H. granting a pension to Joseph Worm, jr. ; to the Committee on Pensions. to the Committee on Pensions. Also, a bi1l (H. R. 3534) for the dredging and maintenance of By Mr. LARSON of Minnesota: A bill (H. R. 3502) for the Newtown Creek; to the Committee on Rivers and Harbors. relief of Tena Petterson, former widow of Niles Alvin Trulson; By Mr. LITTLE: A bill (H. R. 3535) granting an increase of to the Committee on Claims. pension to Gilbert E. 1\layor ; to the -Committee on Pensions. By Mr. LEA of California: A bill (H. R. 3503) authorizing By 1\Ir. LOGAN: A bill (H. R. 3536) for the relief of Sul­ a preliminary examination and survey of Humboldt Harbor livans Island, S. C.; to the Committee on Claims. and Bay, Calif.; to the Committee on Rivers and Harbors. By Mr. McDUFFIE: A bill (H. R. 353·7) for the relief of .Also, a bill (H. R. 3504) for the relief of Cornelia M. A. L. A. Scott; to the Committee on Claims. Tower; to the Committee on Claims. Also, a bill ( H. R. 3538) granting a pension to Anna Marie Also, a bill (H. R. 3505) for the relief of Fred W. Stickney Higgs; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. and H. A. Reynolds; to the Committee on Claims. By Mr. McKEOWN: A bill ( H. R. 3539) for the relief of Also, a bill ( H. R. 3506) granting a pension to Frances A. Christopher M. Ladd; to the Committee on 1\Iilitary Affairs. Brown ; to the Committee on Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 3540) granting an increase of pension to By Mr. LEATHERWOOD: A bill (H. R. 3507) for the re­ Isaac Grecian ; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. lief of Franklin A. Swenson; to the Committee on Claims. By Mr. M.A.JOR of Missouri: A bill (H. R. 3541) for the relief Also, a bill (H. R. 3508) for the relief of Charles Hurst; to of Henry Shull; to the Committee on Military Affairs. the Committee on Claims. Also, a bill (H. R. 3542) granting a pension to James A. Also, a bill (H. R. 3509) for the relief of Willard Taylor Goodwin, to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Schell ; to the Committee on Claims. By l\ir. MANLOVE: A bill (H. R. 3543) granting an increase Also, a bill ( H. R. 3510) for the relief of Emma Kiener ; to of pen~ion to Willis P. Mccampbell; to the Committee on the Committee on Claims. Pensions. By Mr. LEAVITT: A bill (H. R. 3511) to extend relief to Also, a bill (H. R. 3544) for the relief of James Madison the claimants in T. 16 N., Rs. 32 and 33 E., l\Iontana meridian, Brown ; to the Committee on Military Affairs. Montana ; · to the Committee on the Public Lands. Also, a bill (H. R. 3545) for the relief of John Wesley Rich­ Also, a bill (H. R. 3512) granting a pension to Margaret ardson ; to the Committee on Military Affairs. Macrae ; to the Committee on Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 3546) granting a pension to Mary N. By l\lr. LEE of Georgia: ·A bill (H. R. 3513) authorizing the McCullough; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. donation of three cannons of the style of the French 75's to Also, a bill (H. R. 3547) granting a pension to Martha Shanklin-Attaway Post, American Legion, Rome, Ga.; to the Kailey; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Committee on Military Affairs. Also, a bill (H. R. 3548) granting a pension to Mollie F. Stin­ Also, a bill (H. R. 3514) authorizing the donation of Ger­ son; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. man cannons to the city of Trenton, Ga. ; to the Committee on Also, a bill (H. R. 3549) granting an increase of pension to Military Affairs. Mary E. Dyer; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 3515)° authorizing the Secretary of War Also, a bill (H. R. 3550) granting a pension to Eliza Reed; to donate to the town of Chickama · , Ga., one German to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. cannon ; to the Committee on Military Affairs. By Mr. l\1A.PES: A bill (H. R. 3551) for the relief of Fred E. Also, a bill (H. R. 3516) authorizing the donation of Ger­ Hamel ; to the Committee on Claims. man cannons to the city of La Fayette, Ga.; to the Committee Also, a bill (H. R. 3552) for the relief of Moses Chauncey; on Military Affairs. to the Committee on Military Affairs. Also, a bill (H. R. 3517) authorizing the Secretary of War to Also, a bill (H. R. 3353) providing for the commissioning of donate to the city of l\Ienlo, State of Georgia, one Civil War :William A. Pearl ancl granting him immediately thereafter an cannon or fieldpiece; to the Committee on Military Affairs. honorable discharge; to the Committee on Military Affairs. Also, a bill (H. R. 3518) authorizing the Secretary of War to Also, a bill (H. R. 3554) for the relief of Frank D. Peck; to donate to the city of Summerville, State of Georgia, one Ger­ the Committee on l\lilitary Affairs. man cannon or fi.eldpiece; to the Committee on Military Affairs. Also, a bill (H. R. 3555) for the relief of John J. Waters; to Also, a bill (H. R. 3519) authorizing the Secretary of War to the Committee on Military Affairs. donate to the city of Cedartown, State of Georgia, one German Also, a bill ( H. R. 3556) for the relief of Herman R. Wolt­ cannon or fi.eldpiece; to the Committee on Military Affairs. man; to the Committee on Military Affairs. Also, a bill (H. R. 3520) authorizing the Secretary of War to Also, a bill (H. R. 3557) authorizing the Secretary of War to donate to the city of Buchanan, State of Georgia, one German donate to the city of Holland, l\lich., one German cannon or cannon nr fieldpiece; to the Committee on Military Affairs. fieldpiece; to the Committee on Military Mairs. Also, a bill (H. R. 3521) authorizing the Secretary of War to Also, a bill (H. R. 3558) authorizing the Secretary of War donate to the city of Dallas, State of Georgia, one German to donate to the city of Zeeland, Mich., one German cannon or cannon or fieldpiece; to the Committee on Military Affairs. fieldpiece; to the Committee on Military Affairs.

LXV-19 290 CONGRESSIO:N AL RECORD-. HOUSE. DECEl\IBER 13,

Also, a bill ( H. R. 3559) granting an increase of pension to Also, a bill (H. R. 3598) granting an increa e of pension to George Oatten; to the Committee on Pensions. l\1ary F. Conway; to the Committee on Pensions. By :Mr: MILLIGAN: A bill (H. R. 3560) granting a pen­ By ~Ir. ROGERS of Massachusetts: A bill ( H. R. 3599) grant­ sion to Nancy J. O'Connor; to the Committee on Pensions. ing a pension to Thomas Quirk; to the Committee on Pensions. Ily l\Ir. ~ILLS: A bill ( H. R. 3561) for the relief of Her­ By l\1r. ROMJUE: A bill (H. R. 3600) granting an increase man Shn1of ~ to the Committee on Claims. of pension to Sarah E. Van Dyke; to the Committee on Invalid By l\Ir. MURPHY: A bill (H. R. 3562) granting an increase Pensions. of pension to Alfred T. Johnson; to the Committee on Pen­ By Mr. SALMON: .A. bill (H. R. 3601) granting an increase sions. of pension to Amanda Monroe ; to the Committee on Invalid Also, a blll (H. R 3563) granting a pension to :Mary OIT; to · Pensions. the Committee on In valid Pensions. By l\Ir. SA...i.~ERS of Indiana: A bill (H. R. 3602) granting Also, a bill (H. R. 3564) granting a. pension to Mary Sutton; a pension to Elijah C. Waln; to the Committee on Invalid to tbe Committee on Invalid Pensions. Pen3ions. Also, a bill ( H. R. 3565) granting a pension to Maggie ~· Also, a bill (H. R. 3603) granting a pension to Marion Simp­ Brookbank: to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. son ; to the Committee on Pension . Also, a bill ( H. R.. 3566) granting a pension to Annie n. Also, a bill (H. R. 3604) granting a pension to Grace Dunn; Twaddle; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill ( H. R. 3567) granting an increase of pension to Also, a bill ( H. R. 3605) granting an increase of pension to :Mary C. Beaver ; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. David Phillips, alias Charles Gray; to the Committee on In· .Also, a bill (IL B. 3568) granting an increa e of pension to valid Pensions. Rachel Everson ; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 3606) granting a pension to Sarah Louder­ Also, a bilI ( H. R. 3569) granting an increase of pension to milk; to the Committee on Invalid l?ensions. Mary L. Green; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. By I.Ir. SEARS of Florida: A bill ( H. n. 3B07) to provide for " Also, a bill (H. R. 3570) granting a pension to Martha Hut­ a survey of St.. Augustine Harbor, St. Augustine, Fla.; to tne ton ; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Committee on Rivers and l:laroors. Also, a bill (H. R. 3571) granting an increase of pension to Also, a bill (IT. R. 3608) to provide for a survey of Fort Lau­ 1\1ary Wright; to the Committee. on Invalid Pensions. derdale Inlet, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; to the Committee 011 Also, n bill (H. R. 3572) granting a pension to Maud Stevens; Rivers and Harbors. to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Al o, a bill (H. R. 3609) to provide for a survey of Melbourne Al o, a bill (lI. R. 3573) granting an increase of pension to Harbor and Inlet, .Melbourne,. Fla. ; to the Committee on Rivers Sarah S. Badger ; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. and Harbors. Also, a bill (II. R. 3514) granting an increase of pension to Also, a bill (II. R. 3610) to provide for a survey of Fort Pierce Josiephine Hoffman; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Inlet, Fort Pierce, Fla. ; to the Committee on Rivers and Har­ AL-ro, a bill (lI. R. 3575} granting a pension to Helen Phil­ bors. lips; to the Committee on Invalid Pen ions, By Mr. SEARS of Nebraska: A bill (H. R. 3'111) for the re­ Also, a b-ill (H. R. 3576) granting a pension to Thomas E. lief of Edward Tigh; to the Committee on Military Affair . Cole; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 3612) granting an increase of pension to Also, a bill (H. R. 3577) granting a pension to Clara Collins; Alfred G. J. Peter. en : to the Committee on Pern;;i.onc:;. to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 3613) granting a pension to Martha Davis; Also, a bill (H. R. 3578) granting a pension to Mabel Wingar; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 3614) granting a pension to Rachel B. Also, a bill ( H. R. 3579) granting an increase of pension to Williams; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Thomas C. Acton; to the Committee on Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 3615) granting a pension to Jane Hannan; By Mr. NEWTO~ - of l\Iissouri: A bill ( H. R. 3580) for the to the Committee on Invalid Pension . relief to J. H. Teasdale Commission Co. ; to the Committee on By l\fr. SITES: A bill (H. R. 3616) granting a pension to Claims. Lucretia M. Prouty; to the Committee on Invalid Pen ions. By l\fr. O'CONNOR of Louisiana: A bill (H. R. 35Sl) for Ily Mr. Sl\IITH: A bill (II. R. 3617) authorizing the submis­ the relief of Harold Kernan; to the Committee on War Claims. sion to the Court of Claims of the claims of sundry citizens of Ily l\lr. O'CONNOR of New York: A bill (H. R. 3582) for Idaho for damages sustained by reason of the overflow of their the relief of August l\licbalchuk; to the Committee on Claims. lands in connection with the construction of the re ervoir to Bv l\Ir. OLDFIELD: A bill (H. R. 3n83) granting an in­ irrigate lands belonging to the Indians on the Fort Hall Re er­ crea e of pension to Nancy Halcum; to the Committee on In­ vation in Idaho; to the Committee on Claims. valid Pen ions. Also, a bill (II. R. 3618) for the relief of Nora B. Sherricr Also, a bill (H. R. 3584) for the relief of W. H. Nelson; Johnson ; to the Committee on the Public Lands. to the Committee on Claims. Also, a biU (H. R. 3619) for the.relief of Erve W. Johni;;on; Also, a bill (H. R. 35 5) granting nn increase of pension to to the Committee on the Public Lands. Bertha FieJas; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 3620) for the relief of 0. R. Shaw; to Also, a bill (II. R. 3586) granting a pension to Bertha the Committee on Claims. Ogle by; to tlrn Committee on Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 3621) granting an increase of pension to Also, a bill ( H. R. 3587) granting an .increase of pension Olive Robbins; to the Committee on Pensions. to Mary Rebecca Sellars; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. By l\lr. SNELL: A bill ( H. R. 3622) granting an incren. e By l\lr. PHILLIPS: A bill (II. R. 3588) granting a pension of pension to Huldah Brown; to· the Committee on Invalid to Lizzie G. Chapman; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Pensions. By Mr. PRALL: A bill (H. R. 3589) for the relief of the Also, a bill (H. R. M2.'3) authorizing the Secretary of War depositors of the :Mariner Harbor National Bank, Mariners to donate to John C. Peggs Post, American Legion, of Canton, Rru·bor, N. Y. ; to the Committee on Claims. N. Y., one German cannon or fieldpiece for presentation to IJy Mr. REED of West Virginia: A bill (H. R. 3590) to cor­ the village of Canton, N. Y.; to the Committee on 1\lilitary rect the military record of Cla1·ence G. Stonestreet; to the Com­ Affairs. mittee on Military Affairs. - By Mr. SNYDER: A bill (H. R. 3624) for the relief of James Also, a biJl ( H. R. 3591) to correct the military record of F. Rowell; to the Committee on Indian Affairs. William B. Primm; to the Committee on Military Affairs. By Mr. STALKER: A bill (H. R. 3625) granting a pem;ion Also, a bill (H. R. 3592) for the relief of G. W. Hayhurst; to Susan Clark; to the Committee on Pensions. to the Committee on Claims. By Mr. SUTHERLA.ND: A bill (H. R. ~626) for the relief By 1\Ir. ROACif: A bill (H. R. 3593) granting a pension to of Michael P. Galvin ; to the Committee on Claims. C::vnthia E. King; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, .a bill (H. R. 3627) for the relief of Albert E. Ed­ ~By l\fr. IlOBSION of Kentucky: A bill (H. R. 3594) granting wards ; to the Committee on Claims. an increase of pension to Alice Parrigin; to the Committee on By l\fr. SWEET: A bill (H. R. 3628) 00ranting a pension to Invalid Pensions. Anna A. Randall· to the Committee on Invalid Pen ions. By 1\1r. ROGERS of New Hampshire: A bill (H. R. 3595) By l\Ir. SWING: A bill (H. R. 3629) granting a pension to for the relief of Daniel F. Healy; to the Committee on Claims. Kittie M. Kennedy; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill ( H. R. 3596) granting an increa e of pension to Also, a bill (H. R. 3630) for the relief of Bertha Witt; to Lucinda M. Fuller; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. the Committee on Military .Affair .. Also, a bill (H. R. 3597) granting an increase of pension to By Mr. TAYLOR of Colorado: A bill (II. R. 36.11) for tbe re­ Augusta .A~ Fiske; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. lief of Lewis H. Easterly; to the Committee on llilitary Affairs. 1923. ' CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 291

By Mr. REED of Arkansas: Resolution (H. Res. 84) author­ izing the Clerk of the House to pay, out of the contingent fund of the House, to E. M. McCullough and Theda l\Iiller one' month's salary as clerks to the late Hon. L. E. Sawyer; to the Committee on Accounts. By Mr. VA.RE: Resolution (H. Res. 85) providing for .six months' salary to be paid to the widow of Arthur Murphy; to the Committee on Accounts. By Mr. DAVIS of Minnesota·: Resolution (H. Res. 86) for the relief of the widow of Carl G. l\Ialmberg, late an employee of the House of Representatives; to the Committee on Ac­ counts. By l\Ir. ROUSE: Resolution (H. Res. 87) to pay to Joe W. Morris $186.66 and Marguerite Free $120 as clerk hire to the late Hon. James 0. Cantrill; to the Committee on Accounts.

PETITIONS, ETC. Under clause 1 of Rule XXII, petitions and papers were laid on the Clerk's desk and referred as follows : 165. By the SPEAKER (by request): Petition of the Grand Army of the Republic, Depavtment of Kansas, urging that pref­ erence be given to the immediate passage of the Bursuni-Fuller pension bill; to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. 166. By Mr. BLOOM: Petition of the Rite Form Corset Co. (Inc.), 307 Sixth Avenue, New York, favoring reduction of taxes ; to the Committee on Ways and Means. 167. By Mr. BRIGGS: Information from the collector of cus­ toms at Galveston, Tex., district No. 22, setting forth data show­ ing growth of service and commerce and indicating need for more adequate appropriation; to the Committee on Appropria­ tions. 168. Also, letter from H. L. Roberts & Co., Hitchcock, Tex., urging repeal of tax on telegraph and telephone messages; to the Committee on Ways and Means. 169. By l\Ir. CULLEN: Petition of the American Legion, rec­ ognizing that our Government has an obligation to all service men and women to relieve the financial disadvantage incident to their military service, therefore reaffirm their belief in the American Legion plan for adjusted compensation and re­ solve to continue the fight for this legislation until it bas been enacted into law; to the Committee on Ways and Means. 170. Also, petition of New York State Federation of Women's Clubs that Congress pass such legislation as will amend the Constitution of the United States in order that the Congress shall have the power to limit or prohibit the labor of children; to the Committee on the Judiciary. 171. By Mr. FULLER: Petition of Jolm R. Quinn, national commander of the American Legion, favoring the adjusted com­ pensation bill for World War veterans; to the Committee on Ways and Means. 172. Also, petition of the National Confectioners' Association of the United States, favoring repeal of the excise tax on candy; to the Committee on Ways and Means. 173. Also, petitions of the Scholl Manufacturing Co. and the Central Electric Co., of Chicago, the Chicago Association of Commerce, and the Illinois Dry Goods Association, favoring the plan of Secretary Mellon for reduction of Federal taxes; to the Committee on Ways and l\feans. 174. Also, petition of Department of Washington and Alaska, Grand Army of the Republic, favoring increase of Civil War pensions to $J2 for the veterans and $50 for the widows, re­ gardless of age; to the Committee on Invalid Pemslons. 175. By Mr. SHREVE: Petition of Crawford County Pomona Grange, No. 26, asking for the dispensing of collection and· delivery on free rural mail routes on Christmas Day; to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads. 176. Also, resolution of Auxiliary No. 89 to National Asso­ ciation of Letter Carriers for increase in salaries to letter car­ riers; to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads. 177. By l\fr. SINCLAIR: Petition of officers of the N. F. P. O. c., No. 157, Minot, N. Dak., favoring an increase in salaries for letter carriers and postal clerks; to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads. 178. By l\lr. SITES: Papers to accompany House bill 3094: to the Committee on Pensions. 179. Also, papers to accompany House bill 3093 ; to the Com- mittee on Ill"rnlicl Pensions. 180. Also, papers to accompany House bill 8092 ; to the Com­ mittee on Invalid Pensions. 181. Also, papers to accompany House bill 8091 i to the Com- mittee on Invalid Pensions. ·