Evening Star Newspaper, June 25, 1922, Page 37

SPECIA Part 2—12 Pages Pr(")posals in Co’ngré_sS to Make (¢ Constitution Amendin BY G. GOULD LINCOLN. the Constitution of the United- States was framed by the forefathers of the country precaution was taken to make it impossible of change or amendment until after any pro- posed change had been scrutinized carefully and Mad received the real support of the great mass of the people. Since the date of the Con- stitution’s adoption in 1789 the fun- damental law of the land has been amended nineteen times—and the first ten amendments, contalning the “bill of rights,” which safeguard freedom of speech and of religious bellef, etc., were adqpted in 1791. The rest of the amendments, nine in number, ate the only changes in the Constitution made in the course of 131 years. They deal with slavery, equal rights for citi- zens irrespective of color, fedéral in- come taxes, the election of United States senators by popular vote, prohibition and woman suffrage. * k x *x But because the Constitution has been amended so few times does not mean that many men both in and out of Congress have not been restive under the provisions of the Constitu- tion, and have not advocated easier and simpler methods of changing the fundamental law. Senator La Fol- lette of Wisconsin is the latest to urge a constitutlonal amendment. He Pproposes to curb the federal courts, and, in effect, to take from the Su- preme Court the right to determine whether a law enacted by Congress | conforms to the Constitution. In the opinion of Senator La Follette, there has grown up in this country a “ju- dicial oligarchy,” headed by the Su- yreme Court, and this oligarchy should have its wings clipped. He made the charge during an address before the American Federation of Labor, dealing particularly with the declsion of the Supreme Court hold- ing the child labor iaw unconstitu- tional. He has reiterated the charge on the floor of the Senate. The Amer- ican Federation of Labor has taken up the matter, and has committed it- self to an amendment of the Consti- tutfon in line with that proposed by the Wisconsin senator. * K ok x ‘The plan of Senator La Follette is & congressional veto of decisions of the Supreme Court. He will offer a resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution which shall hold: 1. That no inferior federal judge Study of the Coal Situation Shows . That Crisis May Be Here in August EDITORIAL PAGE ~ NATIONAL PROBLEMS L ARTICLES EDITORIAL SECTION e Sunthy 5 Y. s WASHINGTON, D. C.,, SUNDAY MORNING, JUNE 25, 1922. shall set aside a law of Congress onlaw of Congress.. His ‘resolution pro- the ground that it is unconstitutional. 2. That if the Supreme Cdurt as- sumes to decide arty law of Congress unconstitutional, or by interpreta- tion . undertakes to assert a public v policy at variance with the statutory declaration of Congress, which alone under our system is authorized to de- termine the public policies of govern- ment, the Congress may, by repass- ing the law, nullify the action of the court. {_1f the proposal of Senator La Fol- lette—which the Americah Federa- tion of Labor has apparently taken as its own—should be adopted,. then any law which Congress should gee fit to pass by a majority vote would be law of the land and there would exist in the courts no protection against it, whether the rights guar- anteed citizens of the country under the Constitution were violated or not. The President may veto the bills passed by Congress, but the Congress has the power to override his veto by la two-thirds vote. In the case of the judicial veto exercised by the Su- | preme Court, holding a law uncon- | stitutional, the plan Is to provide for overriding by a mere majority vote. Suppose Congress, for example, should pass a law in any way limiting the freedom of religious worship, or setting up a state church. The courts, under the proposed plan, would not have the iright to hold this law unconstitutional —even though It violates the express i provision of the Constitution. The Su- preme Court might venture an opinion |that it was not constitutional. But if Congress again passed the law by a {majority, the opinion of the Supreme Court would be of no avail. It would, tin effect, provide for the amendment of lthe Constitution by a law passed by Congress. The supreme iaw of the land i—the Constitution—would no longer be in any different situation from any law passed by Congress. In passing, it may be remarked that now it requires a two- thirds vote of Congress to submit a proposed amendment to the states and that then the amendment must be rati- fled by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states before it becomes effective. * % X % Senator Owen of Oklahoma has intro- duced in several Congresses a resolution proposing easier methods of amending the Constitution. Such a resolution is now before tie Senate judiciary com- mittee. But he has not proposed to take from the Supreme Court the power of passing on the constitutionality of a vides that the Constitution may be amended “in th® following manner and in no other way: An amendment “or amendments or the calling of a consti- tutional convention may be proposed : “By a majority vote of the members of each house of Congress. “By elther house should the otaer house twice reject the proposal, and & fallure for three months to act favor- ably shall constitute a rejection. ““Corigress shall propose an amendment or amendments or the calling of a con- stitutional convention when requested by & majority of the state legislatures. Congress or either house may submit | competing measures.” The amendments so proposed are to be voted upon, not by state legislatures, but directly by the people in tie states, and a majority of the votes so cast in | a majority of the congressional dis- tricts, together with a majortly of all the votes cast thereon, shall ratify. The constitutionality of many laws |enacted by the legislatures of the states, as well as by Congress, has been questioned in the courts. In very many cases the constitutionality }of the laws so enacted has been up- | paratively recent case which touched j Washington closely —the Supreme i Court upheld the constitutionality of ! the Ball rent act for the District of Columbia. In many other cases, it is | true that the Supreme Court has held | that laws enacted have been in con- flict with the provisions of the Con- | stitution. Twice the court has held child labor laws unconstitutional. Jt held the first income tax law uncon- stitutional, and the Constitution was amended to meet the difficulty. The late Col. Theodore Roosevelt was one of those who urged that the will of the people be registered If the courts should render decisions which | were contrary to the wishes, of the veople. He urged the recall of judicial decisions. The recall of judges has had advocates, too, in | some quarters. | But whether the people of the coun- try would desire to have the legisla- jtive acts of Congress, as approved by the President or passed over his veto, set up as supreme, with no check whatever from the courts, and without regard to their constitution- ality, when considered in connection with the Constitution of the United States, is a matter which has never vet been determined. Senator La Follette means to have the question decided, if he can. 3 BY WILLIAM J. WHEATLEY. OAL reserves or stocks of the country are rapidly being de- pleted. Figures in the pos- sesslon of the various gov- ernment agencles studying the coal situation indicate that there is only enough bituminous coal on kand, to- gether with the comparatively small amount being mined, to last from four to five weeks. There are no stocks of domestic size anthracite coal on hand, with the ex- ception of pea size, and no anthracite is belng mined. The stocks of pea size anthracite total only 1,200,000 tons, while that of steam size anthracite totals a like amount. What anthra- cite coal there is, with the exception of the pea size, is ip the hands of the dealers, and the government investi- gators have found no accurate way of collecting information on this point. These stocks, it was said at the Department of Commerce, have practically all been sold. * %k % % From an examination of the fig- ures in the possession of the geo- logical survey of the Department of the Interior and the fuel division of the Department of Commerce, it would appear- that the coal situation is fast becoming alarming, with no rellef in sight. Accurate statistics on the stocks of anthracite and bituminous coal are not available later than March 1, in the geological survey, that bureau not having the funds *with which to send out the investigators to get the information, but the Department of Commerce has been collecting later information. It is apparent from the information in the possession of the government that the demand for coal is increas- ing with the lifting of the business depression, but in the face of this the production is decreasing. * ¥ * % Production of soft coal in the elev- enth week of the strike was 5,078,000 tons, but the experts said that the week just closed, statistics for which are mot yet-in, is expected to show a decpease in production. Including the 18,000 tons dredged from the rivers, the- total output of- all coal during the week ending June 17 was 5,091,000 tons. In-the corresponding week of 1921, a year of acute business de- pression, production, including an- thracite, was 9,974,000 tons. In the active year of 1930, it was 12,315,000 tons. It was pointed out that if an- thracite and -bituminous coal be re- sarded as a common .supply. of fuel, 1t will De- séen that the coal mow being. raised weekly Is from 5,000,000 10.7,000,000. tons below normal. 1t is dificult to say, the government sxperts pointed out, just which great segtion of 'the country is suffering greatest from the coal situation. The mgnufactyring diitrict of New Eng- 1and'1s said- to be i & good condition from & fuel standpoint, as are other zections.of the east. and it is belleved 4 that the morthwest and lake sections of the country will be hardest hit by the shortage. * % k¥ There has been little change during the week in the number of men on strike, but the consumers’ stock piles are being drawn upon to meet the deficit between consumption and pro- duction. How great is the draft upon stocks cannot be accurately stated. because the .rate of consumption is not known, but there are evidences that business is reviving and the con- sumption of coal increasing. Figures collected by the geological survey show that on March 1 con- sumers had in storage approximately 52,500,000 tons of soft coal. By April 1, considering the rate at which coal has been leaving the mines recently, this reserve will have increased to at least 63,000,000 tons. The quantity on April 1 was about equal to the maximum reached at the end of the war. It was pointed out, however, that stocks are never evenly divided. In every community there are con- sumers who store virtualiy no coal. It must also be remembered that a certain minimum reserve is neces- sary for steady operation, it being added that when the stocks dropped to 20,000,000 tons in 1920 the market was seriously disturbed. * x ¥ % Industrial consumers in New Eng- land as a whole carried a reserve of seventy-one days, and for the United States the-average was fifty-six days. Retail dealers as a class were the only large group of consumers to re- port smaller stocks on March 1 than at the beginning of the year. At the rate their customers were calling for soft coal in the two months of Janu- ary and February coal dealers had a stock sufficient to last twenty-three days. The danger level in the stock of soft coal has been placed at 20,000,000 tons, and, as pointed out before, in- dustries were serlously disturbed in 1920, when the stocks reached that level. The geological survey officials pointed out that the present market has quickened, as indicated by the rising spot prices—that is, the prices paid for eoal not sold on contract. Some districts now are producing at a maximum, but in others, particu- larly the Southern Appalachian, which Includes. part of Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama, and the field of the Rocky Mountain states, including Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and ‘Washington, not affected by the strike, demand {is not .yet active enough to call out full-time produc- tion. * % % % It has been estimated that the stock of bituminous .coal in the hands of railroads,' industrial consumers, pub- lc utilities, retailers ‘and ugbliled coal, April 1, 1922, approximated 68,- 500,000 tons. Assuming a weekly consumption of 8,100,000- tons, the total consumption up to June 3 was 74,250,000 - tons, of which 38,164,000 tons was received from the mines working, _ the balance- being taken from stock. There is, therefore, esti- mated to be in storage, June 3 of this year, 32.564,000 tons. Of this tonnage, 12,664,000 can be safely used before there is a danger of a coal panic. Stocks are not, however, even- 1y divided. Tt ie, therefore, probable some localities may already be below a safe figure, but with producllon' continuing, and assuming the coal now being produced can be evenly divided, it will be four or five months before a general shortage occurs, Normal - coal production in all the; bituminous fields is placed at 12,315,- 1000 tons a week, but the amount now i being taken from the mines is said to be from 5,000,000 to 7,000,000 tons be- low normal, and consumers’ stocks of both anthracite and bituminous coal are being drawn on steadily. * ¥ ¥k % - i Examination of the figures for the eleven weeks of the strike showing the loading of fresh-mined coal on the cars indicated a gradual increase until the eleventh week, June 12 to | 17. The week started out well, but on ’Thurldly serious congestion of rail- road yards and sidings in certain dis- tricts of* southeastern Kentucky be- gan to interfere with the placement of empty cars'at the mines. As a con- sequence loadings were about a thou- sand cars below those of the' pre- vious week. It was sald to be unlike- ly, therefore, that the total output for the eleventh week will do no more than reach the 5,000,000 mark. Unless there is a return to opera- tions in the anthracite flelds, the con- sumers of domestic size coal in the country are likely to be hardest hit by the shortage, because soft steam coal is being mined in some quan- tities. There was no break noted in the deadlock in the anthracite fields in the eleventh week of the strike. Reports to the government show that the production prgctically continues; at zero. la that week the output swas limited to 253 carsiof fifty tons each, or a total of 12,650 tons. But this mere drop in the bucket was not mined coal, but coal dredged from the rivers. It was steam ‘coal, and there- fore would. not affect.the demand in domestic sizes. In the corresponding week of a year ago, the figures show that 1,963,000 tons of hard coal were produced. X Engineers Desigfinte Management Week _To stimulate national interest in the solutfon of the problems of man- agemént . in industry, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers has destgnated the period Octéber 16 to 21 - as “Management ‘week,” durifig which meetings of engineers will ‘be held in all sections .of+the country. The Soclety’ of Industrial Engineers, of which.Prof. .Joseph, W. Ros, head of the.departmant of industrial:engi- neering -of . New. York University, Is president, and- the Taylor-Soclety will do-operate, g g 'Easierl' held by the court. To mention a com- |4 . 0. P. LEADERS FEELING A SHADE MORE CHEERFUL BY N. 0. MESSENGER. HEY are feeling much better, thank you, the bigwigs of the republican patty in Congress and the administration. Awhile back they were very low in spirits, as everything seemed to be going against them, but now they are cheering up consid- erably. It is declared that things are improving in the political field, and the outlook is clearing in the House and Senate for progress in legislation. The party leaders are taking a fresh hold on courage and reso- fution, and yow they are going to battle their way through their difficulties and be on the crest of a rising tide of fortune, come November. The action of the republican leaders in the Senate in agreeing upon a program of legisla! the line, ulating-effect all along tion appears to have had a stim- clearipg the atmosphere in the House as well, and bracing up the party morale generally, § * ok ok % Once the tariff bill is out of the way and the bonus bill gassed, and either vetoed or signed by the President, the republican mem- bership of the House and those senators who are up for re-election will be able to buckle down to the hard work of the strenuous cam- * paign ahead of them. All the politicians are concerned in the possibility of cleaning up the legislative decks in time to give a breathing spell before the J’maon. but it is not yet clear how this is to be done. The tariff bill is bound to be a iong time in conference, with its more than . 2,000 amendments. Since the republicans of the Senate have resolved not to permit adjournment or recess until the (a.rifi and the bonus have been dis- posed of, it is evident that there will have to be considerable speed- ing up in the next few weeks. The fact that the President and the party leaders in Congress are in better accord than lately on every- thing except the bonus bill gives the leaders hope that swifter progress can be made with legislation from now on. * k k * The republicans seem to be agreed upon the proposition that it would be very unfortunate if they have to go to the polls in November with the tariff and the bonus bills still unacted upon, and every effort is to be bent to preventing such a mischance. The reports which they get of the sentiment of the public about the tariff are that the country is more interested in having the tariff out of the way than in the details of rates and schedules. The dem- ocrats, for their part, hold the opinion that they will be able to show that all the rates tend in the one direction of raising costs to the consumer. and that shading here and there do not amount to anything, so they will be not particularly interested in the squabbles of the conference committee. . * ¥ * ¥ As showing how political theories and practical experience often fail to jibe, consider what is going on now. Customs reports show enormous importation of manufactured goods coming in under the low rates, or no rates, of the present tariff law. Domestic statis- tics show increasing costs to the-consumer on many lines of goods. Where is that theory of lower prices to the purchaser with low tariff and a flood of importations? It is contended in some quarters that the importers are reaping monstrus profits, and, of course, want to delay the proposed new tariff rates as long as possible. . Then, it is _urged that when the new law goes into effect prices will be still further increased. And today the ultimate con- sumer finds that he is “catching it going and coming,” before and after tariff legislation. It doesn’t seem to promise him much bene- _fit one way or the other. * k % % Some of the politicians are wondering if the prosperity which the protective tariff men expect from the starting up of mills may not be submerged by a wave of unemployment should the coal strike continue and a rail strike come on, and whether even the farmer, who is now reported to be feeling easier, may not be caught in the general slump which would be caused thereby. = The farmer is said ot be unquestionably more contented with conditions now than six months ago, and, as one politician put it, “the farmer is the main asset of the republican party at this time.” The farmer is not worrying about the tariff, because he has been protected by the emergency legislation ever since this adminis- tration came into power; that was the first thing attended to, and he will remain protected until the new law. supersedes the present law. * % *x Xk The republicans are looking to the great farming states to stay with them in November and furnish a nucleus of political strength to be added to by the normal republican vote in the industrial com- munities. The republicans point out that the flurry in the republican ranks showing a recrudescence of progressivism as against the old guard does not mean democratic votes. It means, so they say, that the votes that fall into the ballot boxes kill not be votes for democratic candidates from this element, but votes for republican candidates. In other words, they contend that whatever is to be done along progressive lines will still be intrusted to the republican party, made up of progressives and old guard. . ex-President to Be Paid Honors in Europe. HIEF JUSTICE TAFT Is the fourth former Presi- dent.of the United States to be accorded distin- guished honor on his visit to Eng- ' land. Preceding him were ex- Presidents Millard Fillmore, U. S. Grant and Theodore Roosevelt. Search of the blographies of the Presidents fails to reveal any others who visited England or continental Europe after their term of office expired. Woodrow ‘Wilson, who departed for Europe early in December, 1918, was the ‘only President who went abroad ‘while chief executive of the United States. A number of the early Presi- dents were received in foreign lands with honor before they were elected to the position of chief executive of this country. John Adams was minister to England in 1785. John Quincy Adams, his son, was minister to The Hague in 1794, afterward being transferred to Russia, and also, he assisted as an envoy from the United States in negotiating the treaty of Ghent in 1814, ending the war of 1812 with England. Jefferson was min- ister to France in 1785. Monroe was minister to the same country in 1794, and again in 1802. He was also sent as minister to England and-to Spain. Buchanan was min- ister to Russia in 1831 and in 1852 ministér to England. But, as has been said, all these appointments were made before the.men receiv- ing them had been elected Presi- dent. * %k X * The first ex-President to visit. Furope was Millard Fillmore, who made the trip in 1855. While in England he was the recipient of marked attention from eminent people. He was received by the queen and was treated as a person of great distinction. 4 s somewhat remarkable that .,3, brief referenceg to his recep- tion abroad are made in the biog- raphies of Fillmore. Beyond the fact that he declined the degree of D. C. L. from the University of Ox- ford, very little notice seems to have been given his experiences. It is mentioned that he refused the degree because he disliked to par- ticipate in the ceremonial attach-, ing to its bestowal. He made an- other trip abroad in 1866, but only a line in his biography covers that visit. v * k% x Of course, the foreign tour of ex- President Grant, which began in England in 1877, was the outstand- ing trip of all former Presidents. It extended from Liverpool to To- kio and was a continuous trium- phal progress. Grant was received by many sovereigns from the time the Queen of England invited him to stay at Windsor Castle to the momentous occasion when the Em- peror of Japan shook his hand, an event unprecedented {n the history of the Japanese empire. Elaborate preparations were made through- out Europe and Asia for Gen. Grant’s reception. In May, 1877, Secretary of State Evarts addressed a communication to the diplomatic and consular officers of the United States anhouncing the projected tour and calling upon them to ‘make Grant's journey a pleasant one. Consequently, it gave to the tour all the majesty and import- ance of an’ officlal pilgrimmage. Gen. Grant salled from Philadel- phia, May 17, and before he return- ed he had visited England, conti- nental Europe, Africa and Asla. ‘After a vociferous welcome at .Liverpool, he visited Mancht and Leicester and recelved the freedom of the city in London, al- most on the same spot in the Guild- hall, where thirty-three years lat- er Theodore Roosevelt, another former President of the United States, accepted the gold box con- Chief Justice Taft the Fourth Uncle Sam Has Not Contributed RS L ol i AR b 28 e Whtesd s o i e, | To Fund for Retiring Workers - BY WILL P. KENNEDY. HERE are today approximately 350,000 government employes who are shareholders in the civil service retirement fund, to which they contributed $12,513.- 636.69 last year and approximately $14,000,000 this year. This fund has been ralsed entirely from deductions of 2% per cent from the pay of the government workers. The United States government has mot paid one cent toward the establishment of this fund, .although it was understood in passing the legislation that the fed- eral government was to be a generous contributor, and although-the opera- tion of the retirement act will result In economy and efficiency by making it possible to retire from the service worn-out employes without commit- ting acts of Inhumanity. Furthermore, the retirement act it- self provides for a board of actuaries “whose duty it shall be to annually report ugbn the actual operations of this act, with authority to recommend to the commissioner of pensions such changes as in its judgment may be deemed necessary to protect the pub- lic Interest and to maintain the sys- tem upon a sound financial basis.” * k ¥ ¥ This commission submitted a re- port last December which called forc- ibly to the attention of Congress the necessity for “definite annual appro- priations from the government to cover the government's share of the normal deficiency tontributions and for the- accumulation of these ap- propriations in the fund at interest in the same way as the unexpended contributions of employes are now accumulated.” This beard of actuaries also made four definite recommendiations look- ing to the removal of certain existing inequalities in the law. Yet Congress has not seen fit to consider measures to carry out the recommendations. as provided for in the act itself, and, according to those who should father such measures, is not likely to do so for some time to come. As nearly as the Civil Service Com- mission can say there are today 368,- 852 employes of the government in the District and throughout the entire country. On May 31, the number cf government employes in the National Capital was 73,253. This includes those who are paid from lump sum appro- priations as well as those on the statutory rolls whose pay is provided for specifically in the annual appro- priation bills. Practically all of these come within the scope of the re- tirement. act., . * x x ¥ Very recently the act has been broadened to take in nearly 27,000 ad- ditional employes. By an executive order of June 7, 1922, the President covered in unclassified employes re- ceiving $600 or more, and Congress on June 17, by an amendment covered in classified and unclassified employes receiving less than $600. About 22,600 are affected by the executive order, Firs which becomes effective Septefnber 1, and about 4,000 are affected by the amendment, effective from date of ap- proval, June 17. The fund s raised by each unit of the government service withholding 2% per cent from the salary of each employe and then reporting the total amount deducted in each department to the division of bookkeeping and warrants in the Treasury Department to be included in an annual report to Congress. The total deductions re- ported for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1921, were as follows: Leglslative, $134,899.63; executive proper, $18,- 651.34; Panama canal, malntenance and operation, $28.100.83; State De- partment, $23.210.23; Treasury De- paxtment, $1,331,965.47; independent bureaus and offices, trict of Columbia, $47.658.41; War De- partment, $1,124,918.71; Navy Depart- ment, $2,073,388.08; Interior Depart- ment, $270,394.82; Post Office Depart- ment, including postal service, $6,557,- 062.51; Department of Agriculture, $456,311.80; Department of Commerce, $146,653. Department of Labor, $77,076.83; Department of Justice and Judicial, $18,069.21—making a total of $12,513,636.69. * % ¥ ¥ As nearly can now be approxi- mated, the deductions during the fiscal year which ends June 30 will aggre- gate $14,000,000. This year offers a particularly dif- ficult forecast on account ol the large number separated from the service in the various departments and the consequent abnormal demand for refunds of money which these dis- missed employes have paid into the fund and a return of which they are entitled to. The number of annuitants on the| roll of July 1, 1921, was 6,471, and on! July 21, 1922, there will be about 7.500, or an Increase of 1,000 during the present fiscal vear. There was ex- pended last year to those 6,471 an- nuitants $2.590,568.52. The amount that will be paid during the current fiscal year to the 7,500 annuitants will be approximately $4,200.000. During the fiscal vear 1921 there were 26,116 claims for refunds, which aggregated $322,978.82, and during the current fiscal ar there are about 70,000 refunds, aggregating ap- proximately $2,200,000. * *x x % The law provides how the fund raised by the deduction of 2% per cent from each employe's $205,275.45; Dis- | | | i i and” the employes contributed at 2 per cent of their salaries, the gov- ernment should be required to put aside 2.31 per cent of the pay roll for the retirement benefits of em- ployes for about thirty years, after which time 1.06 per cent of salaries of employes would be sufficient to support the fund. * k% % In discussing the contemplated con- tribution of the federal government to the fund Representative Fred- erick Lehlbach, chairman of the civil service committee of the House, points out that now, while the gov- ernment is borrowing money and while the fund raised by deductions from the pay of employes is sufficient to meet all annuity requirements, it would be folly for the government to borrow money to put into this fund. The government's position s that it has contracted to pay certain fixed annuities to government employes if they pay in 2% per cent of thelr salafies. Whenever the contributions of the employes are not sufficient to meet the annuity disbursements the federal government will make up the deficit. The government is now = borrower from the employes’ contri- butions, and sooner or later these borrowings must be repaid. It is desirable, Chairman Lehlbach stresses, that legislation be put through as soon as possible, although i* will not be necessary for ten years to come, but it would be a saving to do it now. If the government must borrow it had better borrow from the | clerks as it is now doing. As soon as |the Treasury is in easier condition it will be wise for Congress to take up the matter of making definite annual appropriations to the fund merely to keep down what would be a cumula- tive cost in the future. This will not be undertaken until the danger of 2 deficit in the Treasury is averted. * % x % But the entire system rests on the good faith of the government. It is inconceivable that the government after collecting contributions from employes over a period of years would “welch” on paying annuitles when due, and any individual employe could go into the Court of Claims and get hie annuity, Regarding the four recommenda- tions made by the board of actuaries to remove certain inequalities, Repre- sentative Lehlbach argues that they viewed the matter from an actuarlai salary | and insurance standpoint, while the: shall be Invested. It Is now invested | government is not and never has in- in liberty bonds bearing 4% and 41 :(ended to pay annuitles as insurance per cent Interest. These liberty bonds | in proportion to premiums paid.: He were bought in the open market and insists that the fundamental prineiple below their face value, 50 that the[on which the retirement legislation ultimate value of the fund is en- hanced. is based is to take such precautions Bonds to the par value of |as a reasonably prudent person should $17,984,250 were bought at an invest- [ take to safeguard against want in ment cost of $17,190,605.64. terest and profits amount to $587.- 254.64. The board of actuaries has recom- The in-|age when one's earning capacity is gone. Experience showed that gov- ernment employes were not making such provision, and so legislation was mended to Congress, through the Sec- | passed providing for a compulsory retary of the Interior, that if the [ contribution of 2% per cent to such present scheme of benefits were kept | an annuity fund. .Class American Fleet Wanted To Be Present at Brazil Exposition BY. BEN McKELWAY. ATIONAL prestige in-a far- away coyntry isn't measured in dollars and cents and voters back home. Fuel oil for the Navy is, and there's a theory that every gallon of it saved to the downtrodden, over-burdened, etc., tax- payer means one more vote. ‘There- fore the anxiety o nthe part of those most vitally concerned as to whether the United States will be represented at the Brazilian centennial exposition by an “imposing fleet,, or whether this country will be content to send down a second-class vessel or so to keep up appearances. The issue may be brought to a head soon, for William G. Stevens, presi- dent of the American Chamber of Commerce in Brazil and a delegate representing the United States at the centennlal, has come post haste from Rio de Janeiro to urge a naval rep- resentation commensurate with that planned by Japan, England and France. * ¥ ¥ X Naval officers are inclined to view the situation pessimistically. The Navy bill has made them so. They haven't the fuel oil needed now for ordinary maneuvers, they say, let alone an extraordinary maneuver, such as sending a first-class fleet chasing “way down to Brazil” on & twenty-day cruise. And they've come to feel that every time a Representa- tive hears the Navy wants something extra, cries of “Bloody murder, stop thief!” echo back and forth from Capi- tol Hill, and the Congressional Rec- ord gets bulky in defense of the voters who have to foot the bill. It seems a special appropriation for the trip would be necessary, and special appropriations for the Navy aren’t the most popular things in the world these days< The Navy Department has not heard yet what sort of fleets-are going to be sent from France, England and Japan. But the Impression has been created that all thrée powers are pre- paring to send fleets in keeping with the significance of the occasion and Brasil's importance ‘in the world to- day. Mr. Stevens came to the United States on the strength of reports that the United States did not Intend to send a first-class fleet because of the shortage, or rather scarcity, of fuel. x %% % A naval officer whose rank and po- sition enables him to speak with au- thority atates that the United States sho¥ retain”its present ‘prestige in Brazil by sending a fleet of three first- class dreadnaughts to Brazil under command of an officer of high rank, an admiral, preferably the command- ing officer of the Atlantic fleet. The cost for fuel, counting on a crulse of forty days—twenty there and twenty back—would amount to some- thing over $200,000. Congress has ap- propriated $1,000,000 for representa- tion by the United States in the Bra- zilian centennial, but this sum must include the erection of a permanent building, which afterward will serve as the American embassy; the salaries of the American commissioners in charge of the American exhibits, and the cost of arranging and transport- ing the various exhibits entered by the different departments of the United States government. There may be some left over, but in this officer’s opinion, the State Department, ‘which has the fund‘in charge, will not be willing ‘to transfer the surplus to the Navy Department. So a special ap- propriation of $200,000 or more seems necessary. * ¥ X ¥ - Retaining our prestige, the respect of Brasil and- the friendly relations which have always characterized our dealings with"that republic are cheap at $200,000—and more. Mr. Stevens, as quoted recently by the Assoclated Press, puts the case rather strongly. “We are making this special trip to Washington,” he says, “because of the report that America might not be able to send a first-line fleet because of the scarcity of fuel. We are ready to ask for a special appropriation be- cause we believe that a little thing like the lack of fuel in this nation would be little short of tragic to our South American relations. - “England, France and Japan have signified their desire to send & real fleet to Rio de Janeiro for the expo- sition. It is’ certain that England ‘will-present a fleet of the very high- est sort. If America sends down a second-class fleet, our relations with Brazil will suffer. “South Americans, particularly Brasil, feel that the sisterhood of American republics s at stake. They feel that if the United States does not send an imposing fleet out of a desire to honor Brazil, the sister- hood of republics will then be only 2 nam . 3 It is not necessary to dwell on the on of the United States which would be created in the minds of South Americans- who saw a second-rate fleet flying the American , flag, ying alongside the latest ships of Japan, England and France in the harbor of Rio de Janeiro. It would be unfortunate, to say the least; If this country did not live up to all that has been said concerning gopd will and fellowship among the Arier- ican republics. The United States representation at Brasil's centennjal should be the outstanding feature ‘pf the occasion, a thing to be marked on the memory of the Latin American republics. It would not o to fall in any respect. - * x x % Naval officers see an added impor- tance in an adequate naval repre- sentation, There is a budget before the Braszilian congress at presen. for bearirg the expenses of a naval nis- sion to Brazil. The choice of this mission lies between Great Britain and- the Unlted States. There ‘are too many European missions in Latin America now for the good of the United States. The influence of these missions extends out and beyond the army or navy and enters commercial and national sentiment. The oppor- tunity for the United States to send 2 naval mission to Brazil came as-a direct result of a friendly call in Brazil by Admiral Caperton’s squad- ron during the war. It was followed by Brazil's invitation to send a naval commission there, which is stHl.em 7 duty. The naval mission differs from the commission In that its influence is greater and its field of activity more important. It Is natural that it the cholce lies between Great Britain and the United States, the country which makes the most fa- vorable impression by its naval rep- reseéntation is the one which will -be chosen. When American battleships called /at Peru last summer during the celebration of her centennial their reception was cordial and wholehearted, and an American naval mission_is on duty in Peru today. The bluejackets made permafent friends of the Peruvians—despite the fact that at. the bullfight staged for their entertainment, the bluejackets cheered the bull instead of the mata- dor. s It must be remembered that®the prestige of the United States in ‘this case will not be confined to Brazll. While Brazil is celebrating her ceb- tennial with an exposition, the lat- ter Is in a way a Latin American fair. And the participation of of countries will be under the. critici