Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 159, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 July 1919 — CHARGES WILSON VIOLATED LAW BY SECRET GOVERNMENT. [ARTICLE]

CHARGES WILSON VIOLATED LAW BY SECRET GOVERNMENT.

Washington, July 7.—Seven men formed a “secret government” of the United States, which working “behind closed doors” determined all of the so-called war legislation “weeks and even months” before war was declared against Germany, Chairman Graham, of the house committee investigating war department expenditures, charged today after reading into the record a digest of the minutes of the council of national defense. Names Seven Men. The seven men were named by Mg. Graham as Hollis Godfrey, Howard E. Griffin, Bernard M. Baruch, Samuel Gompers, Franklin H. Martin, Julius Rosenwald and Daniel Willard, members of the advisory commission of the council. This commission, he added, was designed by law to act in purely an advisory capacity to the council, composed of six cabinet officers, but the president, he asserted, made *them the real executives.

Reavis Interrupts. After Mr. Graham had read to the investigating committee a digest designed to show that the military draft, food control and press censorship had been discussed by the commission several weeks before war was declared, Representative Reavis, republican, Nebraska, interrupting, asked if all this was speaking of the president’s speech in Which he said he was not “contemplating war.” The chairman answered affirmatively. Later in the recital of the digest Mr. Graham said that censure of the council and commission, uttered in senate and house, led Mr. Coffin to urge that a definite channel of contact be established between the council and congress. Need Educated Congress.

"In either words,” commented the chairman, “congress ought to be educated.” In brief, Mr. Graham’s digest charged the president organized the council in violation of the law and that it, in addition to framing legislation, dict&ted policies the country was to pursue, and befriended “'big business.” Included in the report read into the record was a letter by Judge Gary, advising the commission it was disregarding the Jaws “supposed to’ regulate _ business.”