66TH CONGRESS,}

SENATE.

SUSPENSION OF WAR-TIME LAWS.

REPORT

{ No. 706.

JANUARY 18 (calendar day, JANUARY 20), 1921.-Ordered to be printed.

Mr. STERLING, from the Committee on the Judiciary, submitted the

following

REPORT.

[To accompany H. J. Res. 382.]

The Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the resolution (H. J. Res. 382) declaring that certain acts of Congress, joint resolutions, and proclamations shall be construed as if the war had ended and the present or existing emergency expired, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with the recommendation that the resolution do pass with the following amendment:

Strike out all of said resolution after the resolving clause and insert in place thereof the following:

That in the interpretation of any provision relating to the duration or date of the termination of the present war or of the present or existing emergency, meaning thereby the war between the Imperial German Government and the Imperial and Royal Austro-Hungarian Government and the Government and people of the United States, in any acts of Congress, joint resolutions, or proclamations of the President containing provisions contingent upon the duration or the date of the termination of such war or of such present or existing emergency, the date when this resolution becomes effective shall be construed and treated as the date of the termination of the war or of the present or existing emergency, notwithstanding any provision in any act of Congress or joint resolution providing any other mode of determining the date of such termination. And any act of Congress or any provision of any such act, that by its terms is in force only during the existence of a state of war between the Governments and people aforesaid, or during such state of war and a limited period of time thereafter, shall be construed and administered as if such war terminated on the date when this resolution becomes effective, any provision of such law to the contrary notwithstanding; excepting, however, from the operation and effect of this resolution the following acts and proclamations, to wit: The act entitled "An act to provide further for the national security and defense by encouraging the production, conserving the supply, and controlling the distribution of food products and fuel," approved August 10, 1917 (Fortieth Statutes, page 276), the amendment thereto entitled "The Food Control and District of Columbia Rents Act," approved October 22, 1919 (Forty-first Statutes, page 297), the act known as the Trading with the Enemy Act, approved October 6, 1917 (Fortieth Statutes, page 411), and all amendments thereto, and the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Liberty Bond Acts, the supplement to the Second Liberty Bond Act and the Victory Liberty Loan Act; titles 1 and 3 of the War Finance Corporation Act (Fortieth Statutes, page 506) as amended by the act approved March 3, 1919 (Fortieth Statutes, page 1313)

and public resolution numbered 55, Sixty-sixth Congress, entitled "Joint resolution directing the War Finance Corporation to take certain action for the relief of the present depression in the agricultural sections of the country, and for other purposes, passed January 4, 1921; also the proclamations issued under the authority conferred by the acts herein excepted from the effect and operation of this resolution: Provided, however, That nothing herein contained shall be construed as effective to terminate the military status of any person now in desertion from the military or naval service of the United States, nor to terminate the liability to prosecution and punishment under the selective service law, approved May 18, 1917 (Fortieth Statutes, page 76), of any person who failed to comply with the provisions of said act, or of acts amendatory thereof: Provided further, That the act entitled "An act to amend section 3, title 1, of the act entitled "An act to punish acts of interference with foreign relations, the neutrality, and the foreign commerce of the United States, to punish espionage, and better to enforce the criminal laws of the United States, and for other purposes," approved June 15, 1917 (Fortieth Statutes, page 217), and for other purposes," approved May 16, 1918 (Fortieth Statutes, page 553), be, and the same is hereby, repealed, and that said section 3 of said act approved June 15, 1917, is hereby revived and restored with the same force and effect as originally enacted.

66TH CONGRESS, 3d Session.

SENATE.

DISARMAMENT.

{

REPORT No. 709.

JANUARY 18 (calendar day, JANUARY 21), 1921.—Ordered to be printed.

Mr. BORAH, from the Committee on Foreign Relations, submitted the

The Committee on Foreign Relations, to whom was referred the joint resolution (S. J. Res. 225) authorizing the President of the United States to advise the Governments of Great Britain and Japan that the Government of the United States is ready to take up with them the question of disarmament, etc., having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with the recommendation that the resolution do pass with the following amendments:

Strike out the preambles.

On page 2, line 8, before "disarmament" insert "naval."

In lines 8 and 9, strike out "quickly coming to an understanding" and insert in lieu thereof "promptly entering into a treaty."

In line 9, strike out "building."

In line 9, after "naval" insert "building."

In line 11, before "reduced" insert "substantially.".

In lines 12 and 13, strike out "50 per centum of the present estimates or figures" and insert in lieu thereof "to such an extent and upon such terms as may be agreed upon."

Strike out lines 14, 15, and 16.

So that the resolution as amended will read as follows:

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States is requested, if not incompatible with the public interests, to advise the Governments of Great Britain and Japan, respectively, that this Government will at once take up directly with their Governments and without waiting upon the action of any other nation the question of naval disarmament, with a view of promptly entering into a treaty by which the naval building programs of each of said Governments, to wit, that of Great Britain, Japan, and the United States, shall be substantially reduced annually during the next five years to such an extent and upon such terms as may be agreed upon.

SEC. 2. That this proposition is suggested by the Congress of the United States to accomplish immediately a substantial reduction of the naval armaments of the world. The committee recommends that the resolution be passed as amended.

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66TH CONGRESS, 3d Session.

SENATE.

{

REPORT No. 710.

BRIDGE ACROSS COLUMBIA RIVER BETWEEN OREGON AND WASHINGTON, NEAR CASCADE LOCKS, OREG.

JANUARY 21, 1921.-Ordered to be printed.

Mr. EDGE, from the Committee on Commerce, submitted the

following

REPORT.

[To accompany S. 4825.]

The Committee on Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (S. 4825) to extend the time for the construction of a bridge across the Columbia River between the States of Oregon and Washington, at or within 2 miles westerly from Cascade Locks, in the State of Oregon, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with the recommendation that the bill do pass with an amendment.

The bill thus amended has the approval of the Department of War, as will appear by the annexed indorsement, the amendment referred to therein having been incorporated in the bill as reported.

In line 9 strike out the word "two" and insert in lieu the words "one and three"

[Second indorsement.]

WAR DEPARTMENT, January 18, 1921. Subject: Report on S. 4825, Sixty-sixth Congress, third session, to extend the time for the construction of a bridge across Columbia River, Oreg.

Respectfully returned to the chairman Committee on Commerce, United States Senate.

So far as the interests committed to this department are concerned, I do not know of any objection to the favorable consideration by Congress of the accompanying bill, S. 4825, current session, to extend the time for the construction of a bridge across the Columbia River, between the States of Oregon and Washington, at or within 2 miles westerly from Cascade Locks, Oreg., if the bill be amended as indicated in red thereon.

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W. R. WILLIAMS, Assistant Secretary of War.