Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-07-02
TIED With RED TAPE
Methods Employed by Government
in Doing Business Assailed
by Some Of Generals.
ORDERS AND CANCELLATIONS

Neepohuehco 81 Inc Associated Press
Paris, June l5.-Red tape in France
was expected to crumble under the
pressure of war, but it seems to show
resisting powers quite equal to those
OF the armies, armor and concrete.
The late General Galiieni vigorously
assailed, It and was thought to have
made a big breach In Its breastworks,
at least insofar a. it concerned the
war department. Evidence comes to
light every day, however, showing
that Its principal strongholds are un-
touched.
Among the latest examples OF what
the French call "paperasserie," a
morning paper produces a photo
graph showing 4 roll eight and one
half yards long. made OF sheets Of
official paper pasted together; il
required the time of several clerks
several days to note upon these
sheets duplicate entries OF the bal
ances of pay and meal indemnitics
due to the soldiers OF a single com
pany while on leave. What the same
expenditure Of time and effort would
amount to In the entire army of sew
eral million men may be imagined,
but calculated with difficulty.
More Red Tape.
The Oeuvre cites a case in which
more than 1000 postal money orders
for 10 centimes e cents) and 20 CEN
times 4 cents), each accompanied
by note written by hand were sent
each month from the commanding
bases of army corps to soldiers who
had been sent to the rear to work In
factories at c.. The, Off
Ger In charge who receives these pos
tai orders at c. from the different
army corps acknowledge receipt OF
each order, writes new note, adds
q now stamp and a new signature,
then sends the order to the director
Of the works In which the soldier 10
employed; the works director ack-
receipt of the sums, enters
them in a special register, after which
the order 10 finally delivered to the
soldier in exchange for receipt and
which receipt takes the inverse road
and follows the different hierarchic
stages until 1t gets back to the army
corps. The soldier, provided with
Identifying papers, can then collect
his z cents or I cents, - the case
may bs, In exchange for another re-
ceipt, another signature and another
stamp.
An order was given to oil the
heads Of the different services OF
The war department that al clerical
work should be simplihed and that
Every document not indispensable
should be done away With. However.
L recently transpired that the director
Of every Red Cross hospital received
j circular calling for . detailed re-
port regarding each patient treated in
the hospital, comprising four full
pages Of questions. An
demonstration proved
that II required two days time OF one
81 the nurses to fiji out this circular,
Is requested for single patient. Con-
,equentiy had the demand been com
piled with, Il would have been nee
:ssary to multiply the hospital staff
several times to do this clerical work
IN addition to tho complicated book
keeping and the individual records
made up for the personal file Of each
nan brought into the hospital.
Mass Of Orders.
The Csi de Paris cites another case
n which this red tape in the hands
II people not expert with Il multi
,lies itself. A circular from the sani-
AIRY department OF an army corps in
ormed the officers in command OF
iifferent units that they were author
zed to buy shoes for the men to be
Ihipped from the rear at the mini
mum price Of 20 francs; three days
alter new circular cancelled the
irst and announced that II was
maximum price Of 20 francs that was
four days later . third
:ircular cancelled both the others and
that the authorization in
question applied only to troops in
lighting units of an army corps Of
he entire force behind the front.
1t has often been stated that the
deficiencies OF armament, both in the
lrmy and navy, were largely the re-
ult OF red tape, or Monsieur LIE
Bureau" as the French call the bu-
eaucrats who resisted before the war
md are still resisting any reform
Ifter twenty-five months Of an ex-
'erience that shows the futility Of a
yreat deal Of their effort. II the new
french vigor, born of the war, has
lot overcome it, 1t Is, perhaps, be-
ause II Is protected to great extent
W ooliticians.