Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-10-15
NOTED FRENCH WRITER
CR|T|C|zEs RED TAPE
Getting Worse and Worse, Declares
Charles Humbert In News
paper.
CITES LUDICRoUs EXAMPLES
Colonel, While in Battle Under Fire,
Asked to Prepare Sketch Of Posi-
tons Attacked and Report OF Mill
tary Operations.

PARIS. October 14.-With admira BILE
energy. Charles Humbcrt. the promi-
nent writer. patriot and politician,
continues his campaign in the Echo
de Paris against the 'paperasserIe."
the French equivalent for red tape,
which is here of particularly per-
sistent and malignant kind. Even he
begins to doubt whether he ever shall
succeed in Graduating it.
Far from decreasing" he said to-
day. this absurd scourge grows
stronger. Every day its ravages grow
worse. though many people refuse to
take II seriously and merely laugh at
II. This is very wrong. That in time
OIL peace the governments spirit of
routine may be thought a III. subject
for laughter. I understand but in
time OF war we have no right to take
1t so lightly. The whole nation suffers
under It,"
He illustrates what he means by
number of examples. The first is
circular letter issued by the Under
Secretary of State for Military Sup
plies who writes:
My attention has been called to n
point which is of interest as we'll from
the viewpoint OF economy as OF
hygiene 1 refer to the shortcomings of
the tape. which Is sewed on to the
lower end of the legs Of the drawers
or the soldiers. to such an extent that
the wearer cannot tie the tape around
the leg. but simply in loose knot
and bow. This would keep the bot
tom of the drawers together and at
the same time permit a freer circula-
ton of air around the leg.
After carefully Investigating the
matter. i have decided that IL will be
advantageous to adopt the change
suggested, and in the future the
length of each free end of tape should
be shortened by fifteen ccntimcters.
fhe saving which will thus be effected
VIII for each drawer amount to four
times fifteen centimeters. or altogether
sixty ccntimeters. This should be kept
in mind when fixing the price to be
paid.
arrangements to carry this alteration
into effect"
ASKING FOR HIt'ItI.E PARTS
MADE VERY DIEHrCuLT
Another cNampic is even more
grotesquc.
The Northumberland in command
or n regiment" Senator Hunbert said,
sends me very interesting docu-
ment which refers to details which
must be filed In by the reEi,nental
officers rcquisitioning spare parts for
bicycles to replace those damaged or
worn out. lie must give all measure,
relating TO the thread of screws in mil
l!mctcrs and ouc- hundrcdths of miIli-
motors.
The natural result Will he that in
view Of tho unsurmountablc obstacles
placed in his way when asking for
spare parts no rcrimcntai commander
viii in the future ask for anything
but new complete machines.
These are some Of the hardships
which arc imposed Oh our heroic SOL
dicrs and their officers in the midst
of their almost supcrhuman task which
alone is enough to demand all their
faculties. The papcrasscric gives
them no rest: !; goes even into the
trenches with its absurd demands
II know even worse instances.
could tell OF a certain colonel who,
in the midst OF a murderous fight in
Il wood very strongly held by the
enemy. who was hailing shell upon
him. was repeatedly asked to prepare
on the spot "a sketch OF the positions
attacked and Il report Of the opera
lions"