Bisbee daily review., 1917-12-22
SHARPE TELLS OF CLOTHING SITUATION IN
 THEU. S.ARHY
Qusrtermaster General Tells Senate Investigators That Sufficient Clothing is As su-ed By First.
rBv Review Leased wirel

WASHINGTON. Dec. Clothing. shoes and food supplies for the Ame,i- cen army were investigated teddy by the senate military committee. turning it's general inquiry mo war prepara- tions to the quarteTmaster generals department It was developed that millions of dollars were spent just be iOre~ tine United States entered tho war 10 provide for the great army since raised.
 Major General Sharpe, qUartermas- Ger general. now a member Of the new war council and soon to turn his of fee over to Major General GOethals, was before the commit;e co all day. and for an hour Of the time answered con 6dential questions behind closed 0OorS. He was closely examined. especially regarding the admitted shortage of ove-ccats. which. he said, was duel principally to late deliveries of largsI Orders.
 Except for overcOa-s and few Oth CT winter garments, of which. he stat ed, complete stocks would be .n camp by December q, the general declared there is no clothing shortage.
 One Reason for Delay
 shoes also. General Sharpe said have been provided in ample Quanti- ties per capita. bu. the average draft ed man of the national army has proved 10 be so much larger physical y than the regulars and guardsmen with whom the department has had to deal n the past, that many O. the shoes. and oyercoats as well. have proved useless. Manufacture or the smaller sizes has heen stopped, but the situation resulted m some hard ships for the drafted soldier before- it could be corrected.
 Of food. General Sharpe stated to- night that the investigation or Ques- tiOns related To he. quartermaster generals office hGG only begun with today's hearing. CSnConment locations and contracts. sanitation. the relation Of the winter clothing shortage to re- cent disease epidemics and transpOr- tation oS the army by rail and water are subjects to be taken up later.
 Further inquiry was postponed over Christmas. General Sharpe being eX- cused until next Wednesday.
 Tomorrow the committee will re turn briefly to ordnance problems by examining Col Isaac Lewis. inventor of the Lewis machine gun. after which a holiday recess will be taken.
 TeI;s Of Preparations
 General Sharpe told in detail of the vast task of supplying the expanded war army. He said he authorized SO- day service equipment for l.0O0,O06 more men in February and March. and for another half million men in June. Orders aggregating many millions of dcllars were placed before the war and without authorization Of a dollar by congress.
 By December S1, the general said. complete supplies for l.07S,0OO men would he on hand.
 Explaining how the supply situation delayed the draft. he told of the de- partment's desire to call out all of the first 6ST0O0 men in September until he showed il would be impossible to equip them. He recommended an ini- tial call of 100000 men. but more than 3o0OO0 were called. althOgh the de- partment knew clothing supplies would be somewhat shCrt. He ar. proved this action, for reasons which were explained in executive session.
 Reports reaching the committee of mems ears freezing at Camp Custer. Mich. and Of shortage Of winter oyer- coats. other clothing and shoes at both Camp Custer and Camp Lee Virginia. caused the general to say he would inquire into conditions i'm uediately by telegraph.
 Suggests Notifications
 The part played by the advisory commission Of the council of national defense in the letting of army con tracts was rigidly inquired into by the committee. Some Of the senators in sisted that the Quartermaster general virtually has been denuded of power in placing contracts or fixing prices. but General Sharpe said this was not true and that civilian committees to cooperate were absolutely essential. He suggested modification Of the pres ent plan along lines similar 10 the British system.
 There w2s much questioning about red tape" in the war department. General sharpe said he had suggested changes to Secretary Baker to secure. modern business methods"
 Regarding the present army ration. which General Sharpe said costs 70 cents day as compared with 2S cents before the war. he declared that i,s' success in building up men to go
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