Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-12-20
COMMANDER OF ExPEolTloNAF
/ FORCES REVEALED DELAYS
IN PROVIDING SUPPLIES
BECOMES DESPERATE
BECAUSE OF DELlNouENe
When Troops Were Ready TO Go I
Trenches They Were Without Ado
ssats Equipment-Maker Of Machir
Gun Says Early Offers Were Spurn
ed-Pershins Started Something

shing. feeling keenly his responsible
for the effectiveness and safety of til
| American army in action, precipitate,
the reorganization in the war depar,
ment as a result of which Genera
Crozier. chief Of ordnance. and Quar-.
termaster General Sharpe were relieved
Of active duty and kicked upstairs
to the newly created war council, prob
ably for the period of the war.
This fact developed following moro
testimony Of a sensational character
before the senate investigating COM
mittee concerning the ineff!ciency OF
the ordnance bureau under Crozier.
Arms manufacturers testified they pre-
pared to produce ordnance on a large
scale for the government as soon as
war with Germany appeared to be in
evitable.
Their Offers Spurned.
Their offers of equipment, however,
were rejected by Crozier's bureau even
after diplomatic relations with Berlin
were severed. The army refused to
place orders for guns at that time. al
tho the navy was placing orders In
advance of appropriations
The red tape and ineniciency per-
vading the ordnance bureau and the
quartermaster generals office retarded
the Supplying Of the American troops
in France with arms and equipment to
an extent that soon brought protests
from General Pershing. The com
mander Of the overseas army began
sending mild cablegrams urging the
secretary Of war to speed up the dis
patch OF ordnance and equipment. The
delays continued. however and Cen
eral Pershing soon was inQuiring why
more attention. apparently, had not
been paid to his requests.
In Desperate Need.
Finally NGeneral Pershing became
desperate. His men were nearing per-
lection in training. but were without
any essentials OF trench warfare and
which had not been forthcoming from
the war department.
He cabled protest after protest in
vehement language. He denounced the
inexplicable delays for which the ord
nance bureau and quartermaster gen
eral were believed, to be responsible,
and. eventually. General Pershing. In
language virtually tantamount to a
demand. asked for the removal Of Gro
Ier and Sharpe.
General Pershing said he would not
permit his troops 70 90 Into action. or
even to be moved to the neighborhood
OF the firing line until they were prop
erly equipped for effective action. He
asserted that he did not purpose to
allow his men to be slaughtered as a
result OF III equipment.
ThanaAaAs Caann1iAA
Eventually he sent to the firing line
only as many trained men as were
fully equipped with the implements OF
war. Thousands OF Americans are
being held in the French training
camps awaiting supplies.
General Pershing's protests eventu-
ally were needed by Secretary Of War
Baker. who hit upon the device OF
forming a war council providing berths
for General Crozier and General
Sharpe. where they could be shelved
without injuring their feelings. The
creation OF the war council was de-
layed, however, until after the first
damaging revelations of bureaucratic
inefficiency before the senate investi-
eating committee last week. Then
Secretary Baker hurriedly conferred
with President wilson and szIinediats-
,ly thereafter announced the formation
Of the new board.
Hold First Meeting.
The initial meeting Of the war coun-
ell was held yesterday afternoon. Sec
rotary Baker presided and remained
for half hour in the council room.
After ne left the general officers on
the war council completed the work
OF organization and discussed the rules
and regulations which are to govern
the deliberations and action Of the
body.
Secretary Baker said ne was more