The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-12-29


nation yesterday. 1t defined the
psychology of preparedness. In
modern war, the main problem is to
get the bayonets ready and then to
get the men ready to use them. If
the bayonets are real steel, on the
end of real guns, then everything de-
ponds on making up the man men
tally" so that he will be mentally fit
to use the bayonet "to kill the other
man." ... I'd,
Maj. Gen. Williams Wright COM
mands at Camp Doniphan. Okla. /;
Major General Greble at Camp
Bowie, near Fort Worth, Tex. Both
have been to France. Both testified
yesterday at length on the meaning
of preparedness and unpreparedness
in modern war.
Their testimony came so near
bringing the whole subject to focus
that there io not much risk left in
condensing all that has been said into
a sentence:
Preparedness in modern war con-
sists chiefly in having the Govern
ment ready with enough of the best
arms, the best munitions, the best
supplies of every kind necessary for
the number of troops needed-after
which 1t is easy to get the necessary
number of troops and to prepare
them IN a short time, psychologically
and IN every other way
AS General Greble explained the
delay in supplying rifles and small
arms, it was chiefly due to the need
OF completely equipping the troops
sent to France already. He knew of
revolyers taken from troops remain
ing at home to supply those going
abroad. Both he and General Wright
testified in detail on shortages of
arms and supplies as the chief cause
OF delay IN getting the men at their
camps into full training. There had
been no food shortage. General
Wright took cheerful view of the
future with everything now begin
ming TO move satisfactorily. With
full equipment, the men could have
been got ready for the front at least
a month sooner, General Greble
thought. Both generals testified on
the merits Of machine guns as known
to them, but evadcd craftsmanship for
or against the claims of the Lewis
and Browning guns.
Before the Senate Committee on
Commerce, Admiral Bowles began
the day by correcting a newspaper
scare head" He repudiated any re-
sponsibility whatever for calling the
wooden fleet a failure. He had said
nothing of the kind. AS far as he
remembered, he had expressed no
opinion on the merits of a contrO-
versy he thought it unnecessary to
revive.
His feeling had been that where
speed was OF the greatest conse-
quence, it was easier to speed up
with steel than with wood. He did
not oppose contracts for building all
wooden ships needed in the right
way at the right place, but he
thought that there would have been
more speed with fewer contracts for
wooden ships and more for steel.
AS betewen the independent" and
the Southern Pine Association, he
had found that when he had rate
OF $50 from the association and
was considering giving orders to
the independent, they had been
using their lumber for cantonmentsl
until the demand had put up their
prices TO $50. So at that time. as
they gave him their quotations, he
had said "Good-day." Since then
the associations prices had been adj
vanced to over $40.
As the admiral explained the
S6'OOO'OOO profits ON contracts with
the American International Corpora