Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-12-22
congressman Miller and
Dale Back From the
West Front
TELL ASTOUNDING
FACTS FOUND
American Troops Sent Abroad
Without ArE,s, or Sufficient
Clothes OF Other Supplies
Time to Act.

ne Bo9toh head publishes the fol-
lowing from its Washington Bureau:
congressman Clarence h. Miller OF
minnesota, who has recently returned
from Il visit to tne European lighting
fronts, in carefully dictated state
ment today tore to shrcds the teati-
inon% of war dep2 rtmcnt officials before
tie SENATE military committee. that
every American soldier sent to France
was properly an completely eqilpyni
There il n shortage of nearly aNc.v-
thing the American soldier needs in
France, declared the Minnesota me H.
Dor
n&russing the number of fsltins
men in France. Congressman Miller.
states that there are far less than the.
american public believes. In this he is
supported by general gossip at tic
capitol, which is finding in the size Of
The effective American overseas force
at this time one of the chief criticisms
Of the war department. Congressman
Miller's interview reads:
Wis ted All American Camps.
while in France / had opportunity
20 visit all of the American troops and
camps. | saw what they had in the
way Of equipment and supplies. Two
things are basic to military operations.
There must be equipment and supplies
at the place they arc'.to he used.
They are dependent upon manufac-
ture and transportation. The ordnance
department kas charge of making and
the quarto"master-@en is charged
with transporting them to the place
Where needed.
Z, n ,C,,.f., Il.
Il, is ama=ed that we have only 40, 900
men OVERSEAS. Il - not so much now
many men We have there as how 2f-
icicnt they are We haven't 80, 900
lighting men in France, or anything
like that number Many Of those there
ore not equipped and not Vet trained
There are man. engineer and forestry
regiments which are rot fighting units.
The American troops in France viz
tually are without field pieces, the 3
irCh guns. a primo essential IF either
DEF nNiv" or offensive operations. BE-
ibis | mean la say they arc without
American guns. We have been ahl,a
tc buy a few guns from France, but ;hc
supply IS not sufficient
Some Batteries Haven't Touched a
Gun.
'There are many batteries which
haNe been sent to France that have
20, Vet had a gun TO train with or us,
H. ANY rplm.
There is u shortage of clothing and
don't care WHO speaks to the con-
trarY There is 4 shortage of nearly
AL of the supplies needed to equip
troops in the field.
IF it is stated our troops have an
abundance of supplies, ask whether Or
rot cur army officials, in despair of
r"cciving suitable and sufficient cloth
NJ for our men over there, ordered
= short time ago from the already over
taxed English firms 100000 uniforms.
'Miave We not been obliged 10 in
crease the burden on our allies which
We ought to be lifting
"On Oct. 81 there were in France in
the nature of supplies in store ami
available for men there and those to
come: 12.E0 shirts. 1900 ponchos, 1000
elickcrs. $1,000 pairs Of shoes and 65
hats.
II desire distinctly to say this is in
no sense reelection on the secretary
of war have abundant reason no
know he has boon Industrious, ener-
cetic and painstqking. handling diff
Cuties with great Judgment. But he is
not in charge of tho world of details
that make up the manufacture Of sup
plies and furnishing them at the points
needed
There is not the slightest doubt
those conditions and a great many
more | don't feel ut liberty to mention
arc due to the two ma orCenerals who
arc. and for a long time have been. the
heads Of the ordnance department ard
the quartermaster's department of our
army.
Il am willing to call attention to
those items in no sense to discourage
us. because they should not. but simply
to indicate the directions in which our
energies must he eXerted Faults are
hound to appear and we could not pos
sibly expect things to move off without
mistakes and some inefficiency.
"T'o obtain our highest efficiency we
must recognize mistakes when made
and promptly adopt corrective meas
ures.
New Blood in War Council.
"a war council might be Of value in
correcting existing evils if the council,
wore not composed Of the very men
who are responsible for the evils.
Some Of the men on the new council
certainly ought to be there. Others |
think should not.
THE quartermaster generals depart
ment needs the biggest man we can
find for the job and there should be
no divided authority. In my judgment
il would he useless or practically so TO
place Cen Goethals as a sort of an an
pendix to Gen. Sharpe. He should
either lie ouartermaster general. with
full responsibility and full authority or
he should not he put there at all.
1T seems to me the shipping board