New-York tribune., 1917-12-12
Four Separate lnvesti-
cations Into Executive
Activities Prepared
by Legislators
Coal and Sugar
Inquiry Planned
House Will Ask Ex-
pIanation of Alleged
Shortcomings in Pro-
viding Ordnance

s wsrily lifting the I'D, minded TO see
how the war is going on. There arc
tOur points Of attack. three Of them
pOsi,ive and one tentative as follows:
The Senate Committee on Mill
tsry Affairs to-day, by unanimous
consent, ordered general inquiry
INTO the work Of the War Department.
N-The House Committee on Mill
+ tary Affairs, in its hearings on the
army bill, is taking 8 broad inter
IS. in the state Of the military estab-
lshment. with special reference TO ord
nance. It is having it out with the
ordnance experts Of the War Depart
ment, some Of whom, as is well known,
have fallen under severe criticism.
The Senate, without objection, to-
) day agreed 70 resolution offered
by Mr.. Lodge, which provides for
general investigation Of coal and
sugar. The chairman of this commit
=. will be Senator Reed, who is one
Of the Administration hardest critics.
Am investigation of the shipping
+ situation, By committee of either
the House or Senate, is imminent.
L probably cannot be avoided
Sweeping Inquiries Predicted
These moves may lead to sweeping
Investigations Of oil phases Of the ex-
,sutiye conduct Of the war. That nov
is freely predicted by leaders on both .
:ides Of the Capitol.
The investigating committees will do
most Of their work, Of course, in secret
session. How much publicity will re-
sllt is = matter of vague speculation.
That lies in the discretion of the in
restigators. They emphasize, to begin
with, that they will act in q non-par-
tsan spirit The inclination is not to
expose past errors, but 20 correct eX-
isting conditions. If publicity is found
% be necessary 20 that end then it will
be provided for.
Congress Must Be Careful
The attitude Of the Administration
toward these inquiries has not been
disclosed, but il is difficult to see how
M Wilson can refuse to let Congress
know how the money it voted is being
spent. Congress viii have to be care
fll, however how extensively it goes
into the business Of looking under the
Id It cannot afford to make a nuis-
snso Of itself. Mr. Wilson may tell
tae public that Congress with its in
quiries IS getting in the way Of carry
ing on the war. But meanwhile it is
apparently determined by indirection
70 accomplish the purpose Of the pro
posed Joint committee for "the con-
duet Of the war" The joint committee
dea was abandoned at the last session
because Of President Wilson's opposi-
non.
The investigation Of the War De-
psrtment by the Senate Committee on
Military Affairs is the one that will
Immediately attract most attention. 1t
will begin at once. General Crozier,
chief Of the ordnance department, will
appear tomorrow 10 testify as 70 the
army's present state Of preparedness in
rlfes, machine guns and artillery, ana
to explain why there has been already
much delay in providing the necessary
equipment. He will be followed by
Secretary Baker. by members OF the
General STAFF and field commanders.
Senator Chamberlain said this even
lng that some OF the committees ses-
sions would be open, but that much OF
The testimony naturally would have TO
De treated secretly.
Artillery Needed Badly
The artillery situation is extremely
bad. The House Military Affairs Com
mittee has found IL so. Either II or
the Senate committee may decide to
tell the country the truth about big
guns. OF all the failures so far the
worst is with respect 20 artillery. No
doubt Germany knows just how long 1t
VIII take US 20 get big guns. Inc
American peopis are unaware o. *.
One question which the military com
nittees will be called upon TO settle
Is lust how many rifles 70 man an
army ought 20 have. On the answer 20
his question depends just how bad
The situation with respect u small
arms is. Before the war began the
Wsr Department decided that each sol
der should have five rifles. That se-
corded with what was known then Of
me European practice. The ordnance
department later determined that only
tso rites 20 a man were necessary.
Inc rtaeon assigned was that under
Senditions Of modern warfare only
about 90 per cent Of an army ever used
Hnes, and two rifles 20 a man for the
whole force would provide plenty FOR
me percentage who used them. Each
man actually using a rife would have
on an average three and two-thirds
ines, instead Of the FIVE originally
atcidcd upon. But ss rifles are being
prcoueed there will be barely cwo for