The Sentinel=record., 1917-12-22

Washington, Dec. 2!-Clothing, shoes and food supplies for the Amer ican army were investigated today by the senate military committee turn ing its general inquiry into war preparations to the quartermaster generals department It was devel- oped that millions of dollars were spent just before the United States entered the war to provide for the great army since raised.
 Major General Sharpe, quartermas- ter general, now a member of the new war council and soon to turn his office over to Major General Goethals, was before the committee all day and for all hour of the time answered confi- dential questions behind closed doors. He was closely examined, especially regarding the admitted shortage of overcoats which he said was due prin- cipally to late deliveries of large or ders.
 Except for overcoats and a few others winter garments of which, he stated, complete stocks would be in camp by December 31. the general declared there is no clothing shortage
 Shoes also, General Sharpe said, have been provided in ample quanti- ties per capita, but the average draft nH nf ha proved to be so much larger physic- ally than the regulars and guardsmen with whom the department has had to deal in the past, that many of the shoes and overcoats, as well, have proved useless. Manufacture of the smaller sizes has been stopped, but the situation resulted in some hard ships for the drafted soldiers before 1t could be corrected.
 Of food, General Sharpe stated, and the committeeman assented, it should be ample and of fine quality. No com- plaints regarding food, he said, had been received.
 Committee members stated tonight that the investigations of questions relating to the quartermaster gen. erals office had only begun with to- days hearing. Cantonment locations and contracts, sanitation, the relation of the winter clothing shortage to re- cent disease epidemics and transpor- tation of the army by railroad and by water are subjects to be taken up later.
 Further inquiry was postponed over Christmas, however, General Sharpe being excused until next Wednesday. Tomorrow the committee will return briefly to ordnance problems by ex- amining Colonel Isaac Lewis, inventor of the Lewis machine gun, after which holiday recess will be taken.
 General Sharpe told in detail of the vast task of supplying tho expanded war army. He said he authorized thirty day service equipment for one million more men in February and March, and for another half million men in June. Orders aggregating many millions of dollars were placed before the war and without authoriza tion of a dollar by congress.
 By December 31, the general said, complete supplies for 1,07S,000 men would be 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 6S7,000 men in September until he showed it would be impos- sible to equip them. He recommended an initial call of 100000 men. but more than 300,000 were called, although the department knew clothing supplies would be somewhat short. He ap- proved this action, for reasons which were explained in executive session.
 Reports reaching the committee or men freezing their ears at Camp Gus ter, Mich, and of shortages of win ter oyercoats, other clothing and shoes at both Camp Custer and Camp Lee,