The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-12
SoIOns Get First Blame in Their
Own Investigation.
War Dept Red Tape and Labor
Troubles ClOgged War Machine.
HELD UP APPROPRIATIONS
Had To Use Emergency Fund
To Keep Contractors Busy.
Will Be Caught Up by Next
Summer, Says Ordnance Chief.


washington, Dec. 12.-The snail
IKE pace Of congress, war department
red tame. pickering with contractors
and the labor situation were blamed
today by Major General Crozier. chief
of ordnance for serious delay IN
getting America on war footing.
General CrozieT was the first wit
ness at the senate military AFFAIRS
committee investigation into the whole
military situation.
inability to obtain appropriations
from congress quickly cost much time
in getting started on the artillery
program, General Crozier stated.
CrOZier declared that in spite or all
delays encountered we will be caught
up with all shortage of ordnance by
next summer"
France and England Helped.
Aid from France and England. in
furnishing rs millimeter guns and
howitzers, has proved of inestima BILE
value in keeping Pershing's men sup
phed with artillery, he said.
The most pronounced shortage has
been artillery and rifles for training
camps in this country.
In September we had to get $685.
UU0,UUO from the 500, 900, 900 emer-
gency fund granted the president to
keep contractors at work on many of
our ORDERS" he said
We got one approp priation June 15
and no more until October. In the
meantime we discovered that the pro-
gram on which we had embarked at
the beginning of the war was no pro-
gram at all, particularly as to artillery
I'VE We're Helpless
Man ufacturers refused to take
risks of making contracts before con-
gress had appropriated the money.
" Ork could not be begun; we were
helpless"
Eickering Of the munitions board
over prices also caused delay, Crozier
said. This board. since replaced by
the war Industries board, several times
cot Id not agree on a fair price for Ger
tain equipment. Secretary of War
Baker on one occasion had to step in
and end the pickering.
In spite of delays and obstacles,
aid granted by France and Great Brit
ain will make it possible to supply the
American forces abroad with plenty of
artillery promptly" said Crozier.
The constant moving about of la
Ior has hampered war contractors.
Men are enti"ed away by offers of
higher wages"
lis any Q fort to be made to have
congress adjust the labor situation so
that it will be stabilized ?" asked
Senator Weeks.
THE council of national defense
has appointed a committee to take up
this question. l also have plan I
intend to submit to keep employers
from bidding against each other for
labor. My plan involves the abro-
grafton of contracts of concerns which
entice labor away from other govern
ment work"
Inquiry VIII BE Long One.
Senator Wadsworth, New York, in
dieating the inquiry will be long and
searching, objected to holding daily
sessions Of only two hours.
Crozier was asked to state what
had been done towards providing ar
tillery rifles. and ammunition for the
American forces He reviewed the
entire situation from the date of the
break in diplomatic relations with
Germany.
Before we got into the war. we
were working on program involv-
ing raising and equipping an army
OF one million men in five years" he
said When we got into the war, we
compressed that program and asked
money to make it effective in one
year.
our first delay was encountered
IN the necessity for showing all esti-
mates for funds to the war college
the general staff and the secretary
OF war. Each OF these had to receive
tull legislation of the purposes money
was required for.
After that, we had to explain to
congress But we did not wait for con-
sress 10 act. we started to get man.
ufacturing establishments going. II
was then we met the obstacle of refu-
sal of manufacturers to spend money
without assurance of payment.
our purchasing system caused
more delay. We had to submit prices
We proposed to pay. to the munitions
board. headed by Frank A Scott.
Lack of personnel also hampered
the ordnance department.
Before the war I had S5 men in my
department Now I have more thar
2,1OO."
Where did you get the other.
from, the army or civil life ?" asked
Senator Weeks.
From civil life" said Crozier THE
army did not have the kind of mer
I needed. They are engineers, chem
lists, lawyers and highly trained bust
ness men"
Most of the artillery and rifle con.
tracts have been made on a basis OF
cost plus certain percentages of profit
because manufacturers refused to TAX,
contracts at a fixed price. This was
due 20 fluctuations in labor and ma
terial costs, Crozier stated.
Cost plus 10 Per Cent.
"All our private rifle contracts wer,
! made at cost plus 10 per cent"
Senator Chamberlain inquired
whether this country has profited b,
mistakes the allies made with regard
to artillery
I'VE profited by their mistaken ides
that shrapnel was more importan
than high eXplosives-an idea they
have since revised" said Crozier wv,
were informed on this enough in the
war so that we made our contracts
Tor more high explosive shells thar
shrapnel"