The Washington times., 1917-12-28
Jerks Are Warned To Huy Passage of Redistribution Bill
To~~~ooo What It
The Council Of National Defense and Army Contracts The
Scrap Contract With ThOusandsn Admiral BOwles on Money
and Psychological DeIay"-COal and Zero Weather.
By W. V. BYARS.

By W. v
The relations Of the Council Of
National Defense to contracts for
clothing and army supplies were
fathomed yesterday by the Senate
Committee on Military Affairs. Bot
tom was not touched. Quartermas-
ter General Sharpe was on the stand.
The fathoming process kept him in
deep water most of the time. Final
ly, he was treasured by the sympa-
thetic statement that the trouble was
not his fault, except as he lad been
prevented from meeting RESPONSE
bilities which properly belonged to
him.
General Sharpe would not admit
this. He defended the work Of the
Civilian organization" as necessary.
He wished the system might have
been more like the British, but he
did not admit except in detail that
he had been shorn of authority.
The theory developed by the COM
mittee investigation is that contract
work has been virtually taken over
bv the Council of National Defense,
with complications of private and
public interests following. These
are considered as explaining in part
the delay in overcoats, blouses, and
supplies in general, when troops are
found suffering.
A case in point was that of "The
Base Sorting Plant Corporation" of
New York. 1t had a contract for
sorting wooden scraps from army
tailors at cents pound. The pur-
pose was economy in saving the
scraps for remanufacture. The mag
nitude of preparations for war is
shown when profits on this business
of sorting scraps might have been
counted under the contract with the
$4,000 as the unit.
General Sharpe finally reduced the
price from 6 cents to 2. He was
closely questioned: Why? Who
dictated the contract originally?
Did 1t come from the Council Of Ma
tional Defense? Was the company
organized for the special purpose Of
getting money out Of the Treasury?
Was the contract engineered by a
volunteer patriotic expert, serving
on the Council Of National Defense?
In short, was it fraud and graft?
The case was made out only by
questions, answered when General
Sharpe showed there was reason
enough for making the reduction,
cutting of over two-thirds of the
profits reached for Names were
mentioned. 1t is scandal Of mag
mates" The case is one for the
courts, II proven. The proof is not
yet made public. 1t may prove a
typical case of what automatic
habits of looking out for Number
One" may do in influencing the
patriotic activities Of Dollar Year
experts who do not keep their own
automatic habits under stern con-
troll when they are stern in their de-
termination to control other people.
Admiral Bowles was on the stand
before the Senate Committee on
Commerce yesterday. Among other
things, h etold all about requis-
tioning ships first and completing
them afterwards. There was some
delay, he said, due to requisitioning,
but it was largely psychological"
AS the admiral explained "psych-
illogical delay" 1t operates in the
souls of patriots who are trying to
get more money for themselves"
They didn't get it from me-" said
the admiral And everybody be-
lieved him. He filed copies Of his
letters, with tabulated statements
totals, averages, and percentages) \
showing the past, present, and future
of shipbuilding by the Shipping
Board. The committee was highly
respectful to the admiral. 1t is wise
to be so. He imparts information and
education in the most liberal man
ner. But he appreciates the true
value of the navy and naval Of
fcers, including admirals.
As the President and Secretary
McAdoO are now in full control of
all transportation difficulties, the
Senate Committee on Manufactures
concluded yesterday that it could
leave them out of the question in in
coal. This left the ques-
ton that of the delivery of coal as
needed and the price, on or after de-
livery. With transportation settled,
these are supposed to be now the
main points of interest to the con-
sumner.
Federal Trade Commissioner Col
YER was on the stand. He was
a candid witness. He was full
Of information. He impaired it lib
orally. 1t appeared from his COM
prehension of the situation, that
there have been three prices. the
speculative price, the Presidents
price, and the market price. The
speculative price was higher than
that of the President. So at times
was the market price. Then, as Sen
ltor Lodge explained his difficulties
and those of his neighbors in New
they had a cheap official