South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-02-04
OPENS FIRE IN
NEW DRIVE FOR
WAR CABINET
Hitchcock Says Condition of
Shipping is Nothing Less
Than ShoCking"--Re-
views Testimony.
International News Service

International News Service:
| WASHINGTON, Feb. 4.-Sec'y of
War bakers recent announcement
of the number OF men the United
States would send to France during
1918 was declared IAN exaggeration
of the widest sort" and absolutely
preposterous" by Sen. Hitchcock, of
| Nebraska, ranking democratic mem
| Der of the senate military affairs
| committee, in a speech in the senate
this afternoon.
Sec'y Baker told the military af-
| fairs committee last Monday that the
| United States would have half a
million men in France early in
1918" and would be ready to send
l 5000 before the end of the year
Sen. Hitchcock this afternoon ans
wered Mr.. Bakers statement by
pointing to the condition Of Amer
ica's shipping program.
! Calls Condition Shocking.
| THE present condition Of ship
ping is nothing less than shocking" 8"
said Sen. Hitchcock The present
supply is worse than alarming.
am afraid to go too deeply into fig
ures for one might he charged with
! giving information of value to the
enemy were one TO tell the truth
about the present supply of ship
ping.
"All who are informed as TO the
present supply of our shipping were
thunderstruck at the statements of
Sec'y Baker before the military af-
fairs committee. His sanguine pre-
dictions as to our ability 10 ship men
TO Europe and TO supply them, when
there, are eXaggeratiOns Of the wild
est sort.
Let any senator take a pencil
and paper and figure the matter out
for himself. Under the most favor
able circumsta noes it takes five tons
of shipping to supply one man in
France mean by that, that the
ships must sail regularly, cross ra-
pidly, and be loaded and unloaded
promptly. These figures take no ac-
count Of transports necessary to take
men across the ocean. They con-
template only the supplying Of men
over there Ii makes no allowances
for sinkings no allowances for de-
lays, no allowances for bad loadingS,
all of which have already occurred
and are still occurring. II makes no
allowances for hospital ships which
will be needed.
Figures on Shipping.
Now figure up what total tonnage
Of shipping. in constant and effective
operation. would be necessary to
supply a million men in Europe sup
posing We could get them over there.
We find that for supply alone it will
require 100000 tons Of shipping in
constant use. Where is that coming
from and when is il coming? We all
know the total tonnage of shipping
now available to the United States
is nothing like that amount. We all
fear that il will not approximate that
lamount "a year from now. I refer. of
course. to ocean shipping I shall
not undertake 20 say how much Il
fails short. Any senator interested
can ascertain il from the shipping
board.
yet. the secretary of war, who is
lcompelled 70 depend on shipping TO
get his army and supplies across the
locean. is so out OF touch with the
Ishipping board and shipping author
tiles and shipping information that
he makes a statement that is abso-
llutely preposterous. 7 have no doubt
of his sincerity but his act indi-
lcates again the extent 70 which one
department is out OF touch with an
other"
Reviews Testimony
Sen Hitchcock reviewed the testi-
mony given before the senate mil
itary affairs committee during the
past two months to prove the lack
iof coordination in the government
and OF the need of a war cabinet
and a munitions dictator 20 bring
about an efficient conduct OF the
war.
we found in the present system, y
lhe said. such an obsolete and cum
bersome organization as 10 make ef-
ldciency we'll nigh impossible. We
found provisions for checks. eau
ltions. delays. debates and disagree
lments. but little or no provision for
= lprompt decision and energetic ac-
ton. We found the war machine
much better equipped with brakes
than with motive power. We found
divided responsibility and doubtful
lauthority in many high places"