Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-14
BELIEVE NATION NEEDS
MUN|T|ON DEPARTMENT
Friends Deplore Action of President
Wilson Indicating His Oppo.
sitton to Plan.
OFFERED BY CHAMBERLAIN
Now Measure Said to Bo Based on
Disclosures Made During the Sen
atorial Investigation as to Military
Affairs and Needs OF Speeding Up.
Especial to Tho T,mes-pispa,ch

Especial to The Times-Dispatch.1
WASHINGTON. January 13.-Sincere
friends OF tho President In Congress de-
plore the fact that no has indicated
bis opposition to tho measure now
pending. creating . department OF mu-
nitions with representation in the Cahi-
net, thereby co-ordinatinE all tho asen-
cles Of the government now engaged
in the production and delivery OF those
supplies admittedly necessary 10 the
success OF the war.
The original proposal for NUM-
tons department did not como from
unfriendly sources, and Is not now be-
Ing pressed by legislators hostile TO
the administra tion. IT came from Sem
ator Chamberlain. chairman OF the SEN
ate Military Affairs Committee, stanch
supporter OF tho President. and tho
most rcsourccful dcfcnter Secretary O;
War Baker has had durin. the pro-
longed investigation by tho Senate
committee into tho operations OF the
War Department.
Senator Chamberlain did not OFFER his
munitions department bill in an EFFORT
to embarrass the administration or
with the President upon an enlarge
ment OF tho Cabinet He offered It
for the obvious reason that tho NUM-
not kept pace with tho ether VIZ on
terprises In tho army and navy. and
because the unhappy experiences Of
Great Britain show that 1t might never
catch UP unlaa1 placed In tho hands Of
hn NJ
could ind
Notwithstanding secretAry Bakers
impressive defense Of hts department
and the remarkable results achieved by
him In tho creation Of a great army.
tho fact remain, that the business Of
munitioninE this army, Of equippinE
it with necessary supplies and of arm
ing II with rifles. machine guns, light
and heavy artillery has Jagged. This
has been admitted by official witnesses
some extent was admitted by the sec
rotary himself.
SEEKS TO PREVENT TROUBLE
THAT BCRDENED ENGLAND
Exactly the same thing happened in
Great Britain even with so command
ing personality as Lord Kitchener
at the head OF the War once. He
raised superb army. trained It with
remarkable speed and put It into the
field. But It went into battle without
sufficient artillery support. and the ar
tillery that 1t had was not supplied
with sufficient shells. This circum-
stance probably cost the Ascuith MIN
istry It's life. Certainly II resulted in
the establishment Of a munitions port
folio and in SO vast an increase in vital
war materials that the British army
to-day is regarded as tie best equipped
OF any military machine now in the
field
Senator Chamberlain has sought to
convert or perhaps reconcile Secretary
Baker to the bill now before the SEN
ate designed TO do the same thing for
the American army. The Senator con-
terrcd with the secretary early in the
week about the measure. but made no
real Roadway toward convincing Mr..
Baker OF the importance OF indorsing
the BILL Since then the President has
been approached. and he takes the po-
sition that II would be mistake TO
disorganize any OF the bureaus. OF the
War or Navy Departments at this time.
The President seems satisfied with
the progress which the ordnance and
quartermastcr bureaus of the War De-
partmcnt are making. He seems will
ing that the Council OF National De-
Tense should continue TO do the work
assigned to 1t, even though 1t lacks
power TO enforce its action. except as
its individual members decide TO carry
cut It's policies. He seems content that
the war munition board. a body with
out legal standing. should 60 ahead
fixing prices and determining priority
between the several executive depart
mcnts. He is not now willing that
Congress should give him new cxccu-
tive department clothed with the full
est authority to do all the work in
volved in contracting for war mate
rails. in eTectinG their delivery and
in determining what the government
IS willing TO pay for them.
BELIEVED TIME Is HERE
WHEN SUPERVISION Is NEEDED
That is what the Chamberlain bill
provides for. 1t is not an involved
measure like that offered by Senator
Calder on the same subject. It merely
provides that during the continuance
Of the war and for not more than a
year after peace comes there shall DO
rat the seat of government an execu-
tive department. to be known as tho
department Of munitions. and a head
thereof. who shall be known as the
secretary OF munitions. who shall cx-
ercse full power to provide for,
supervise and control the procurement.
manufacture and distribution Of NUM-
tions OF war"
Such munitions are described as arms.
Il