The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-02-04
FIGHT FOR WAR

CONTINUED from Page One,
storage for some foolish and mex
plcable reason, while each camp had
been supplied with onl.' eighty ma
chine guns.
1--WE found hundreds of thousands
of men drilling with wooden sticks for
weeks and months because OF delays
in ordering rifles last spring. We
found men sent to France without OPP
portunity for rifle or machine gun
practice.
1--WE found a distressing amount of
sickness in most camps and an un-
necc ssary mortality due to lack of
clothing am to overcrowding. The
overcrowding we found due to fall
ure to provide an adequate number OF
tents. We found camp hospitals with
out drainage, plumbing or heat and
sick men without nurses
No American Made Artillery.
I'VE found that the first heavy
artillery of --merican make cannot be
received until July and much before
1919. Can we expect to use in France
American heavy artillery in any great
quantity?
1--WE found that we are only now,
nine months after entering the war!
just beginning to work on two great
powder plants to cost $60,000,0OO
faitho IT was evident last summer that
more powder than America can now
manufacture. We cannot get powder
from these plants before next August.
I'VE found that tho the medical de-
partment asked for hospital ships last
July, they have not yet been ordered
Hitchcock said he did not deny that
much creditable work had beer done
in the war department.
Turning to the remedy, Hitchcock
declared:
If high class man could be made
| director of munitions and be giver
power to buy all supplies needed by
| the various bureaus of the war de-
| partment, he would soon bring order
| out of disorder, cut red tape, stop de-
| lays, and furnish the American army
with its supplies promptly and eco
nomically.
I'VE would then locate and cen
tralize responsibility and authority
The business of supplying the depart
ment would be run on up-to-datt
methods of great business concerns
Great Britain and France had to come
1 to it
Find Conflicting Orders.
II am told that some genius in tht
war department bureau succeeded IL
| shipping to France a carload of saw
dust which is plentiful enough ant
cheap enough there, while nearl,
three million tons of important freigh
| had been waiting cnance TO go oVel
| for a month"; he said.
/ Conflicting orders for bags for ga
masks he asserted. had been issued il
| the war observation-disclosures for one mil
lion, another for two million and ;
third for five million.
Fortunately one of the civilian com
rnitteemen outside of the department
discovered one of the conflictin,
orders and secured a revision ant
| sAopped bIunder. he said. -
ssThe president and the secretary o
war have evidently realized the defec
of the existing system. and have at
tempted to change it." said Hitchcock
cess"
He then referred to the removal o
the heads of the ordinance and quar-
| termaster generals departments an
other changes
"And now since the Introduction o
the bill creating a director of MUM
tons, another step has been taken,
he said THE Office of surveyor o
purchases is created with vague au
thority and somewhat underlined du
ties. He has no power in law, be
cause legislation is necessary.
Cabinet of Three Men.
..These great war bureaus shout
be focused in some authority tina
would harmonic them and co-ordin
ate them. That is what Is propose
in the bill for war cabinet of thre
men," he asserted.
He referred specifically to tn
board controlling priority of freigf
shipments, the raw materials boart
the war industries board. the foo
administration. the fuel ADMINISTERS
ton, the shipping board, the aircrai
production board. the allied purchas
ing board, the war trade board an
the director general of railroads.
: TT is not too much to say that tn
great transportation system of tn
United States has broken down. 1t
a gigantic wreck today. even trav,
has become difficult" Hitchcock sail
As to Fuel Breakdown.
As-for the fuel situation, Hitchco,