New Britain herald., 1918-01-22
Supporters of Bill Proposed by Chamberlain More De- terInined Than Ever to Force Its Passage
WIDE OPEN INQUIRY
 ON CONDUCT OF WAR
Statement He Learned From Second Hand Sources of Pro-
 posed Reorganization Legislation
 Military. Oommittee-House. Re- publicanS Call Caucus For Tonight

Washington, Jan. 22.-President Wilson's denunciation of Senator
 Chamberlain attack on the war de- partment and his expressed approval
 of Secretary Baker had the effect to- day of solidifying sentiment among senate democrats who support the bill for a war cabinet despite the presi- dents opposition.
 Some of them met announcement of the presidents determination to oppose the bill with declarations of similar purposes to support it, name ly to gather strength enough to com pei congress to accept it over the
 presidents disapproval.
 Senator Chamberlain said today he
 would not reply further to the presi-
 dents criticism but at a meeting of the senate military committee sena-
 tors, conferred and determined to 1 urge the legislation. On Thursday 1 when the senate reconvenes Senators Chamberlain, Hitchcock and Wads- worth today announced, they will make g. Straight out fight on the
 merits of the war cabinet bill. When it comes before the senate for re- | ference they plan to open wide dis 1 cussion on the testimony in the com-
 mittee's inquiry into defects in gov | ernmental machinery.
 Democratic leader Martin and l others supporting the presidents posi- ton are preparing to oppose refer 1 ence to the bill to the military com- mittee.
 President Contradicted The presidents assertion he had learned of the war reorganization l legislation only second handed was
 fatly contradicted today by military committee members. They said both 1 Senators Cham berlain and Hitchcock
 advised the president last week of the 1 proposed legislation and he had writ ] ten a letter stating his opposition. l They also pointed out that a, copy of
 the bill was left Saturday by Senator l Hitchcock with Secretary Baker. The
 presidents statement that war opera
 tions had been delayed by the inves-
 tigation by calling officers from their 1 duties to appear was also disputed by
 committee members who pointed out i that when Major Generals CrOZier | and Sharpe testified before the
 military committee they had been re- l lieved of their duties, respectively as 1 chief of ordnance and quartermaster l general.
 A caucus of house republicans is 1 planned tomorrow night to discuss
 war organization legislation. Other
 republican senators said today they 1 might caucus also soon on the sub- l ject.
 Roosevelt in Washington.
 Col Roosevelt came to town today
 and received a steady stream of callers 1 at the home of his daughter, Mrs. | Nicholas Longworth.
 The colonel frankly said his pur-
 pose in coming here now was to help | speed up the war and confer with 1 friends in congress- He disclaimed 1 any purpose of replying to Senator Stones speech yesterday. 'I am infinitely less interested in l what Senator Stone says about me 1 than what the president says about l Senator Chamberlain said the colo 1 nel. '"The national motto at this time | should be tell the truth and speed up | the war. I expect to see Senator Cham berlafn before I see anyone else and then to see Senator Johnson and | have nothing further to say until l 1 have seen them.
 E@I hope also to see Senators Wads- | worth and Curtis and Rep. Lenroot, | Baer and Calvin. My purpose in com- i ing here is to help by any means in my power to render more speedy 1 Americas entrance into the war, for, l though we have been at war nearly a wear, we haven't yet really entered | into it.
 Also I wish to aid in backing Sem (Continued On Ninth Page).