Daily Kennebec journal., 1918-02-05

surdity." Asserting that Congress had
a large measure Of responsibility, Sen
ator Hitchcock said that il would be
monstrous to hold the President re-
sponsible for the 1000 900 tons of
freight piled up in New York. for the
breakdown Of transportation. the mud
die and tumble Of priority shipments,
the shortcomings Of the ordnance de-
partment and the quartermasters de-
partments, sufferings of the unneces-
sarily sick soldiers and nine months
delay in construction Of ehe govern
ment factory.
Presidents Attitude Unfortunate
The President does not want the
committee TO report the cabinet bin"
he continued, and if press reports be
true, he objects even to a discussion OF
this legislation in the Senate This
, attitude on the part of the President
is unfortunate but not altogether un-
natural.
IN the first place the President be-
I longs to the school of political philoso-
piers who adhereS to the belief that
all important legislation should orig
mate with and he proposed BY the ex-
ecutivc. | cannot subscribe to this
scheme Of government. although it has
some obvious advantages. in that it
provides leadership order and program.
''Since he became President, Nh
Wilson has enforced his views upon
Congress to q large degree and gener-
ally with good results. In the main. I
have been one Of those who have fol-
lowed his leadership and supported his
| policies and ] expect to do so in the
future. Now and then, however, an
exception must be made.
This is one Of those cases The
question at issue is not partisan.
Neither is any principle involved The
matter at issue is purely a practical
question whether we can improve the
efficiency Of War administration BY
adopting business methods in buving
, supplies and whether we can get order
out OF confusion and action instead Of
delay. by ordinating great govern
Tent bureaus now running almost in
dependently and often at cross pur-
poses.
4 agree that the President does not
know the real situation. lie cannot
give two months 10 an investigat ton
such as we have done. Like q king,
surrounded by court he hears prac-
! tically but one side. But people who
complain do not reach the President
nor even members Of his cabinet. Ther
come to senator's and representatives
'The President and secretary Of
war have evidently realized the de-
feat of the existing system and at
tempted to change it without lcgisla
tion but without success"
praising Edward L. Stettinicus. the
munitions purchasing agent Senator
Hitchcock said he was without legal
authority, like all the other voluntary
agencies, and that a legally constitu
tions director was needed.
Senator Hitchcock said Great Britain
and France both had been forced to rem
edy government weakness BY a system,
similar to the war cabinet ana suggested
appoint and direct the war cabinet and.
If he pleased. could appoint Secretaries
Baker, McAdoo and Daniels as the mer.-
that the President under the bill would
bers.
War Department Methods Obsolete
The war departments Oh. 0letc methods,
the senator said. had brought the eX-
pected results, confusion of authority.
red tape. crcumlocution and incapacity."
and he cited evidence given in the min
tary committees inquiry Of clothing,
rife and equipment shortages and sick
ness and deaths il camps as the result
of overcrowding and lack of clothiAG
we found we must depend an over
worked and overstrained France for ma
chine guns. for ground use until nearly
the end of this year" he said, adding thar
the first American n-rnaiie heavy artillery
would not he received until July ana
mot much before 1919 can we expect u
use in France American heavy artillery
in any great qua1tity.
we found. he continued. that only
now we are just beginning to work or
two great powder plants to cost s6G,010C0l
and cannot get powder from these plants
before August. We found that though
the medical department asked for hospi
tai ships last July, they have not ye,
been received.
Il do not deny that we also found
much that was creditable and satisfacto-
ry The task undertaken was huge one
and much Of the work has been ably
done. Some war department officials
most severely criticized have worked
desperately hard. This comment cover.
the secretary himself. This leads me to-
hold a defective organization responsible
for the shortcomings, to a greater de-
gress than any individual or group of in
dividuals.'
Two courses were open to the commit
tee as a result of the investigation. said
Senator Hitchcock-to report conditions.
making few scapegoats and ignoring
the greatest evil o. defective machinery.
or recommending legislation TO give the
President IAN up-to-date war-marking
organization
There is no section of the country
which paD pI0flIlca cattle more chpan.