The Washington times., 1918-02-04
UNDERESTIMATE
ISPREPOSTEROUS,
SAYS HITCHCOCK
CONTINUED from E5rs. PaEN)

CONTINUED from First PAEN)
much Il falls short Any Senator in
terested can ascertain II from the
Shipping Board.
Secretary Out Of Toueh.
yet the Secretary Of War. who =
compelled to depend on shipping 10
get his army and supplies across the
| ocean, Is so out of touch with the
Shipping Board and shipping authort
ties and shipping information that
he makes q statement that II ALSO
lutely preposterous. have no doubt
of his sincerity, but his act indicates
again the extent to which one de-
partment IL out Of touch with
another"
Senator Hitchcock reviewed the
testimony given before the Senate
Military Affairs Committee during the
past two months to prove the lack
Of coordination in the Government,
and OF the need Of q war cabinet
and q munitions dictator to bring
about an efficient conduct of the war.
I'VE found in the present system"
he said, such an obsolete and cum
bersome organization as to make
efficiency wellnigh impossible. We
found provisions for checks, eau
tions, delays, debates, and disagree
ments, but little or no provision for
prompt decision and energetic action.
We found the war machine much bet
ter equipped with brakes than with
motive power. We found divided re-
sponsibility and doubtful authority in
many high places"
Indiets War DepaFtment.
He pronounced a vigorous indiet-
ment OF the War Department Con
fusion of authority. red tape. eircum-
locution. and incapscity have their
natural fruit" he said, Mine months
after we entered the war and three
months after our men were gathered
In the cantonm,Pts. we found In the
dead OF winter tens of thousands of
men without overcoats. tens OF thou
sands lacking wooden breeches. ten OF
thousands without wooden blouses.
and other serious shortages. We
found most of the machine gun com
panies unable to drill two months
after they were formed because they
had no machine guns. Even in De-
cember we found 1000 machine guns
stiII kept IN storage for some foolish
and inexplicabIe reasons. while each
camp had only been supplied with
eighty machine guns.
I'VE found thousands Of men drill
ing with wooden sticks for weeks
and months because OF mistakes and
delays In ordering rifles last spring.
We found men sent to France with
out opportunity for rife or machine
gun practice. We found A distressing
amount OF sickness in most camps.
and an unnecessary mortality due to
lack OF clothing and overcrOwdiuE.
The overcrowdinE we found due to a
failure to provide an adequate mum
her Of tents. We found camp hos
pitfalls without drainage. plumbing. or
heat, and sick men without nurses.
Depending On France.
I'VE found that we must depend
upon overworked and overstrained
France for machine guns for ground
use until nearly the end of this year.
and that not over one-tenth Of the new
Browning machine guns on watch we
are to rely can he delivered before
August We found that the first
heavy artillery OF American make
cannot be received until July, and not
much before 1919 can We expect to
Iery in any great quantity. What we
get before this fall We must buy
from England.
we found that we are only now,
nine months after entering the war,
Just beginning work on two great
powder plants to cost SEQ OOO. 900. al
though IL was evident last summer
that we must have 1000. 900 pounds a
day more powder than America can
now manufacture. We cannot get
powder from these plants before next
August.
we found that, though the med
ical department asked for hospital
ships last July. they have not yet
ed men are now already beginning to
come home. and II will take three
months TO equip the ships"
BIames the system.
Senator Hitchcock said, however,
Secretary Baker worked desperately
hard" and threw the blame almost en-
tirely upon the system OF Govern
ment. He reminded the Senate that
France and England had botn been
compelled TO reconstruct their govern
ments to meet the war requirements
I'VE shall be compelled to come 10
It," he predicted.
The Senator related reports Of blum
ders, which. he said. almost surpass
belief" II am told" he said. that
the number OF shoes ordered for the
army so far amounts to 1900, 900