Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-01-24

fire and declaring that the Presi-
dent does not know the truth.
Senator Chamberlain declared he
would show that the deaths of the
hundreds and thousands of men at
cantonments and camps were due
to the War Department ana that
all epidemics could have been pre-
vented if the War Department had
been effective"
Senator Chamberlain, chairman
of the Military Committee rose to a
question of personal privilege in TIE
Senate to-day and replied % Presi-
dent Wilson'S recent statement
charging that the Senator in a
speech at New York advocating gov
ernment war reorganization and de-
claring inefficiency existed in all
branches of the government, had
made IAN astonishing and absolutely
unjustifiable distortion of the truth" &"
No Personal Feeling
Senator Chamberlain said the
President had attacked both his
veracity and integrity, heretofore
unchallenged, but that i'm replying
he did so without any personal feel
l.
For twenty-four years" Senator
Chamberlain said "I have served
the public in my state to The best of
my ability and in all that time l
have never had my Veracity called
in question nor my integrity i'm
peached, and / have passed through
some bitter campaigns. 1t is, there
fore with some feeling of humilia-
ton and also sadness that | lisa to
a question of personal privilege when
my Veracity has been called in uues-
tion, not by an ordinary citizen. not
by one of my colleagues, but by a
very distinguished gentleman, who
has the love and admiration OF the
people and who by their suffrage
occupies the highest place i'm the
gift of the people, and I may say
the highest of any man in the world.
Involve Country's Future
These personal charges against
me amount to nothing to the Amer
lean people but affect policies which
may involve the future of this
country, if not the entire world"
Senator Chamberlain said he as
sumed responsibility for his speech
before the National Security League
in New York. lie had read 10 the
Senate a verbatim report of it.
Upon his return to Washington.
Senator Chamberlain said, he re-
ceived a letter from President VIII
son containing a quotation taken
from the New York World end
asking if the question was
correct The President wrote
that he did not like to comment on
the statements until he knew posi-
lively that the Senator and actually
made them.
Asked Wilson to Read Speech
The letter was received TOO late for
a reply Sunday, Senator Chamber
lain continued, but in a letter sent
to the White House the following
day he replied that he had been
quoted substantially correctly in the
World, but asked the President to
read the entire speech as printed in
The Times instead of only pare of
it.
Senator Chamberlain's letter added
that he was discussing only the pol
icy 'or lack of policy" of the mill
tary establishment. After stating
his experience in the Military Affairs
Committee and testimony in the
committees investigations, the Sen
tNIOl > itNttI COlllluubu.
II believe I know something
about the deficiencies in the mill
tary establishments, deficiencies
which are clearly recognized and
proven in a system that
ought to be remodeled for the proper
prosecution of the war and
have these disjointed and unco-ordi-
mated defects weeded out"
his laftar-
fered to go over the whole situation
with the President, but said he re-
ceived no reply and on the following
day the Presidents statement crfti-
cising him was published.
The Presidents statement and
Senator Chamberlain's reply then
were read to the Senate, and the
Oregon Senator observed.
Il do not know if any reply to
my letter was necessary. I assume
that statement is the answer"
THE statement of the President
challenges me, of course, for proof
of the statement in the New York
Tines, to which statement I adhere
and repeat before this body.
The people of this country NAV
not see this as I do but as chair
man of the Military Affairs Com
mittee, as an American citizen end
member of this distinguished body.
I felt that I should say Tho things
that are in me and il I succeed in
making a. rift in the clouds through
which the American people see will
feel my efforts have not been i'm
vain"
Senator Chamberlain repeated he
had not distorted the truth in his
speech made in New York, but that
owing to the great rush Of business
due to the war the President has
probably not been able to ascertain
the truth and does not know the
truth. From the lips of those closest
to the President, the Chief Execu-
tive cannot learn the truth, not be-
cause his advisers desire TO mislead
him, but because they are situated
in the same position as lie is.
France, bled white" he continued
lis furnishing America to-day and
the troops going abroad with heavy
ordnance, machine guns and air.
planes. If We relied on the ordnance
department in this emergency (and
this Is war of artillery, the war
would be completed before we ever
got enough to the front"
1t was improper, he said, to give
details of American purchases of
ordnance from the allies, but refer
red Senators to the confidential
testimony before the committee by