Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-01-08
AS 70 DEALING "cREATLY."

Inc way Ii OpcuOO Uy l00 UIu WHICH
Senator Cham berlafn offered yesterday
for the creation Of a ministry of n1unt.
lions. Possibly the president was con
suited and gave his approval to the
measure before It was introduced. We
hope this is the case 1t would Sim
plify the problem greatly, for the Gro
alton Of a ministry Of munitions Is a
long step toward the formation of the
supreme war council. which is so great.
" needed. Indeed it would almost
complete a war council consisting OF
the minister of munitions. the dfrec'
tor general of railroads and, of course
the president.
Yesterday President Wilson, in the
course of his address to congress,
said:
am sure that I am speaking
F. the mind of all thoughtful Amer
leans when I say that it is our
duty, as the representatives of the
nation, to do everything that 1t is
necessary to do to secure the COM
plete mobilization Of the whole re-
sources Of America by as rapid
and effective means as can be
found. Transportation supplies all
the arteries of mobilization. On
less It be under a single and uni
fled direction the whole process OF
the nations action Is embarrassed.
Federal control OF the railroads
became necessary when 1t was found
that the several railway companies
could not give the unified service the
nation needs. Their failure to meet
the exigencies of the situation was evt
dent to everyone. They admitted It
These facts impel comparison. 1t
is known to the whole country that
the inefficiency Of the pacifist secre-
tary Of war, the dilatory tactics OF
bureaucrats within his department and
the tangle of red tape with which
these officials have been surrounded
is responsible in large part for the
American army's lack of equipment
and for the fact that despite all our
vast resources, we are compelled to
depend on the sorefy tried European
nations for heavy artillery, machine
guns, munitions and other war SUP
plies which should have been in the
process OF preparation here In Amer
lea months before congress declared
war.
It is known that when the ordnance
bureau officers finally did place or
ders they found that the navy had
forestalled them and the excuse given
for the army's lack of heavy artillery
is that the navy's contracts for more
big guns than it could use had tied up
the available manufacturing facilities
before the war department awakened.
In view OF the presidents attitude
on the railroad situation, quoted above,
it is not difficult to imagine him aYs
proving the bill for ministry OF mum
lions in some such fashion as this:
am sure that l am speaking
the mind OF all thoughtful Amer1-
cans when say that 1t is our duty
as the representatives OF the ma
ton to do everything that it is nee
essary to do to insure the armfn9,
equipment and transportation to
the front Of the maximum number
of troops the country is able to sup
ply. and to permit neither red
tape, precedent nor politics to
stand in our way The safety OF
the nation and the perpetuity of
the government depend on our
fighting forces. Unless they be
under a single and unified direc-
ton their efficiency is decreased.
the whole process Of the nations
action Is embarrassed and we are
threatened with defeat.
There can be no blinking the f1ct
that favorable action by congress on
the Chamberlain bill will put one OF
the wars great questions squarely up
to the president. There is a decidedly
encouraging ground for belief that
Senator Chamberlain, who is known to
occupy a place high in the chief exec
utive's regard and confidence, intro
duced his bill only after he had re-
ceived the approval of Mr.. Wilson,
and that the latter even has In mind q
man of big abilities to appoint
II Is neither pleasant nor profitable
tn dwell on the grievous lack of coor-
dtnation which has existed not only In
the war departments bureaus but be-
tween that department and the navy
department and between both depart
ments and the supply committees OF
the council Of national defense
The council of defense was very
good machine, perhaps. for temporary
use when the nation found itself sud
denly plunged into the vortex OF war.
But now It represents an extra step IN
the necessary procedure Of supplying
the army and navy with equipment 1t
would not be considered. in its present
form, as permanent institution In the
government Business methods and
expediency demand direct action, CO
ordination and centeying Of respon-
ability. These can be obtained thDooGh