Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-01-25

to serve Germany against the Unit
ed States by preventing the entry
of the United States into the war
against Germany, and he now does
all he can to serve Germany against
the United States by endeavoring to
prevent the United States from be-
coming efficient in the war against
Germany.
The worst offense that can be
committed is untruthfully to assail
an efficient public servant. Next in
eVil-doing comes the offense of the
man who untruthfully defends an
inefficient public servant from haV-
ing his inefficiency exposed.
II care not a snap of my finger
for the politics of the man who is
doing good work at this time. 1t is
for that reason that 1 have support
ed and shall continue to support, to
the very best of my ability Senator
Chamberlain and his associates Cap
plause) in the committee who have
been conducting the investigation
into the management, administra-
ton and the maladministration of
the War Department. 1 have follow
ed particularly the actions of the
senatorial committee. / do not be-
lieye that any of its members on any
side have been influenced in the
smallest degree of partisanship.
Hitherto there has been no di-
vision in the committee along party
lines and every possible proof has
been given by the individuals COM
posing that committee that they are
actuated by 2 sincere and single
minded purpose to serve the coun-
try in this war by finding out and
telling the truth, not with the OBJ
ject of hurting any man, even any
man responsible for grave abuses,
save to the extent that was neces-
sary in order to correct those abuses
for the future.
Reads From Quiz Minutes
AS for the worth of these inves-
legations, / want to read an extract
from the official minutes of the Com
mittee on Rules of the House of
Representatives at a hearing before
the committee in reference to an
investigation proposed into the oper-
ations of the Shipping Board. Mr..
Hurley, the chairman of the Ship
ping Board, asked to have the in
vestigation deferred for the moment.
Then he used this language:
"'Of course, l think the Senate
investigation has been very helpful.
L think they have brought out a
number of things that have not only
helped to satisfy the public state of
mind, but have helped me and help
ed the staff. If the House committee
should hold a hearing and we should
profit as much by the House hear
ing as we have by the Senate hear
ing it might be a good thing
There speaks the public servant
who is glad to have the work of his
branch of the government investi-
gated and who frankly says that the
senate investigating committee has
not only helped from the public
standpoint, but has helped him and
his fellows in doing their work"
"hnOws" Inquiry Is Beneficial
l. oelleVe-no, [ am going to\ alter
that statement; 1 am going to put 1t
as 1t should be put: 1 know TINT the
Senate investigating committee under
Senator Chamberlain has rendered
the highest service to this country.
L do not believe it-I know it.
And, gentlemen, you have a right
to ask that any man who speaks to
you about a duty in the present
should have by his actions in the past
shown that he believes himself in
performing that duty. There are
very few of the older members here
VINO may recollect the things I said
about the Cuban campaign and the
failures in the administration of the
War Department. of which l was a
part. l spoke when 1 was assistant
secretary of the Navy 1 spoke when
was colonel in the Army when
was asked to report, with the frank
ness or an open nature. l. as gov
ernor of the state of New York, Re-
governor. tlaughterl 1 spoke
OF having been part of the national
the year before and
being, although 1 did not then know
it about to become more intimately
connected with ii as vice. president.
spoke of the Cuban campaigns.
That was in November, 1889, a year
after the campaign, and a year be-
fore the presidential election stated
that the artillery had been for thirty
five years Impractical and was
worthless. 1 stated that during that
campaign the bureaus of the War
Department at Washington had been
held by elderly men of fine records
in the past, absolutely enmeshed in
red tape and unable to show initi-
ative or accept responsibility. 1
stated that the campaign itself was
a welter OF confusion and that we
were saved from disaster only by the
incompetency of our foes. 1 stated
that to send our army under such
conditions against well-led, we'll
handled, well-prepared foe would in
evitably have invited disaster.
Il should like any man to point
any difference in frankness between
what l then said of the administra-
tion OF which l was a part, of the
party to which I belonged, and what
| said during the last six months.
except that l have been more mod.
crate and guarded in the last six
months. Laughter
L said in my reports at the time
when was under the War Depart |
ment that the trousers and drawers |
given the soldiers were worthless. I
said that because il was true. not to |
harm anybody, but because it was
the truth. When 1 point out that our
men abroad and who have to a large |
extent been shoeless now, say it |
because it is true. I speak of the |
shortage of shoes now just as l spoke i
in 1898 as to the shortage of proper
for the men, because it is |
true and because IT, an unpleasant |
truth is not told it will not be reme-
died. That is the only reason I |
spoke in 1898 and it is the reason I |
speak now.
Parallels Criticism
II spoke of the utter disorganiza-
ton of the field hospitals, of their
complete breakdown. spoke of il at |
the time in an official army report |
IN connection with the army in Cuba.
said ii not to hurt any one, but be-
cause 1t was true. and in the same