Evening star., 1918-02-07
Mr.. GLASS DEFENDS
WAR DEPARTMENT
In House Speech, Answers
Criticism of Mr.. Chamber
lain, Point by Point.
PRAISES ADMINISTRATION

Representative Glass, in a speech de-
livered in the House today, came to the
defense of the administration, answered
the charged contained in Senator Cham
berlain's indictment of the War Depart
ment, and denied that the American war
machine has fallen down."
Mr.. Glass followed Senator Chamber
lain's speech point by point, and praised
the work OF the administration in each
instance He said that it was Gen. Joffre
who suggested supplying American troops
with ammunition from French factories.
since it would save the unavoidable de-
lays the pressingly needed cargo space
the tremendous cost of shipment"
Regarding the machine gun controversy.
Mr.. Glass asserted that the Browning gun
was selected because experts pronounce
it the best machine gun in the world"
Only Argument Left.
The only prop on which the critics now
rest their case" he said, is the plea that
the Lewis gun was Immediately available.
while deliveries of the Browning gun will
in face of expert testimony to the effect
that in tests the Lewis gun chad utterly
failed with American ammunition"
The American Army in France has
against the enemy" he said. TT is as well
equipped with machine guns as any Army
in Europe: perhaps better equipped than
the German army. And no set OF malcon-
tents should be permitted to deceive the
people OF this country into the disturbing
supposition that our fighting forces in
France are suffering in equipment OF any
kind"
Reeaplinp fha health NJ fba .radiar~
in camp. Mr. Glass referred to the con-
ditions at Spartanburg. S. c., where he
said there were only four deaths among
$1,000 men during a period Of more
Gen. Organ as saying that the story
of twenty-nine men freezing in the
trenches was the mere gibber1ng of
letter-writing recruit desiring to pose
among his people at home as hero
or a martyr
Success Of Selective Draft.
Referring to the difficulties which the
administration faced at the outbreak Of
the war Representative Glass pointed
out the success OF the eelective draft
as remarkable achievement He sAid:
Not until the third year OF the war
could Great Britain ventlre to apply
partially conecription law. Not until
q few months ago could Canada do 1t
In opposition to the rebeluous threat
not been done as to Ireland. and Aus
tralia has twice declined to attempt the
system. And yet this republic, with q
clear realization of the situation. in
stantly applied the democratic method
Of selective draft. and the country re-
sponded with unparalleled spirit OF
patriotism.
Ten million young men marched up
and registered for enlistment. Such a
thing never happened before in this or
in any other country on the civilized
earth. Great military cities, known as
cantonments, were built almost over
night: and there without friction or
hesitation. our boys went. offering their
bodies and their lives in defense OF
human liberty. A..
We have sent nearly ten times AZ
many troops abroad as the French and
English military missions had expect
ed that we could do in the time re-
quired. and we have trained and are
training an army far beyond the orig.
inal estimates. This year we will havs
in France more than a million men."