Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-02-04
CRITICS LINE
UPT0 KNOCK
BAKER AGAIN
Senator Hitchcock Admits
Big Task is Creditably
Done; Raps Anyway.

washington, Feb. 4.-Secretary Bak-
er's recent statement to the senate
military committee that the United
States would have half million SOL
diers in France early this year and
that prospects were not unprOmising
for ships to carry million more, who
would be ready during the year, were
characterized by Senator Hitchcock in
an address to the senate today as "ab-
solutely preposterous and SO exag-
gerated as to convey an entirely false
impression as to what we can do and
what we are doing"
Supporting the committees bills for
a war cabinet and munitions director,
Senator Hitchcock declared that Sec
rotary Baker was no doubt sincere,
but was misled by lack Of information
regarding scarcity Of ships into max
ing sanguine predictions. He said
President Wilson himself does not
know the real situation" and cited
this situation as an illustration of the
absence of government coordination.
Speech Launches Debate.
Administration leaders prepared to
reply to Senator Hitchcock whose
speech launched the debate which has
been impending since Secretary Baker
made his statement and the president
made known his opposition to the mill
tary committee's plans for reorganiE-
ing the governments war machinery
Conceding that much of big task
has been creditably done, the Nebraska
senator insisted that centralized and
coordinated war operations THROUGH a
war cabinet and centralized purchas-
ing through a munitions director are
imperative. He asserted that the
president and Secretary Baker had
tried but failed to attain the object
and that the governments system was
obsolete. The committees legislation.
he argued would not embarrass or in
terfefe with the presidents direction
of the war.
Sharp criticism of many government
war activities was made by the sena-
tor in illustrating his arguments, but
without attacking individuals. Blum
ders that almost surpass belief" have
occurred in the war department. he
said, and the ship building situation
he described as farce and almost a
crime" He declared the transporta-
ton system has broken down." and
is gigantic wreck" with 100000
tons of freight piled up at New York
without shipping facilities; that the
fuel administration orders have par
alyzed war and other industry and that
food distribution also has been inef-
ficient.
Denies Bakers Words.
In fatty denying Secretary Bakers
statement that the government has a
plan for the year, the senator said
the military committee was thunder
struck by the war secretary's optimis-
tic assertions.
Il am afraid to go too deeply into
shipping figures" he added, "for one
might be charged with giving informa-
ton to the enemy. All who are in
formed as to the present supply OF
our shipping were thunderstruck al
the statements of Secretary Baker. His
sanguine predictions as to our ability
to ship men to Europe and supply
them are exaggerations of the widest
sort.
ITO supply million men in France
supposing we could get them over
there, it will require five million tons
of shipping in constant use. We AZ
know the total tonnage now available
is nothing like that amount. We all
fear it will not approximate that a
year from now.
PrepOsterOus, He Says.
"Yet the secretary Of war is SO out
of touch with the shipping board and
shipping authorities that he makes a
statement that is absolutely prepos-
ferrous. have no doubt of his SINGER
ity but this act indicates again the ex-
tent to which one department is out OF
touch with another department"
Turning to Secretary Bakers wal
plan. Senator Hitchcock said:
Secretary Baker says we have
plans. am sorry to disagree with
him. If there is one thing more con-
spicuous by its absence than any
other operation of the various depart
ments and bureaus in Washington II
has been planning for the future.
do not deny that the various depart
ments have planned as far as they
could in advance but who has pre-
pared the master plan which will har.
monize all the other plans? Nobody
Nobody could" Referring to the
presidents opposition to the two com.
mittee bills the senator said it was
on the ground that the president alone
has responsibility for conduct Of the
war, adding:
1.-The mere statement presents ar
absurdity"
Congress Responsible
Asserting that congress has a large
measure OF responsibility. Senator