The Mena weekly star., 1918-02-14
WAR MACHINE OF
 J. $. IS PRAISED
Administration Is Strongly Defended in Vigorous Speech in House By GIass-pointS to Success Of
 SeleetiVe Draft.

Washington, Feb. 7.-Represen- tative Glass, in a speech delivered in the House today, came to the defense of the administration. an- swered charges contained in Senator Chamberlain indictment of the war department and denied that the American war machine has fallen down"
 AIr. Glass followed Senator Cham berlain's speech point by point and praised the work Of the adminis- tration in each instance. He said that it was General Joifre who sug- gested supplying American troops with ammunition from French fac tories, since it would save unavoid- able delays, pressingly needed car go space and tremendous cost of shipment.'
 Regarding the machine gun con- troversy. Mr. Glass asserted that the Browning gun was selected because
 experts pronounce it the best ma chine gun in the world
 Plenty of Machine Gune.
 The only prop on which the crit ics now rest their case,n he said, is the plea Chat the Lewis gun was immediately available while deliv- cries of the Browning guns will be delayed; and they use this broken reed in face of expert testimonies that the Lewis gun had utterly failed with American ammunition.
 The American army in France has thousands of machine guns Co go up against the enemy" he said
 Tt is as we'll equipped with ma ridne guns as any army in Europe. perhaps better than the German ar my And no set of maleOnients should be permitted t0 deceive the people info the disturbing supp0si- tion that our fighting forces in Trance are suffering in equipment of any kind
 Many Difficulties Faced.
 Regarding the health of soldiers in camps, Mir Glass referred t0 con- ditions al Spartanburg, $. G., where he said there were only four deaths among 3i.000 men during a period of three months. He quoted Major General 0'Ryan as saying that the story of 20 men freezing in the trenches was the mere gibbering of a letter writing recruit desiring to pose among his people at home as a hero OF a martyr
 Referring t0 difficulties which the administration faced at the out break of war, fAlr. Glass pointed out the success of the selective draft as a real achievement He said:
 Not until the third year of the war could Great Britain venture to apply partially a conscFiption plan. Not until a few months ago could Canada do it in opposition to the re- bellious threat of one of it's largest provinces. It has not been done as to Ireland. and Australia has twice declined 10 attempt the system. And yet this republic with a clear reali- zation of the situation, instantly ap- RAl'u tilt aiitViid dlpt HitliiHQ LII St. lective draft and the country re- sp0nded with unparalleled spirit of patriotism, Ten million young men marched up and registered for en- listment. Such thing never hap pened before in this or any other country on the civilized earth. Great military cities, known as can comments, were built almost over- night and to these without friction or hesitation our boys went, offer- ing their bodies and their lives in defense of human liberty. We have sent nearly ten times as many troops abroad as the French and English military missions had ex- peeted that we could do in the time required, and we have trained and are training an army far beyond or iginal estimates This year we will have in France more than a million