The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-02-04
NEBRASKAN In
NEW ATTACK ON
WAR SECRETARY
Declares Campaign Is Going For
ward Without Plan or Rea-
soned Direction ,s5a,
SHIPPING NOT SUFFICIENT
Fears to Go Too Deeply Into
Fiasco for Fear of Giving
Enemy Information

ANYWAY AAASSe s>~s~ S~Sss 80, ~ 4
Washington, D. c., Feb. 4.
Secretary Bakers recent
statements to the senate mill
tary committee that the Unit
ed States would have half a
million soldiers in France
early this year, and that pros
poets were not umpromising
for ships to carry a million
more who would be ready
during the year, were charac-
terized by Senator Hitchcock
in an address to the senate
today as absolutely prepos-
ferrous and so exaggerated 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 q i
munitions director, Senator !, J
Hitchcock deelared that Sec,
retary Baker no doubt was ;.
sincere, blit was misled bY
lack Of information regarding !,
scarcity Of ships into making
.sanguine predictions. He; said
president Wilson, himself,
does not know the real sitpar i
tion, and cited this condition
as an illustration rof the ab-
sence of government coordi- I
nation. Administration lead.
ers prepared to reply to Sena.
tor Hitchcock, whose speech
launched the debate; Which
has been impending SINCE See
retary Baker made his state
ments, and the president
made known his opposition to I
the military committees
plans for reorganizing the
government s war machinery.
Much credibiy Done.
Conceding that much OF q big tasl
las been credibly done, the Nebrasks
enator insisted that centralized ant
oordinated war operations, through
war cabinet and centralized purchas
ng through munitions director arr
He asserted that the pres
dent and Secretary Baker had tried
ut failed to obtain the object, bu
hat the governments system was Oh
olete. The committees legislation
le argued would not embarrass or In
erfere with the presidents direction
4 the war.
Sharp criticism Of many governmen
var activities was made by the sen
tor in illustrating his arguments, bu
without attacking individuals. blum
|ers that almost surpass belief" hav'
occurred in the war department, h'
aid, and the shipbuilding he describ
ID as a farce and almost q crime.
Ie declared the transportation sys
EN- has 'sbroken down" and is a 81
.antic wreck" wit htwo million tons o
reight piled up at New York wtthou
Ihipping facilities; that the fuel I'd
orders have paralyze'
var and other industries and that foo'
distribution also has been inefficient
In flatly denying Secretary Eaker'
statements that the government has
,lan for the war, the senator said tn
committee was thunder
struck by the war secretary's opttmis
ic assertions. 4.
Afraid to Go Too Deep.
81 am afraid to 60 too deeply int
shipping figures" he added, "tor on
night be charged with giving informs
ion to the enemy. All who are IN
'ormed tas to the present supply Q
,ur shipping were thunder-struck .
.he statements Of Secretary Bakel
His sanguine predictions as to ou
,bility to ship men to Europe and sur
,ly them are exaggerations OF tn
widest sort.
ITO supply a million men IN France
we could get them owe
here, it will require five million ton
If shipping in constant use. We Q
know the total tonnage now availabl
IS nothing like that amount. We q
fear it will not approximate . yea
from now. ..,i.g. @ Il.
"Yet, the secretary of war is 30 o.
Of touch with the shipping board an
shipping authorities that he makes
that is absolutely prepo
ferrous. have no doubt Of his since
ity, but this indicates again the g
tent to which one department is q
of touch with another department"
We Have. No Plans.
Turning to Secretary Bakers y
plan, Senator Hitchcock said: i5s,
Secretary Baker says We ~
plans. | am sorry to disagres II \
him. II there Is one thing NOM q
spicuous by its absence sthans aay q
er IN the opefafiop q the gA11El
partments ara bale NM - =
It. has bsGe altk9 re
& Il { "a b. ~ sIis