New Britain herald., 1918-01-24

l ana asked senators to StQdy tueli | carefully.
 '"They are Of some use,' he ex- ! plained "in training men But if had 1 a boy training for the battlefield 1 would not want him to have his ] training with nothing else than a l wooden cannon
 England and France, he said, saw the mistake of having army men 1 control the ordnance departme ent. 1 You must go to men who have 1 done these things to get results" he
 said, "and congress should face this l without fear of any man but with , due regard for the distinguished 1 commander-in-ch chief.
 The commander at Camp Sherman, ] Ohio, told him there was a shortage 1 of 1000 overcoats there. He re-
 ferred that statement to Secretary 1 Baker.
 Tn his usual placid way, he said l that's not true,'' remarked the sen- 1 ator.
 1 Senator Chamberlain then read /; from a letter from Secretary Baker l saying a later report showed 7,O00 l overcoats were needed at Camp Sher- man. but that they were in course 1 of shipment
 1 ] started in course but not getting s ! there," he shouted.
 Then placing in the record a chart l submitted to the military committee l by Secretary Baker showing shortages of material at all camps varying from 1 to go per cent, MT. Chamberlain declared he wished that condition to l become known to the people. "I want it shown whether I dis torted the truth when I said the mili- tary system had broken down." he said.
 Reading from the table to show shortages of overcoats running as high as 75 per cent, the senator re- minded the senate the troops were "in the midst of winter.'' 'I am going to show that these hundreds and thousands of men dy- ing in the cantonments are due to the war department" he declared. This comes right from the men who are on the ground. They know what they are talking about. l didn't intend to do this, but in view of the situation | that confronts me and involves my 1 integrity I feel it is my duty to the ] country.
 1T am going to call attention to the |
 that nearly all epidemics could have l been prevented if the war department l had been effective.
 l The senator referred to the warn
 ings given by Major General Creole, ! commander at Camp Bowie, Texas, ] last summer against overcrowding men in tents.
 "Men at Camp Bowie" the senator l declared were "packed together like sardines," and despite frequent warn | inss. disastrous epidemics broke out l in December with 5000 men passing 1 through the hospitals. 1 Men died" he asserted, with out proper nursing because of inefficient ! cies of the system. All the canton- l ments are arteries of information and | I hope to God that every young man l will write his father or mother and tell 1 them just what the conditions are, not
 to stay patriotism, but to stimulate 1 these in authority to do their duty. l Gen. Gorgas' report, he continued l showed over -crowding in virtually l every camp, and he asserted that the ] surgeon general of eminent reputa- l ton, had not been consulted regard | ing cantonment locations. i Senator Chamberlain read public l reports or camp COnult1OlS 0IloN Ill $ l lack of winter clothing, over-crowd- l ing and prevalence of measles, and ! interrupted to refer to Secretary Bak-
 CTS statement to the committee that
 "evervthing was all right at these
 cantonments.'
 The senator said if Surgeon Gen l Gorgas' recommendations for greater 1 space had been observed, disease at l "If these are the conditions exist ing with soldiers in their home cOun-
 try what must be the fate of the boys
 sent to Europe to meet the danger
 ous and treacherous conditions ot l warfare?" he said.
 Senator Cham bcrlain read letter
 showing that camp authorities failed to notify @ family of the death of a 1 soldier and that the body came home 1 wrapped only in a sheet.
 If I were to print all the letters e
 get along this line" he continued,
 they would shock not only congress 1 but the American conscience. l do 1t
 only to show the country that there is
 inefficiency and I'm going to do it if
 it costs me my political life. Let the
 American mothers know conditions
 and they will sec to it that the public l servants either do their duty or retire
 from public life in disgrace.
 "I want to arouse the country and
 every mother and father to write to
 the president of the United States and
 appeal not in a spirit of revenge but
 in order that the example of a beloved
 son, brother or husband may arouse
 the country to save the lives of our
 soldiers
 The Chamberlain re-organiza ton
 bill on motion of Senator Hitchcock
 was referred to the military commit
 tee without objection.
 NhMED 10AT nJoTDIRITT0p