Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1918-01-25
WILSON FIGHTS
PROPOSED BILL
Strongly Denounces Senate Plan
for Formation of War
Cabinet. ...
STATEMENT IS ISSUED
Directs Reply at Senator Chamber,
lain in Which He Says Reor
ganiza.ion Now Un-
necessary.

necessary.
Washington, Jan. "a statement
| issued by President Wilson has
swept away all doubts as to his views
If proposals in congress for reorgani-
zation of the governments war-mak-
nix machinery. The President said the
war department had accomplished a
task of unparalleled magnitude and
| difficulty with extraordinary prompt
| ness and efficiency. He denounced
| The congressional war Investigations
! and declared reorganization by leg
islation was proposed after effective
measures of reorganization had been
perfected jG
On the statement most observers
at the capitol saw the collapse of
what promised to be historic strug-
gle. Senator Chamberlain, whose
committee has framed bills to create
war council all powerful under the
president and to provide one-man con-
:rol of munitions and supplies, declared
he would continue his fight in spite
of presidential opposition. It was
rather generally conceded, however,
that the measures would have but lit
tie chance in the senate and proba-
bly, none at all in the house.
Senator Chamberlain made a state
ment in reply to tle president, say
Ing he spoke extemporaneously in
New York and that his criticisms
were directed at the war department
only and not at other branches of the
government.
Presidents Statement.
The Presidents statement follows:
when the Presidents attention
vas called to the speech made by
Senator Chamberlain at luncheon in
New York on Saturday he immediate.
y inquired of Senator Chamberlain
whether he had been correctly re.
ported and upon ascertaining from
The senator that he had been, the
President felt it his duty to make the
following statement. .t
"'Senator Chamberlain's statement
- to the present inaction and inef.
.:ectiveness Of the government is an
astonishing and absolutely unjustif-
lble distortion of the truth. AS a mat
:er OF fact the War department has
performed task Of unparalleled mag
,itude and difficulty with extraord:.
larry promptness and efficiency.
There have been delays and dis.
appointments and partial miscar-
'iages of plans. all of which have
oeen drawn into the foreground and
exaggerated by the investigations
which have been in progress since the
Congress assembled - Investigations
which drew indispensable officials of
The departments away from their
work and officers from their COM
hands and contributed greatly to the
ielay and confusion which had inev-
.tably arisen. But in comparison
with what had been accomplished,
these things, much as they were to
% regretted, were insignificant and
10 mistake has been made which was
repeated.
"Nothins Helpful Developed"
Nothing helpful or likely to
speed or facilitate the war tasks of
The government has come out of such
criticism and investiG ion. I under
stand that reorganizations by legisla-
lion are to be proposed-I have not
been consulted abort them and have
learned Of them only at second hand
but their proposal came after ef-
!ective measures of reorganization had
been thouEhtfully and maturely per-
sected and inasmuch as these meas.
ares have been the result Of expert.
snce, they are much more likely than
any other to be effective, il the Con.
yress will but remove the few statu-
tory obstacles Of rigid department Or.
ganization which stands in their way.
"'The legislative proposals I have
heard Of would involve long addi.
.ional delays and turn our experience
into mere lost motion. Ny association
and constant confidence in the secre-
tary Of war have taught me to re-
gard him a. one Of the ablest public !
officials I have ever known. The
country will soon learn whether he or |
his critics understand the business in
hand.
To add as Senator Chamberlain
did, that there is inefnciency in every
and bureau of the gov
eminent IL to show such ignorance of |
actual conditions as to make it i'm.
possih'" to attach any importance to |
the ministration's whole policy |
rattle, than out of any serious intsn.
Ion to re'orm its practice"
Guard Against Spies.
New York, Jan. PA warning is. |
anad nv Chairman Hnr1ev of tho