The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-01-24
Assumes Full Responsible
ity for Speech, Saying Pa
pers Quoted Correctly
CAMP EPIDEMICS
WERE PREVENTABLE
Blames War Department
for Hundreds and Thou
sands of Deaths &"

Washington, Jan. 24.-Standins
lflrInly by his charge that America
smfIitary establishment is enmesheC
in inefflciency. Senator Chamberlain
of Oregon, chairman of the military
committee, replied in the senate to-
day to President Wilson's denuncia-
ton of his recent New York speech
iby repeating the statement which
fdrew the Presidents fire and declar-
ling that the President himself does
mot know the truth.
Senator Chamberlain, after having
lread to the senate a verbatim copy
iof the speech for which the President
denounced him, declared that he ad-
fhered to what he had said.
Senator Chamberlain declared he
Iwould show that the deaths Of the
hundreds and thousands of men at
Icantonments and camps were due to
the war department and that all
Eepidenics could have been prevented
| If the war department had been ef-
,lfective''.
In beginning his address Senator
/ Chamberlain said the President had
Eattacked both his veracity and in
Etegrity, heretofore unchallenged, but
that in replying ne did so without
any personal feeling against the
President ...a
For twanty-four years. Senator
Chamberlain said, Il have served the
/ public In my state to the best Of my
ability and In all that time have
never had my yeracity called in ques-
ton nor my integrity impeached and
have passed through some bitter
campaigns. It Is, therefore, with
some feeling OF humiliation and also
sadness that rise to q. qaestion Of
personal privilege when my veracity
has been called In question, not by
an ordinary citizen, but by a very
distinguished gentleman who has the
love and admiration Of the people
and who by their suffrage is offered
the highest place in the gift Of the peo-
pie, and, may say, the highest place
Of any man in the world.
cit is therefore with much feeling
that rise to address myself to the
attack made upon me and do so
without any feeling Of unkindness.
The personal charges against me
amount to nothing to the American
people but affect policies which may
involve the future OF this country, If
not the entire world.
Does Not Sidestep.
Senator Chamberlain said he had
heen invited to speak before the Ma.
ttonal Security league, accepted on
short notice and without time to pre-
pare an address. He recalled that on
the dais with him were Alton B.
Parker, Theodore Roosevelt, and
Julius Kahn. He then reiterated
that he assumed responsibility for
the speech as reported by newspap-
ers and had read to the senate a
verbatim report published in The
New York Times.
Upon his return to Washington,
Senator Chamberlain said, he receiv-
ed letter from President Wilson
containing q quotation taken from
The New York World and asking IL
the quotation was correct. The
President wrote that ne did not elike
to comment on the statements until
he knew positively that the senator
had actually made them.
Senator Chamberlain said that in
a letter sent to the White House
Monday. he replied that he had been
quoted substantially correctly in The
World, but asked the President to
read the entire speech as printed in
The Times, instead Of only a part OF
Discussing Policy Only.
Senator Chamberlain's letter add
ca that he was discussing only the
policy COR lack of policy Of the
military establishment and contin-
ued:
Z believe / know something about
the deficiencies in the military es-
tablishment, deficiencies which are
clearly recognized and proven
in a system that ought TO be remod-
eled for the proper prosecution of the
war, and have these disjointed
and unco-ordinated defects weeded
OUT.
In his letter the senator also offer-
ed to- go over the whole situation
with the President, but said he re-
ceived no reply and on the following
day the Presidents statement criti- |
oizing him was published
The Presidents statement and |
Senator Chamberlain's reply to him |
were read to the senate, and the
Oregon senator observed
Il do not know IL any reply to my |
letter was necessary. j assume that |
statement is the answer"
THE statement Of the President |
challenges me, OF course, for proof |
of the statement in the New York
Times, OF the statement Mn The New
York Times, to which statement |
adhere and repeat before this body"
Duty TO Tell Truth.
Now that my truthfulness has
been questioned" Senator Chamber
lain continued, Il feel 1t my duty to /
tell the country something ! might |
not have told 1t under ordinary |
/ do ii as a man who |
loves his country best Of all and who /
would willingly give his life for IL. /
] do it fearfully as an American |
Continued on page 50