Evening star., 1918-02-05
j. s, WAR MACHINE,
SAYS WADSWORTH,
JAMMED IN CRISIS
Republican Senator Scores
Conditions, Places Blame on
Government System.
ADMITS GREAT THINGS;
FLAYS RAILROAD CHAOS
Lack of Preparedness. Solon de-
clares. Is Costing Lives, Millions
and Prolonging Conflict.

clares, Is Costing Lives, Millions
and Prolonging Conflict.
Americas war-making machln-
erv was pictured as a "conglom-
Grafton of ambitious and scattered
agencies" incapable of teamwork,
in an address in the Senate today
by Senator Wadsworth, republ-
can member OF the military at
fairs committee.
The speech renewed the debate over
war efficiency, which occupied the sen
ate all day yesterday after Senator
Hitchcock, a democratic committeeman
had delivered a similar arraignment OF
the lack of coordination in the gov
ernment's activities. Several senators
were waiting with replies upholdlng
President Wilson's opposition 10 !ne
committees war CABINET anu hauhieioA
director bills.
Without detailing Army conditions
revealed by the military committees
war inquiry, with which he SAID the
country is now fairly familiar. Senator
Wadsworth confined himself largely to
an argument for the proposed lesisia-
ton for Capitalization of war-makins
agencies. President Wilson cannot CO.
ordinate these agencies, he SAID, ana
with a long war in prospect, radical
ateps to unity the nations efforts are
necessary.
Cannot Deny Great Things.
..rhat great things have been done
cannot ha denied he declared. That
other great things have been LETT un-
done must be admitted. The creoit
for the things accomplished can be as
signed to several individuals The
blame for shortcomings ought not to be
laid upon any individual. Criticism
should be directed against our system,
or rather the lack of cohesive system,
Recounting difficulties arising through
indiscriminate priority orders and COM
petition in the purchase of supplies,
delays on account OF departmental red
Council Of National defense. ,xhs-sanass
mind you. do not attempt to lay the
blame upon any one man or any one
department. 1 insist that this painful
- situation has resulted from an utter
lack of planning-from a lack of vision.
The plain fact is that we have no
agency in our government today
vision far into the future, anticipating
. the emergencies which may arise and
laying the plans by which we can meet
and overcome them.
Cannot Remove Powers.
that any other office be created to take
away from the President the powers
the Constitution confides to him. 1t
cannot be done. 1t is unthinkable. But
there is no place in Washington where
the needs of the situation and plans to
meet them can be brought together. CO.
ordinated and settled upon.
Il realize that some may contend that
the President can make all these deci-
sions. and therefore there is no need
for any additional element in our war
time machinery. My contention is that
be he ever so able, no President-no
human being-can perform such a task
1t is utterly impossible for one man to
examine into all these intricate ques-
tions- The days and nights are not long
enough"
Referring to tfe committees war in
Qufry. Senator Wadsworth said 1t had
covered only part of the ground and
that to Investigate all Army activities
which might justify inquiry would not
permit the committee to finish its work
during the present session of Congress
Military Men Incapable.
Tn both the ordnance and quarter
masters departments the senator said
I'VE discovered a distressing state of
0AdiS- hoSS "hO dltcHQeQ every daV
became deeply impressed with the con-
viction that purchase and production
and initial distribution of the vast
amount of supplies must be essentially
an industrial operation, and that mill
tary men, with rare exceptions, are in
capable of bringing about the best re-
suits"
All of the expert civilians appearing
worth declared. testified in the same
direction-proper Capitalization of
authority established preferable by
statute, whose decisions NAV be
promptly reached and accented as
final"
Lack of preparedness before the war,
the senator said. is costing many.
besides prolonging the war
illustrating his argument from a
large chart hung on the Senate wall,
plan and that of the committee shown
together, Senator Wadsworth called
attention to the existing vast number
OF ofhcial. semi-oficial and purely ad-
visory agencies, bureaus and other
bodies. which, he asserted are not CO.
ordinated. consulting or harmonizins.
Exceeded Normal Shipments.
On the railroads. the senator declared
goods with the blue-tagged prIori,v
orders have exceeded normal shin
ments, and in the east Sc per cent o.,
all freight was so tagged.
What has been the resuIt,' he asked
. "A hopeless jam and congestion Of our
railway transportation facilities
million three hundred thousand IONS
OF munitions and supplies are piled
upon the docks along our Atlantic
coast, billed to France and Italy alone
Some are deteriorating rapidly. II
some places locomotive boilers ard
great piles of shells and other impor-
tant materials have been dumped out
upon the ground and lie rustinR in
winter weather"
Renewing the governments handling
of the coal industry, the senator said !:
Starving for Coal.
Gas a result of lack of planning we
have great communities starving for
coal. and an order issued by the fuel
administration closing down thousands
of factories and throwing out of work
hundreds of thousands of men and
women. costing millions of dollars in
wages and delayed product, and Grip
pling. for sthe time being, those very
activities upon which we must depend
for the winning Of the war.
"Other emergencies will overtake u.s.
Senator Wadsworth said. in conclusion.
III - are wise and prudent and far
q I0afinned q EouEfh Pzes,l