Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-01-24
CHAMBERLAIN N
REPLY TO WILSON
Senator Leader Reiteratea
Responsibility For Criti.
cized Speech.
Declares veraeity and Integrity, Hsrs-
tefors Unehallsnsed, Have Been At
tackled BY President Reads vsrbatin,
Copy Of Address to Senate News.
paper Reports Carried speech lust
- Delivered.

Washington. Jan. 24.-Standing firm
.ly by his charge that Americas mill
tary establishment is enmeshed In in
efficiency. Senator Chamberlain; Of
Oregon. chairman Of the senate milf
tary committee, replied in the hsenatc
today to President Wilson's denuncia-
-tion Of his recent New York speech;
declaring that the president hinnsek
does mot know the truth.
In the beginning OF his address SEN
ator Chamberlain said the president
had attacked both his yeSacity and In.
tegrity. heretofore unchallenged, but
that in replying ne did SO without any
PERSONAL feeling againxt the president.
After reading = verbatim copy Of the
speech for which the president a.
Inounced him. Senator Chamberlain. .SSe-
lciared that he adhered to what heshad
said. s stsss
For twenty!four years" ssnatcr
chamberlain said. Il have served the
public An my state to the best OF NY
ability and in all that time I have never
had my veracity called Into. quest IN
nor my intergrity impeanhe6 II u,
therefore. with feeling OF humilia 4ion
that rises TO 8 question Of persci,9J
i1etKlldgNs when j ~ veSacity syA
called In question not by an fordinaxy
citizen ybut by q 81 very tlistinSuishe
gentleman, who. / may say. occupied
the highest place Of any man In the
world.
Assumss Rsaponsibility Eor epssch.
1T is therefore with much feeling
that address myself to the attack
made upon me. and / do 80 without any
feeling OF unkindness."
He said that he had accepted an In
Ivitation to speak before the National
Security League, He recalled that on
the dlas with htan were Alton b Park
er. Theodore Roosevelt and Julius
Kahn. He then reiterated that he as
sumed responsibility for the speech as
reported by newspapers and he read to
the senate verbatim report published
I'm the New York Times.
Senator Chamberlain declared that
he would show that the deaths OF hun
dreds or thousands Of men at canton-
ments and camps were due to the war
department and all epidemics could
have been prevented II the war de-
ipartment had been effective =
0eclarss Wilson. Was Advised.
The senator read to the senate, "a Jet
ter received from President Wilson
opposing the creation Of minister of
munitions. He said he did this to
!counteract the. presidents charge that
he had not been consulted in regard to
proposed legislation. .s5
Upon his return to Washington,
Senator Chamberlain Asaid. he received
aletter from President Wilson contain
ing quotation taken from the New
York World and asking il the quotation
was correct.
T. Senator Chamberlain replied that the
quotation was substantially correct but
asked the president to read the entire
speech as printed in the Times.
After stating his experience in the
military, affairs committee the senator's
letter continued:
| II beielve know something OF the
deficiencies in the military establish
ment, inefi1ciencles that are clearly
recognized and proved, which ought to
be remodeled for the proper prosecu-
tion Of the war. ii
Public Should Know Truth
The statement of the president
challenges me, Of course, for. proof Of
the statement in the New York Times,
to which statement adhere and re-
peat before this body. The people IT
this country may not see this as I 90,
but as chairman Of the military COM
mittee, as an American citizen, and as
a member of this distinguished body.
felt that I should say the things in
me- and If succeed in making rift
thru the clouds, the American people
may see, and I will feel that my efforts
have not been in vain.
NOW that the truthfulness Of my
statement is questioned. feel it my
duty to tell the country some things
I might have not told under, ordinary
circumstances"
He repeated. that, owing to the grea.
rush Of business due to the war, the
president probably has not been able
to ascertain the truth.
Raps Ordnance Department.
"The secretary Of war. in a state
ment to the country. which was care
fully and ably prepared, tells us that
So. .200. 100000 have been appropriated
for the ordnance department, ana that
contracts for $1.677. 100000 have been
awarded This Is true. But the Sec
retary failed to tell the country that
America failed to stand prepared.
Trance bled the WHILE" he contin-
ued. "and is furnishing America today
with heavy ordnance and machine guns
and airplanes. II we relied on thesord-