The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1918-01-29
CHAMBERLAIN REPEATS
CHARGES OF LNEFFICZENCY
Says President Wilson Doesn Know. Declared
Only Motive is to Speed up Preparations.
Cites Cases in Connection with Aamy
Ordnance and Clothing and
Sanitation.
Sanitation.

er. Theodore Roosevelt and Julius
Kahn, and that the audience Was "a
representative body that for patriot
ism can not be excelled by any like
body in the United States" He then
reiterated that he assumed response
bility for the speech as reported by
newspapers, and had read to the SEN
tie a verbatim repor published in
ne New York Times.
Senator Chamberlain, after having
cad to the senate verbatim copy of
ne speech for which the president de-
nounced him, declared that he adhered
% what he had said.
No Reply From Wilson.
Upon his return to Washington, Sen
tor Chamberlain said he received a
etter from Presidert Wilson contain
ng a quotation from the New York
World and asking if the quotation was
orrect. The president wrote that he
id not like to comment on the state
nents until he knew positively that
he senator had made them.
The letter was received too late for
! reply Sunday, Senator Chamberlain
continued, "but in letter sent to the
white house the following day, he re-
2lied that he had been quoted substan-
TALLY correct in the World, but asked
the president to read the entire speech
as printed in the Times. instead Of
only a part of it.
Senator Chamberlain's letter added
that he was discussing only the policy
cor lack of policy of the military es-
tablshment. After stating his eXpe-
rience in the military affairs and tes-
timony in the committees investiga-
tions, the senator's letter continued:
81 believe l know something about
ttc deficiencies in the military estab-
':shr'o is. deficiencies which are
clearly recognized and proved,
in a system that ought to be remod-
eled for the proper prosecution of the
war and have these dis
iointed and unco-ordinated defects
weeded out
In his letter the senator also offered
to go over the whole situation with
the president, but said he received no
reply and On the following day the
presidents statement crdticising him
vas published.
The presidents statement and Sen
ator Chamberlain reply then were
read to the senate, and the Oregon
senator observed:
81 do not know if any reply to my
letter was necessary. I assume that
statement is the answer.
Duty to Country.
'sThe statement Of the preside 1T
challenges me, of course, for proof OF
the statement in the New York Times,
to which statement l adhere and re-
peat before this body.
''The people of this country may not
see this as I do, but as chairman OF
the military committee as an American
citizen and member of this distin-
guished body, l felt that / should say
the things that are in me, and If l
succeed in making a rift in the clouds
through which the American people
may see I will feel that my efforts
| have not been in vain.
"Now that my truthful2ess has been
questioned" Senator Chamberlain con-
tinued, 81 feel it my duty to tell the
country something l might not have
told it under ordinary circumstances.
do it as a man who loves his cou2-
] try best of all, and who would willing
| ly give his life for it. I do it fear
| lessly as an American citizen who de-
sires to help and not to hinder
He repeated he had not distorted
I the truth in his speech made in. New
York, but that owing to the great rush
of business due to the war the presl-
dent has probably not been able to
ascertain the truth and does not know
the truth. From the lips Of those
closest to the president, the chief ex-
ecutive can not learn the truth, not
! because his advisers desire to mis-
/ lead him. bat because they are situat-
! ed in the same position as he.
The secretary of war, in general
statement to the country which was
carefully and ably prepared, tells us
that $4,000, 100000 have meen appro-
priated for the ordnance department
and that contracts for s1,6770O0. 900
| have beeo awarded" he continued