Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-02-04
CRITICS LINE UP TO
KNOCK BAKER AGAIN
CONTINUED From Page One.l

Hitchcock said it would be mon
strous" to hold the president respon-
sible for the two million tons OF
freight piled up in New York. for the
break down of transportation, the
muddle and tumble Of priority ship
ments, the shortcomings of the ord
nance department and quartermaster'
department, sufferings of the unnec-
essarily sick soldiers and nine months
delay in construction of the govern
ment powder factory"
The senator summarized the enor-
nous burdens on the president, in
Guiding his formulating foreign pol
icy, designing all the legislation for
congress to pass, debating the indus
trial and political activities of the
country and looking after expendi-
lures of S250,000,00O a week.
"The president does not want the
committee to report the cabinet bill
and he continued, "if press reports
be true, he objects even to a discus
sion of this legislation in the senate.
This attitude on the part of the presi
dent is unfortunate, but not altogether
unnatural
in the first place the president be-
longs to the school of political philos
ophers who adhere to the belief that
all important legislation should orig
mate with and be proposed by the ex-
ecutive l cannot subscribe to this
scheme of government although it
has some obvious advantages in that
it provides leadership, order and pro-
gram.
'Since he became president, Mr.. Will
son has enforced his view On congress
to a large degree and generally with
good results. In the main, have been
one of those who have followed his
leadership and supported his policies
and / expect to do so in the future.
Now and then, however, an exception
must be made.
| This Is Exception.
| "This is one of those cases. The
question at issue is not partisan
Neither is any principle involved. The
matter at issue is purely practical
question whether We can improve the
! efficiency of war administration by
adopting business methods in buying
supplies and whether We can get or
|
stead of delay by coordinating great
government bureaus now running al
most independently and often at cross
| purposes.
Il agree with Senator Chamberlain
that the president does not know the
real situation He cannot give two
months to an investigation such as
we ahve done. Like king, surround
ed by court, he hears practically only
one side. The people who complain
do not reach the president nor even
members of his cabinet. They come
to senators and representatives. The
president and secretary of war have
4 evidently realized the defect of the ex-
listing system and attempted to change
! it without legislation but without sue
/ cess
Praises Stettinins, But.
Praising Edward Stettinius, the war
departments new surveyor Of pur-
chases. Senator Hitchcock said he is
without legal authority, like all the
other voluntary agencies and that a
legally constituted munition director
was needed.
| Senator Hitchcock said Great Bri-
! tain and France both had been forced
! to remedy government weakness by a
! system similar to the war cabinet and
suggested that the president, under
the bill. would appoint and direct the
war cabinet and if he pleases, could
appoint Secretaries McAdoo, Baker
and Daniels as the members.
The war departments obsolete
i &Ic frp 1,o6 !, 4
the expected results, confusion of
authority, red tape, circumlocution
and incapacity," and he cited evidence
given in the military committees in?
quiry of clothing. rifles and equipment
shortages and sickness and deaths In
camps as the result Of overcrowding
and lack of clothing.
@OverwOrked, Overstrained France"
! I'VE found we must depend on over
/ worked and oyerstrained France for
machine guns for ground use until
nearly the end of this year" he said
adding that the first American made
| heavy artillery will not be received
until July and mot much before 1918
can we expect to use in France Amer
lean heavy artillery in any great
quantities"
I'VE found" he continued, that only
now we are just beginning work on
two powder plants to cost s60,000,0O
and cannot get powder from these
plants before August. We found that
though the medical department asked
for hospital ships last July. they have
not yet been ordered.
II do not deny that we also found
much that was creditable and satisfac-
tory. The task undertaken was huge