Republican farmer., 1918-02-08


Administration leaders prepared to
reply to Senator Hitchcock. whose
speech launched the debate which has
been impending since Secretary
Baker made his statement and the
president made known his opposition
to the military committees plans for
reorganizing the governments war
machinery.
Conceding that much of 8. big tasl,
has been creditably done, the Nebras-
ka senator insisted that centralized
and co-ordinated war operations
through war cabinet and ceutraliz-
ed purchasing through a munition
director are imperative. He assert
ed that the president and Secretary
Baker had tried, but failed, to attain
the OBJECT, and that the governments
system was obsolete The commit
tees legislation, he argued, would not
emoarrass or interfere with the presi-
dents direction of the war.
Sharp criticism of many govern
lnent war activities was made by the
senator in illustrating his arguments.
Blunders that almost surpass BELIEF
have occurred in the war DEPART
ment," he said, and the ship building
situation he described as "a farce
and almost a crime ., He declared
the transportation system has brok
en- down." and is a gigantic wreck ''
with 100000 tons of freight piled I'D
at New York without shipping facili-
ties; that the fuel administrations or
ders have panalyzed war and other
industries; and that food distribution
| also has been inefficient.
In fatty denying Secretary Bakers
statement that the government has A.
plan for the war, the senator said
the military committee was thunder
struck by the war secretary's opti-
nnistic assertions.
II am afraid to go too deeply into
shipping figures he added, 'for one
might be charged with giving infor-
nation to the enemy. All who are
informed as to the present supply of
our shipping were thunderstruck at
the statements of Secretary Baker
His sanguine predictions as to our
ability to ship men to Europe and
supply them there are CONSIDERATIONS
of the widest sort
ITO supply a million men in France
will require 100000 tons of shipping
in constant use. We all know the to-
tai tonnage now available is nothing
like that amount. We all fear it win
not approximate that a year frou
now"
The senator summarized the enor.
nous burdens on the president in
Guiding his formulating a 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 $3.50, 100000 a week.
I'm the first place the president be-
longs to the school of political phil
osophers who adhere to the belief that
all important legislation should orig
mate with and be proposed by the
executive. I cannot subscribe to this
scheme of government, although it
has some obvious advantages, II that
it provides leadership, order and pro-
gram.
Since he became President Mr..
Wilson has enforced his view on Con-
gress to n large degree and generally
with good results. In the main I have
been one of those who have followed
his leadership and supported his poll
cies and 1 expect to do so in the fu-
ture. Now and then, however, an ex-
ception must be made"
The war departments obsolete
methods, the senator said, had
brought the expected results, "con-
fusion of authority, red tape, circHm-
| Iocution and incapacity,'' and he cited
| evidence given in the military COM
mittee inquiry of clothing, rifle and
equipment shortages and sickness
and deaths in camps as the result Of
over-crowding and lack of clothing.
1--WE found we must depend on
over-worked and over-strained 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, land not much before
1919 can we expect to use in France
American heavy artillery in aES~geat
quantity"
81 do not deny we also fund much
that was creditable and satisfactory"
he said.
Two courses were open TO the COM
mittee as a result of the investiga-
ton, said Senator Hitchcock-to re-
port conditions making a few scape-
goats and ignoring the greatest evil
of defective machinery" or recon-
mending legislation to give the Presl-
dent IAN up-to-date war-making
| organization