The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-02-04
HITCHCOCK REPEATS CHARGE OF
NEFFICIENCY WAR DEPARTMENT
Bakers Recent Optimistic Forecasts Declared s'Pre
posterous' by Nebraska Senator = Wilson Acting
as Gown Prime Minister Blunders pass
ing Belief" Enumerated in Argument for
y Passage Of Bills Providing War Cab
met and NUM- tions Director.

, statement that the government has {
plan for the war, the senator said IN,
military committee was thunder.
struck by the war secretary's optimis.
tic assertions. ~
Il am afraid to go too deeply ints
shipping figures" he added, for ont
might be charged with giving infornla.
ton to the enemy.
"All who are informed as to tn,
present supply of our shipping were
thunderstruck at the statements ol
Secretary Baker.
ITO supply million men In France
supposing we could get them over
there, it will, require 100000 tons Of
shipping in constant use. Where Ii
that coming from and when is IL com
ing2 We all know the total tonnage
now. ,ayailabial SIS nothing Iika s&hsa
amount. We all fear it will not ap.
proximate that year from now"
Turning to Secretary Bakers wal
plan, Senator Hitchcock said:
Secretary Baker says we have
plans. l am sorry to disagree with
him. If there is one thing more con-
spicuous by its absence than any other
in the operation of various departments
and bureaus in Washington it
has been planning for the future. /
do not deny that the various depart
ments have planned as far as they
could in advance, but who has pre-
pared the master plan which will har-
monize all the other plans? Nobody.
Nobody could"
Referring to the presidents opposi-
ton to the two committee bills, the
senator said it was on the ground that
the president alone has responsibility
for conduct of the war, adding:
"The mere statement presents an
absurdity."
Terms Opposition Absurd.
Asserting that congress has a large
measure of responsibility, Senator
Hitchcock said it would be mon
strous" to hold the president RESPONSE
BILE for the 100000 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 and quartermaster'. depart
mepts, sufferings of the unnecessarily
sick soldiers and nine months delay in
of the government pow
der factory"
The senator summarized the enor-
nous burdens on the president, in
cluding acting as his own prime min
lister, designing all the legislation for
congress to pass, debating the indus
trial, financial and political activities
of the country and looking after ex-
penditures of $250,000,000 a week.
Attitude Unfortunate.
'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 pres
dent is unfortunate, but not alto
gether unnatural.
an the first place the president be-
ongs to the school of political philos-
ophers who adhere to the belief that
LII important legislation should orig
nate with and be proposed by the ex-
ecutive. l cannot subscribe to this
scheme of government, although 1t has
'ome obvious advantages, in that it
leadership, order and pro-
yram.
Since he became president, Mr..
Wilson has enforced his view upon
congress to a large degree, and gen.
rally with good results. In the main, !
have been one of those who have
ollowed his leadership and supported
lis policies, and / expect to do so in
he future. Now and then, however,
IN exception must be made.
This is one of those cases. The !
question at issue is nonpartisan. No |
'arty leadership is involved. Neither |
S any principle involved. The mat |
er at issue is purely a practical ques-
ion whether we can improve the eff |