New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-31


behind.
4. Sufficient hospital facilities
have not been provided to tnko care
of the permanently disabled.
Mr.. Chamberlain left no doubt In
Senators minds that he believed the
criticism led by him year ago had
resulted in the practical removal of
Qusrtermaster General Sharp and
Chief of Ordnance Crozier by promo
tion to positions OF "innocuous desuc-
tude."
Conditions to-day. after the armis-
tce has been signed" he said, "are
not very unlike conditions which OK
listed before Congress convened, in De-
cember. 1917. When ] say that I mean
that when Congress convened in 1917
it was flooded with letters OF COM
plnint. These complaints are coming
TO us now, not that the industrial life
has not been successfully coordinated
and made 10 do the things necessary
to win this war, but now that the war
has heen won, and our sons and broth
ers and husbands and all are coming
back to America, nrmlcss and leglcss
and eyelcss, America is unprepared to
take caro- Of them now. just as Amer
lea was unprcparcd properly TO CON
duct this war in such q way as to
conserve life, and to conserve energy
and to conserve the health Of this
republic"
God only knows how many lives
have been sacrificed needlessly, due to
unpreparedness, even up to the time
the armistice was signed" Senator
Chamberlain said.
"The charge Of treachery was levelled
against some of US who criticised. |
passed under the yoke, but if my criti-
csm has saved one life of soldier in
France, am willing to give up my seat
in the United States Senate"
Treason to CYiticise
at got to be almost treason to criti-
else 1t amounted almost to treachery;
aye, indeed the charge of treachery was
lodged against one man who dared to
criticise in this free country Of ours,
| myself passed under the ban, but
without single regret. end if my eff
forts have saved the life of one young
man on the battle front of France
am willing TO WELD my seat in the
Senate of the United States to-day.
ut was resented when I said that
the military establishment had fallen
down, that it had almost quit function
ing. because Of inefficiency in the de-
partments Of the government But
when the munition director measure
was disapproved by the Administra-
tion what happened?
There was presented to the Senate
a bill which confessed inefficiency in
the War Department. and went further
than confessing inetficiency in the War
Departm emit confessed inefficiency
in every department and placed power
in the hands of the President to re-
organize every Executive department
If there was no inefticiency in the War
Department why change?
True Then and True Nov
1T was true then, and it is true
now, as we look back upon it, that there
was inefficiency in many of these de-
partments, and voted for the measure
which the President sent to Congress
:
power Of the President was broader
than either of the bills (War Cabinet
and Minister of Munitions bilis) the
Military Affairs Committee presented
The mere fact that the Overman bill
YVES requested is confession shat
every department Of the government
was inefficient. Under it reorganization
after reorganization has taken place,
and many Of the things which the Mill
tary Affairs Committee declared were
necessary have been performed"
Senator Gore, Of Oklahoma, Demo
crat, interrupted to say that within
twenty-four hours after Senator
Cham berlain's memorable speech of
last winter conditions began to improve
at Camp Doniphan.
Let US see what the Military Com
mittee found to criticise in the mill
tary establishment beginning with De
ccmber, 1917" Senator Chamberlain
continued.
Tells of Something Lacking
81 am not going into details.
merely call attention to the fact tha-
there was lack Of ordnance rn.tcria
and great hardness about furnishing
small arms, that there was g lack il
The quartermaster's supplies. and no
only that but that the uniforms tina
the soldiers were furnished were re
duced in wool content so that they
were almost untitled for use in France
resulting in the purchase Of such sup
plies on very large scale in Grea
Britain by General Pershi1g'
Mr.. Chamberlain then read from
General Pershing's report that tn,
principal deficiencies in the arm,
equipment were artillery, airpianes an,
tanks, sustaining the committees criti
csms.
And then the exaggerated storie
about sending over airplainea by tn,
thousands and ten OF thousands b,
those in authority. We find that il
that great battle-St. Mihicl- the in
dependent French air service and til,
British bombing service were there t.
AID our own service in the observa
lions. which were absolutely necessar,
50 conduct the artillery fire of GU
own troops and TO watch the move
ments Of the enemy.
Here we have General Pershing'
own statement that within Jhre
months before Che ~lnistice wa
signed. that Is August =. the frs
american aviation squadron crosse'
the German lines. And yet we wer
led 10 believe by the statements 0
shose III authority az far back IS Feb
ruery 70, 1913, We We're sending owe
planes by the thousands. We wer
assisted by the French in this service
but even the French. the BIRTHS
enough airplanes over there 20 do tn
work that was necessary to be done.
Might Have Saved Thousands