The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1918-02-22
CHARGES WILSON
PUT POLITICS In
War EFFICIENCY
Senator Weeks Bitterly AS
sails President and War
secretary.
TELLS SENATE WILSON
DEMANDED SECRECY
RidiruIes Statement of Secretary
Baker As To Conditions
In Army.

Washington, Feb. 15-Presiden
Wilson was charged with deliberately
injecting politics into the controvers!
Of var efficiency by Senator Weeks
u Republican member of the Military
ComTflttcc, in speech tday vigsr
ously crjticizing the War Department
and other branches of the Govern,
ment.-
Supporting the Military Committee
War cabinet and Munitions Director
bills rs 4 constructive non-partiSan eff
fort 10 aid and not embarrass Presi-
dent Wilson in unifying America S
war force, Senator Weeks detailed de-
lays and difficulties Of the Govern
mcnts military preparations. He de
ciarcd that lack of central body t.
make and direct AZ Government plans
is largely responsible for present and
past troubles.
In his charge against President VIII
son, the Senator said:
Not question indicating partisan
ship was raised until the President de-
liberatelv Injected politics into the
situation by an attack upon the chair
man Of the committee (Senator Cham
belain of Oregon. Democracy and the
committee itself, and By calling to
the White House many Democratic
party leaders, not for consultation pur-
poses, but 10 insist that a discussion
of this question on the floor of the
ScEatc be prevented if possible. Have
we come to such Il pass that the action
of the most important committee in
Congress At this time is TO be for
hidden by the President?"
Referring to Secretary Baker. Sen
ator Weeks said after praising many
army achievements:
Neither do ] wish to unjustly or
unreseTvcdly criticise the head of the
War Department. he has had to deal
with multitude of questions, the dis
poSal of many of which meet my APP
prevail. 1t would require too much
time TO cnumerate. The Secretary
has done that effectively in his speech
made to the committee. Jan. IS
Referring to Bakers reply when
asked by the committee if other men
could rot have done things better, that
he did moi know all the men in the
world and could not Judge their capa
biliticS, Senator Weeks said the an
swer was Somewhat fhppant' and
that it is impossible TO expect a de
partmcnt whose head makes such al
statement, TO make many changes that
AN outside investigation have shown
TO be necessary.
Asserting that il is physically i'm
possible" for the President to indi-
vidually coordinate and direct all Of
the Governments functions, Senator
Weeks added:
Can it be possible that the prcsi-
dent will DC embarrassed by such al
Cabinet? It would seem as if hcI
would be embarrassed to a greater
extent by a perpctuatlon of the dis
loirtcd system which now exists. a
system which failed to produce ships,
Notwithstanding the shipping plans;
which has failed to deliver coal, not
withStanding the unbOunded coal sup
ply we have; which has been RESPONSE
bic for a failure to protect our soldiers
against sickness and furnish them
with suitable clothing.
we are the inventors and leaders
in airplanes, and yet we have no air.
planes. We have the greatest steel
works in the world, and yet we have
few guns. We lead the world in au-
tomobile manufacture, yet we are just
commencing to obtain motor trucks,
and worst of all, the system we have
is responsible for camp hospitals not
having heat, water or sewerage
Furnishing of food to the army,
Senator Weeks, said, has been trc-
mcudous success, due to Gen. Sharpe
He also praised Gen. Crozier, Chief
of Ordnance, saying he had often ask
cd Congress for more ordnance appro-
pTiations but that sentiment in the
country prevented appropriations.
General Crozier, however, he declar-
ed, was partly responsible for defcien-
cies in machine guns and light ord
nance.