The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1918-02-05
WAR TO LAST
A LONG Time.
SENATE HEARS

WAsulNGTON. teb. black
Of vision" has stalled Americas war
engine. senator Wadsworth charged
In thr senate today. "snd n greater
breakdown than the onr from which
We are now suffering threatens un.
less some directing agency IL GRO
nt~si.'
Il entertain the deep conviction
that Tn. end Of this war IL not In
sight: that We shall travel long.
hard road before 40 reach the goal. !"
he said. n feel certain that the
strain will grow more and moro 80.
we're az the months 80 by
Americas effort must constantly
expand. We must send more and
more troops abroad. must build
more and more ships TO carry them.
must grow more and more food TO
we must make use OF an ever-in-
crraxing percentage Of our mines.
transportation facilities and manu-
featuring facilities.
I'm short. arm convinced that we
are only on tho threshold OF this trc-
mendous Undertaking. I am not sat
lrficd that We have tho kind Of or.
ganiration and machinery that can
stand the strain"
War Giant Blind
Firing the second voilcy. designed
TO rake tho war administration 81
Secretary Baker. wadsworth de
clared that blindness found this
country pathetic In Its unprepared
ness at the opening OF the war.
Since then. ho added. this great
giant tho war usachinel has boon
stumbling. cropping. excrting his tire
mendous strength without always
where he was going"
lilo dspiorcd the shipping situation
and declared the transportation IN
cilities were jammed and conRcstrd
Conditions today. he saih are
"giartng evidence Of tho lack Of cen.
tralizsd directing authority"
Pointing out that the government
did practically nothing during the
year preceding the entrance OF tho
United states into the war to pre-
pare for the inevitable. Wadsworth
declared:
we were 20 blind M to permit
one Of our government rifle factories
to operate much below It's capacity
all thru the year 1915. and other fac.
tories to cease altogether making
rifles during that period.
"As we look back We have learned.
hope. great lesson--a lesson
learned AT the expense 81 many lives
and millions Of dollars. We have
learned that our failure TO see De
yond the end OF our noses has pro
lonFcd this ghaStly war and post
poned that day when mankind shall
be released from its tcrrors and the
future Of this republic made sure. "
Turning 90 the committee probe ~
tho ordnance and quartermaster's 1o.
partmcnts. Wadsworth declared that
the testimony forced tho conviction
that military men were not fitted TO
handle the vast Industrial problem.
This. he said. WIS caused by the
antiquated system prevailing.
We became Impressed with the
conviction that the purchase. produc-
ton and initial distribution Of the
vast amount OF supplies must be an
essentially Industrial operation" he
said, and that military men. no mat.
ter how capable In their profession
are. with very rare exceptions.
totally inexperienced in such mat
ters, and therefore incapable Of
bringing about the best results In the
shortest time"
lie declared that able civilians who
were called in TO assist. and who had
watched the working OF the war ma
chinery for months. said the defects
which members of the committee
suspected existed.
Some Of them had suggested one
or more remedies, one or more i'm.
provements, and all their suggestions
are I'm tho same direction--proper
Capitalization OF authority. an nu.
thoritly established. preferably, by
statute. whore decisions may be
promptly reached and accepted as
final" said Wadsworth.