The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1918-02-07
WILSON s POLICY
IS UNDER Fire
SENATOR HITCHCOCK AssAILs
WAR DEPARTMENT.
CALLS WORK GIGANTIC WRECK
Makes lmpassioned Speach In Senate
Today and Tries to Make Capital
of Presidents Effort to
Speed Up Legislation.

Speed Up Legislation.
Washington, Feb. 4.-Declaring that
the war department is better equip
ped with brakes than with motive pow
ei," and the chaos alone resulted from
the departments slowness in their
work Senator Hitchcock of Nebraska
today resumed the demands in the sem
ate for the further coordination of the
nations war efforts.
He declared that Secretary Bakers
predictions regarding the troops ship
ments to Europe was exaggerated and
of the widest sort.
Hitchcock attempted to gain results
from the direct declaration of Presi-
dent Wilson for less discussion of war
cabinet bill and more action on vital
legislation.
THE President has announced his
stand against the war cabinet bill
which is proposed by Senator Cham
berlain and if the press reports are
true his object is to prevent the dis
cussion of this legislation in the sem
ate," Hitchcock declared.
Wilson Criticised
This attitude on the part of the
president is unfortunate. The presi-
den belongs to the school of political
PHILOSOPHERS who adhered to the peo-
pie that all important legislation
should originate some where and
should be proposed by the executive
to the legislative body.
Il can not say anything about any
of the government orders, for they
have some open advantage in the urg-
ent provisions of leadership of order
and the program"
Since he became president, Mr..
Wilson has enforced the views of
congress to a large degree and gen.
orally with good results Now and
then however there must be some
exceptions.
Il therefore agree with Senator
Chamberlain that President Wilson
does not know the real truth about
the situation at this time.
Wants Congress to Act
Shall the congress not be permitted
to act? Cannot some one great COM
mittee, be permitted to report the CO
ordination of the impending bills?
Shall the senate of the United States
be even prohibited from the discussion
of the bills?
81 cannot believe our duty to the
people should be prevented by such
userpation of power" Permit me to
use this slang phrase, ITS up to us"
List of Charges.
Senator Hitchcock charged:
That the war department has fallen
down in most of its important func-
tons
That Secretary Bakers efforts have
been futile.
That the transportation system has
fallen down and that the work at
this time is a gigantic wreck"
That there is no power to coordi-
nate transportation across the Allan
tic and production here.
That the regulation of the principal
directing authority has resulted in
the present fuel situation.
That the present conditions of the
ship building program is nothing less
than shocking.
That efforts to move food for the
allies and ourselves have miscarried.
Williams Answers Hitchcock.
Washington, Feb. 4,-Senator John
Sharpe Williams, of Mississippi, at
tackled Senator Hitchcock after he
finished speaking today and reclared
that muck raRing of the administra-
ton was part Of the republican
game.
He charged that Hitchcock made
public some information which was
useful to the enemy and that if all
that he said was true I'VE are whipped
already"
He bitterly attacked the war cabi-
net bill as being unnecessary.