Arizona republican., 1918-01-22
President Wilson Comes
 Into Field Against All Plans for Change In Way
 War Work is Handled
ERepubliean A. ?. Leased Wirel

lHepupIlCan A. r. Leased Wirel
 WASHINGTON. Jan. 21.-An doubt as to President Wilson's view e pro- posals in congress for reorganization of the governments war making ma chinery was swept away tonight by q statement in which the president said the war department had accomplished task of unparalleled magnitude and difflculty with extraordinary prompt ness and efficiency. denounced the con- sressional war investigations and de- ciared that reorganiZa ton by legisla- uon Was proposed after effective meas ures or reorganization had been per fected.
 The presidents statement was issued as result of a speech in New York Sdturoay by Senator Chamberlain. chalrman of the senate military com mlttee, and after he had asked the senator on the telephone whether he had been correctly quoted Senator Chamberlain's reference to 'inaction ana lneffectiveness of the govern inent. the president finally called an
 astonishing and absolutely unjustifi- able distortion of the truth He said ha regarded St tcretary Baker as one of the ablest public officials he had ever met N
 Tn the statement most observers at the capitol saw the collapse of what promised to be a historical strugge senator Chamberlain whosg committee has framed bills to create a war council all powerful under the president and .o provide one-man control of muni- tons and supplies, declared he would continue to fight in spite of presiden- tial opposition. It was rather gener- ally conceded, however. that the meas ures would have but little chance in the senate and probably none at all in Jle | house. >' senator Chamberlain made q state ment Tn reply to the president. saving ne spoke extemporaneously in New i fork and that his criticisms were di- rected at the war department only and ment IT
 senator Chamberlain said:
 In my New York speech I had mt prepared the address and spoke twenty minutes extemporaneously without notes. l pointed out that from Bunker HI to the present time we had had no military organization or policy. The | press report of my address was cor rect. But my argument was directed 10 the military establishment and not to other departments of ths govern ment. though it was broad enough to
 De subject to that interpretation. Rut
 Inose nearing it knew I referr.d merely
 to the military establishment and the
 senate military committee had under .aKen, through the bills for war cSb- met and a director of munitions ,o
 Work out changes in the establishment. II explained that these bills were not administration measures. did not nisrepresent them.
 ' secretary Bakers efforts to better l HIS organization have my utmost ap- proVal. lie has made much improve ment But the inherent weakness of his
 reorganization is that nobody in inc army but tue president has legal an . tnorlty. There is the council of na- tlonal defense, the war Industries ooaro' and the clearance conNlittee- all purely voluntary organizat,ons-be tween the president and the army. The
 War caplnet and director of munitions would be created by law with definite
 legal powers and duties. respectiyelv
 to map out and direct war policies and to have charge of war supplies. Rv
 thls plan We could substitute strong
 Tor the only weak link in the chain of , organization. VI . The people are entitled to be let into
 the committees confidence. If the
 pople don't want it, that is all light. Ii
 IS tnelr war.
 Early today word that the president
 opposed the war council plan was con
 veyed to the capitol with the assur- ances that the legislation would he ? fought to a finish Among others f representative Dent. chairman of the
 house military committee. and ReDre. s sentative Kahn, ranking republican ! member, were callers at the White 2 House and learned of the presidents
 attitude '-' ' II Tonight the president had confer.
 ence with Senator Martin. democratic
 oor leader. and several other senator.
 and gave them his opinion about ths
 senate committees bills. It is under.
 stood there was a general discussion ot
 the congressional investigations ana criticisms of the executive depart. s mentS. v The first test of strength on the com
 mittee proposals probably will co,ne
 thursday when. Senator .JlamherIair
 announced. he would demand refer
 ence or designate the means for creat.
 ing one.