The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1918-02-07

question at issue is not partisan. Meth
er is any principle involved The mat
ter at issue is purely practical ques-
ton whether we can improve the eff
cheney of war administration by adopt
ing business methods in buying sup
plies, and whether we can get order out
OF confusion and action instead of de-
lay. by coordinating great government
bureaus now running almost independ-
emily and often at cross purposes.
Says Wilson Not Informed.
Il agree with Senator Chamberlain
that the president does not know the
real situation. He cannot give two
have done Like a king surrounded by
a court, he hears practically only one
side. The people who complain do not
reach the president nor even members
of his cabinet. They come to senators
and representatives. The president and
the defect of the existing system and
attempted to change it without legisla-
ton, but without success"
Pralsing Edward Stettinius, the war
departments new surveyor of purchas-
es, Senator Hitchcock said he is without
legal authority, like ali the other vol
unteer agencies and that a legally con-
stituted munitions director was needed
Senator Hitchcock said Great Britain
and France both had been forced to
remedy government weakness by a sys-
tenn similar to the war cabinet. and
suggested that the president under the
bill will appoint and direct the
war cabinet, and if he pleases could APP
point Secretaries McAdoo, Baker and
Daniels as members.
The war departments obsolete meth
DDS, the senator said, had brought the
expected results, confusion of author.
1ty. red tape, circumlocution and inca
pacity," and he cited evidence given in
the military committees inquiry of
clothing, rifle and equipment shortages
and sickness and death in camps as the
result of oyercrowding and lack of
clothing.
poor Overworked France
I'VE found we must depend upon
over worked and over strained France
for machine guns for ground use until
nearly the end of this year." he added;
that the first American made heavy
artillery will net be received until July
and not much before 1919 can we ex
pect to use in France American heavy
artillery in any great quantity.
we found" he continued that only
now we are just beginning work on
two great powder plants to cost $780,
100000 and cannot get powder from
these plants before August We found
that though the medical department
asked for hospital ships last July, they
have not yet been ordered.
II do not deny that we also found
much that was creditable and salts
factory. The task undertaken was
huge one, and much of the work has
been ably done. Some war department
officials most severely criticised have
worked desperately hard This com
ment covers the secretary himself. This
leads me to hold a defective organiza-
ton responsible for the shortcomings
to a greater degree than any individual
or group of Individuals
Two courses We're open to the com
mittee as result of the investiga-
ton, said Senator Hitchcock-to report
conditions, making few scapegoats
and ignoring the greatest evil OF defec-
tive machinery, or recommending legis-
lation to give the president an up to
date war making organization.
Senators on both sides gave Senator
| Hitchcock close attention.
Senator Kirby, democrat, asked if the
military committee formally had made
and findings or whether the speech rep
resented the Nebraska senator's indi-
yidual views.
Senator Hitchcock said the decision
to report the two bills was by members
who had attended all or the committees
meetings Senator Kirby did not at
tend the investigation until early in
January