The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-02-05

accounting dlliiCultleS arising through
indiscriminate priority orders and com
petition in the purchase Of supplies; de
lays on account Of departmental ''red
tape" and the absence of power in the
Council of National Defense, tie senator
continued:
No Blame on One Man.
"Mind you, | do not attempt to lay
the blame upon any one man, or on any
one department. | insist that this pain
ful situation has resulted from an utter
lack of planning-from a lack of vision.
The plain fact is that We have no
agency in our government today
charged with the duty OF projecting its
vision far into the future, anticipating
the emergencies which may arise and
laying the plans by which we can meet
and overcome them.
mo one in his senses would propose
that any other Office be created to take
away from the president the powers the
constitution conldes to him. 1t cannot
be done. 1t is unthinkable. But there
is no place in Washington where the
needs of the situation and plans to
meet them can be brought together, co.
ordinated and settled upon.
Il realize that some may contend that
the president can make all the deci-
sions and, therefore, there is no need
for any cohesive element in our war
time machinery. My contention is that,
be he ever so able, no president-no
human being-can perform such a task.
1t is utterly impossible for one man to
examine into all these intricate ques
tions. The days and nights are not long
enough"
Referring to the committees war in
duiry, Senator Wadsworth said it had
covered only a part of the ground, and
to investigate all army activities which
might justify inquiry would not permit
the committee to finish its work during
the present session of congress.
"In both the ordnance and quarter
masters department" he said, I'VE dis
covered a distressing state Of affairs
Those who attended every day became
deeply impressed with the conviction
that purchase and production and in
ltial distribution of the vast amount OF
supplies must be essentially an indus
trial operation and that military men
with rare exceptions are incapable OF
bringing about the best results"
Cites Expert Civilians Opinions.
All the expert civilians appearing be
fore the committee, Senator Wads
worth declared, testified in the same
direction-"proper Capitalization of au
thority established, preferably by
statute, whose decisions may be prompt
ly reached and accepted as final"
Lack Of preparedness before the war
the senator said, is costing many
many lives and millions of dollars" be
sides prolonging the war. illustrating
his argument from a large chart hung
on the senate wall with Secretary
Bakers reorganization plan and that o.
the committee shown together, Senator
Wadsworth called attention to the ex
isting vast number of official. semi
official and purely advisory agencies
bureaus and other bodies which, he as
serted, are not co-ordinated.
On the railroads. the senator de.
clared, goods with blue tagged priority
orders have exceeded normal shipment.
and in the East Sc per cent Of all freigh
was so tagged.
What has been the result" he asked
"a hopeless jam and a congestion O
our railway transportation facilities. \
million, three hundred thousand tons o
munitions and supplies are piled upol
the docks along our Atlantic coast billeC
to France and Italy alone Some ar,
deteriorating rapidly. In some places
locomotive boilers and great piles o
shells and other important materials
have been dumped out upon the grount
and lie rustng in winter weather"
Rap at Garfield.
Reviewing the governments handling
OF the coal industry, the senator said:
"As a result Of lack OF planning, w,
have great communities starving 70
coal and an order issued by the fue
administration closing down thousand
Of factories and throwing out Of worl
hundreds of thousands of men an
women, costing millions of dollars II
wages and delayed production and criE
ping, for the time being, those yer,
activities upon which we must depen
for the winning of the war"
"Other emergencies will overtake US,
Senator Wadsworth said in conclusion
IF we are wise and prudent and fal
sighted, We shall establish an agency II
| Continued on page 81.