The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1918-01-24
Strongly Denounces Senate Plan
for Formation of War
Cabinet.
STATEMENT IS ISSUED
Directs Reply at Senator Chamber
lain In Which He Says Reor
%eanizatlon Now Un.
necessary.

S9Ru0N AO0AN0At AA0VA AdS
swept away all doubts as to his views
ok proposals in congress for reorgani-
Eation Of the governments war-mak-
Ink machinery. The President said the
War department had accomplished a
task of unparalleled magnitude and
difficulty with extraordinary prompt
ness and efficiency. He denounced
!tAe congressional wal Investigations
and declared reorganization by leg.
tslati0n was proposed after effective
measures Of reorganization had been
perfected
On the statement most observers
At the capitol saw the collapse of
what promised to be a historic strug.
sic. Senator Chamberlain, whose
committee has framed bills to create
Q war council all powerful under the
president and to provide one-man con.
troll of munitions and supplies, declared
he would continue his fight in spite
Of presidential opposition. 1t was
rather generally conceded, however,
that the measures would. have but lit
tie chance.
Senator Chamberlain made a state.
:ment In reply to the president, say
Ing he spoke extemporaneously in
New York and that his criticisms
we're directed at the war department
only and not at other branches of the
government.
Presidents Statement.
when the Presidents attention
was called to the speech made by
Senator Chamberlain at a luncheon in
New York on Saturday he immediate
ly inquired of Senator Chamberlain
whether he had been correctly re.
ported and upon ascertaining from
the senator that he had been, the
President felt it his duty to make the
following statement.
Senator Chamberlain's statement
as to the present inaction and inef
te%ctiveness of the government is an
astonishing and absolutely unjustif
able distortion of the truth. AS a mat
ter OF fact the War department has
performed a task of unparalleled mag
nitude and difficulty with extraordi
nary promptness and efficiency.
"'There have been delays and dis
appointments and partial miscar
riages of plans, all of which have
been drawn into the foreground and
exaggerated by the investigations
which have been in progress since the
Congress assembled - investigations
which drew indispensable officials OF
the departments away from thei,
work and officers from their com
mands and contributed greatly to the
delay and confusion which had inev
ttably arisen. But in comparison
with what had been accomplished
these things, much as they were t.
be regretted, we're insignificant anc
no mistake has been made which wa,
repeated.
"hothing Helpful Developed"
Nothing helpful or likely Il
speed or facilitate the war tasks O
the government has come out of sucl
criticism and investigation. 1 under
stand that reorganizations by legisla
ton are to be proposed-I have no
been consulted about them and hav,
learned of them only at second hant
but their proposal came after eli
tective measures of reorganization ha,
been thoughtfully and maturely per
tected and inasmuch as these meas
ures have been the result of expert
snce. they are much more likely thai
any other to be effective, if the Cor
gress will but remove the few statu
tory obstacles of rigid department OF
ganization which stands in tieir way
e ""The legislative proposals l hav
heard of would involve long add
tional delays and turn our experienc
into mere. lost motion. My associatio
and constant confidence in the seer,
tary of war have taught me to r.
gard him as one Of the ablest publ
officials l have ever known. Th
country will o learn whether he
bis critics understand the business /
hand.