Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-01-24
parts re i~ncres..d. which aadea to

LibS uSA0y. H IT, |
why shouldn't America know
these things the senator demanded.
Some peop.e in the west, he said, be-
lieve America has all 1t needs. NJ
they only knew the actual conditions"
he continued, they would give their !
lives. their all. to protect America. !
Casual reading OF the secretary Of
wars statement gives the impression
that we had everything. But when
the ground, different information is
ohtatneu.'
Citing the testimony Of an army Of
ficer from Camp Bowie. Texas. who
declared there was not a single trench
mortar there. and that other neces-
sary equipment was lacking, Senator
Chamberlain declared:
THAT is r OF every camp in the
United States. II it hadn't been for
here and given their time and service
we wouldn't have been anywhere"
Turning to the quartermaster gen.
erals department Senator Chamber
lain declared that from Secretary
Bakers general statement the coun-
try would believe that everything
was lovely and the goose hung high;
SO far rs clothing is concerned.
"But when o talk to the men that
command these boys you find it isn't
there" he continued. "On a per
capita basis it is there. but not when
it. comes to effective distribution, they
simply haven't got the clothing.
Sees Difficulties.
II realize the difficulties Of the
quartermasteF general. He has done
tho best he could under the present
system. The president inherited that
system and has done tho best he
001l1A Tho vroafAort sor'< ~ne~oo~;hio
for the system. But the fact remains
that we havn't the clothing"
Senator Chamberlain said he pro-
posed to show by Secretary Bakers
W testimony that the secretary did
not know Of actual clothing condi-
lions. THAT is why I say" nc con
,inued. that tho president did not
] must have gotten his facts from the
secretary, who in turn got them from
somebody else and somebody must
have lied. And that's why I say the
president has not. been Given the
truth"
striding out into the center Of the
aisle with an attitude of defiance. he
shouted:
u feel it my duty to my country
! have no fear of God. man or the
devil when my conscience prompts.
And no maj in the country can keep
me from telling the truth. The only
fear Is that this discussion ma have
= bad effect on the country. But If
the conditions exist they ought to be
| corrected and quickly. Great Britain
found the same conditions and cor:
rected them quickly. So did France"
Senator Chamberlain passed
around among senators photographs
Of wooden machine guns. rifles and
heavy ordnance used at cantonments
and asked senator's to study them
carefully.
Wooden Guns.
They are of some use.' he ex-
planed. lin training men. But if 7
had a boy training for the battlefield
would not want him to have his
wooden cannon"
England and France, he said.
saw the mistake Of having army
men control the ordnance depart
ment."
"You must go to men who have
done these things to get results" he
said. And congress should face his
due regard for II distinguished COM
naanderrin-c chief"
Ovcrcoat Shortage.
The commander at Camp Sherman,
Ohio. told him there was q shortage
of 1000 %overcoats there. He referred
that statement to Secretary Baker.
I'm his usual placid way he said
that's not true remarked the sena-
tor.
Senator Chamberlain then read
from a, letter from Secretary Baker
saying a later report showed 1000
~overcoats were needed at Camp Sher-
man, but that they were in course OF
shipment"
That's the way ever since the wal
started. lin course but not getting
there" he shouted.
Then placing in the record a chart
submitted to the military committee
by Secretary Baker showing shortages
Of material at all ca nnps varying from
one to ninety per cent. MIR. Chamber
lain declared he wished that condition
to become known to the people.
Il want it shown whether dis
torted the truth when l said the mill
tary system had broken down." said
he.
Reading from the table to show
shortages of ~overcoats running as
high as rs per cent, the senator re-
minded the senate the troops were "in
the midst Of winter"
II am going to show that these
hundreds and thousands OF men dying
in the environments arc due to the wal
department." he declared.
"ThiS information comes right from
the men who r on the ground. They
know. what they are talking about. I
didn't intend to do this. but in view
of tho situation that confrOnts mo and