Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-01-26

lOOnunuetl from FIrSt rage
they did not know what would
happen"
Secret Testimony Barred
These are three statements con-
tanned in the secret testimony of
representative Medill Mccormick
Republican, of Illinois, before the
State Committee on Military Affairs,
of which Senator Chamberlain, of
Oregon, is chairman. This testi-
mony, given in executive session on
December IS, became public when
the committee issued printed copies
of the proceedings, covering a part
of the investigation of the War De-
partment.
Lloyd George" said Mr.. Nc
Cormick, was very anxious to know
what had happened to Leonard
Wood, where he had been buried
and why he was not in Washington
or Paris. He wanted him on the
Allied War Council as our repre-
sentative. He was very insistent on
that point"
Viewed Battlefronts
Mr.. Mccormick appeared before
the committee shortly after return
ing from Europe, where he spent
eleven weeks on the battlefronts and
in conference with heads of the AL
lied Governments. AS shown by
the record of the testimony, the IL
linois Congressman made no effort
to attack any of our own officials in
his talk to the Senators. What he
gave them was virtually a narrative
of his eleven weeks on the other
side, and the narrative happened to
include talks with many of the
most powerful figures in the Allied
nations, as well as with our own
commanders in France, none of
whom, for reasons related to the
stern rules of military life, was
mentioned by name.
The Mccormick testimony had to
do largely with a discussion of the
artillery phase of this war, for the
Congressman devotes much of his
time to a study of it everywhere he
went at the front.
Guns Needed to Save Soldiers o
IF we make six and ten inch
guns enough in time" he said at the
outset. I'VE will win this war with
out great loss of life. What l have
to say about guns is not my own
opinion; it is the opinion of General
Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, General
Birch, General Gouraud and GEN.
eral Guillemat, with all of whom 1
talked along these lines"
Much of what he said about ar
tillery was contained in his state
ment issued to the press on the day
he appeared before the committee,
although that statement did not go
into the details of his finding which
characterizes his testimony.
Mr.. Mccormick said he did not be-
lieve there realaly is a superiority of
artillery over the Germans, except in
numbers. The Allies undoubtedly
had, up to the time of the complete
Russian collapse, the greater weight
of metal, although the weight is
now about equal.
Senator Wadsworth asked Mr.. Nc
Cormick whether in his conferences
with any of the French or British
officers they made any comment on
what we had thus far done in the
adoption of the Enfield rifle and the
modified machine guns with respect
to interchangeability of ammunition.
Too Many Calibers
Lloyd George expressed great
anxiety lest we be responsible for
multiplying the numbers of cali
bers,' Mr.. Mccormick replied. HE
was afraid we should add to the
number. There were already too
many kinds of ammunition over
there. l spent three hours with him
the day we got the last bad news
from Italy. He talked very freely"
rs he disposed to be critical of
our military authorities?" asked
Senator Hitchcock of Nebraska.
Perhaps 1 had better put it this
way" explained the witness. BE
tween the time when 1 first went to
England and before 1 went to Italy,
and when 1 returned, there was a
perceptible change. When I landed
they hurrahed for America, the won
der work of the world, but when 1
got back there was some apprehen-
sion."
They would say, We wonder if
there Is a lack of coordination at
Washington? We wonder If you have
all the big men whom you might
N~D II V0n 49, .