Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-02-05

task has been creditably done, the
Nebraska senator insisted central
lied and co-ordinatcd war operations
through a war; cabinet and central
lied purchasing through a munition
director are imperative. He as
serted the President and Secretary
Baker has tried. but failed to at
tain the object and that the govern
ment's system was obslete. The com
mittee's Legislation, he urged, would
not embarrass or interfere with the
Presidents direction of the war.
Sharp criticism of many govern
ment war activities was made by the
senator in illustrating his arguments
Blunders that almost surpass be-
lief, have occurred in the War de-
partment, he said, and the ship
building situation, he described as
farce and almost a crime" He
declared the transportation system
has broken down." and is a "gi-
gantic wreck" with 100000 tons
of freight piled up at New York
without shipping facilities; that the
fuel administrations orders have
paralyZed war and other industries
and that food distribution also has
been inefficient.
Committee ThundcrstruCk
In flatly denying Secretary Bak-
er's statement that the government
has a plan for the war, the senator
said the military committee was
thunderstruck by the war secretary's
optomistic assertions.
II am afraid to go too deeply in
to shipping figures" he added, FOR
one might be charged with giving
information to the enemy. All who
are informed as to the present sup
ply of our shipping were thunder
struck at the statements of Secre-
tary Baker. His sanguine predic-
tions as to our ability to ship men
to Europe and supply them when
there are eXaggerations of the wild
est sort.
ITO supply million men in
France, supposing we could get them
over there, it will require five mil
lion tons of shipping in constant
use. We all know the total tonnage
now available is nothing like that
amount. We all fear it will not ap-
proXimate that year from now.
The senator summarized the enor-
nous burdens on the President, in
Guiding his formulating foreign
policy, designing all the legislation
for Congress to pass, debating the
industrial and political activities OF
the country and looking after eX-
penditures of $25O,000,000 a week.
In the first place the President
belongs to the school of political
philosophers who adhere to the be-
lief that all important Legislation
should originate with and be pro-
posed by the executive. l cannot
subscribe to this scheme OF govern
ment although it has some obvious
advantages in that ii provides lead
ership order and program.
hn hnnnYoan
Wilson has enforced his view upon
Congress to a large degree and gen
orally with good results In the
main, l have been one of those
who have followed his leadership
and supported his policies and L
expect to do so in the future.
Now and then, however, an eN-
ception must be made.
Confusion of Authority
The War Departments obsolete
methods, the senator said, had
brought the expected results, con
fusion of authority, red tape, cir
cumlocution and incapacity' and he
cited evidence given in the military
committees inquiry of clothing,
rifle and equipment shortages and
sickness and deaths in camps as the
result of overcrowding and lack OF
clothing.
w e lOunQ we must depend on
overstrained France for machine
guns for ground use until nearly the
! end of this year." he said, adding
| that first American-made heavy ar
| tillery will not be received until July
! and mot much before 1919 can we
| expect to use in France American
heavy artillery in any great guam
tity."
II do not deny we also found much
that was creditable and satisfac-
! tory.
| Two courses were open to the COM
mittee as q result of the investiga-
! ton said Senator I1itchcock-to re-
! port conditions, making n few
scapegoats and ignoring the greatest
| evil of defective machinery" or rec
ommending legislation to give the
| President IAN up-to-date war-mak-
! ing organization"
Senators Reply
| Senator John Sharp Williams, Of
Mississippi, and Senator James A.
| Reed, of Missouri, both Democrats,
replied to Senator Hitchcock. The
| former, in a highly sarcastic and
biting address, virtually accused
Senator Hitchcock of aiding the
enemy. He ridiculed the principle
of the war cabinet bill He declared
it unconstitutional and a mere in
vasion of the Presidents constitu-
tional powers. He challenged Sem
ator Hitchcock to name three men