The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1918-02-07
SAYS BAKER IS
too OPTIMISTIC
Senator Hitchcock Declares
Secretary Of War Exagger-
ated Concerning Ameri-
cas- Part in War.
SUBMITS NO NEW FACTS
Nebraskan Flatly Denies State
ments Without Furnishing
Proof on Which He Bases
Contentious.

Washington, ID. c., Feb. 5.-Secretary
Bakers recent statement to the Senate
military committee that the United
States would have 500, 900 soldiers in
France early this year and that pros
poets were not unpromising for ships
to carry 1000, 900 more who would be
ready during the year, were character
lied by Senator Hitchcock in an ad-
dress to the Senate as absolutely pre-
poSterous and ' so exaggerated
as TO convey an entirely false impress
sion as to what we can do and what
we are doing"
Supporting the comr1ittee's bills for
q wa" cabinet and munitions director,
Senator Hitchcock declared that Secrc-
tary Baker was no doubt sincere, but
was misled by lack of information re-
gardiuG scarcity Of ships in making
such ~Sanguinary predictions. He said
President Wilson, himself, does not
know the real situation and cited the
situation as an illustration of the
absence Of government coordination.
Will Answer Hitchcock.
Administration leaders prepared to
reply to Senator Hitchcock, whose
speech launched the debate which has
been impending since Secretary Baker
made his statement and the president
made known his opposition TO the mill
tary committees plans for r~eorganizlng
the governments war machinery.
COnceding that much of Il big task
has been creditablv done, the Nebraska
senator insisted that centralized and
Co-ordinated war operations through a
way cabinet and centralized purchas-
Ing through a munitions director are
imperative. He aSSerttd that the presl-
dent and Secretary Baker had tried,
but failed to attain the object and that
the governments system was obsolete.
The committees Legislation he argued,
n,nI,JJ mot nn,la, p-1 - - ,s iitpeIpra win
the presidents direction of the war.
sharp criticism Of many government
war activities was made by the senator
IN Illustrating his arguments, but with
out attacking individuals. "Blunders
that almost surpass belief have oc-
cured in the war department, he said
n the snip building situation he de-
sCribed as Il farce ana almost IA crime.
Denies Baker Has War Plan.
He declared the transportation syS-
TEN has broken down and is a 'Sigan-
tic wreck" with 1000, 00c tons of
freight piled up al New York without
shipping facilities: that the fuel ad-
ministration's orders have praralyZed
war and other industry and that food
distribution also has heen inefficient.
In fatty denying secretary Bakers
statement hat The government has n
plan for the war, the senator said the
military committee was thunder struck
by The war scCretarS'S optimistic as
scrtions.
Il am afraid 10 90 toe deeply in ship
ping figures he added. for one might
be charged with giving information to
tho enemy. All who are informed as
to the present supply Of our shippinSs
were thunder struck 1T the statements
Of Secretary Bafer His sanguine pre-
dictiopS as to our ability 10 ship men,
u Europe and supply them when there,
are exaggerations of the widest sort.
"'Nn sInnlV 400 OUO men in Franco.
surprising we could get them over there,
It. will require 5000. 000 tons of shipping
in constant use. We all know the total
tonnage now available is nothing like
that mount. We ali fear it will not
approximate that a year from now.
Denies Shipping Capacity.
Yet, the secretary Of war is so out
of touch with the shir"ing board and
shipping authorities that he makes Il
statement that is absolutely preposter-
Gus. / have no doubt of his sincerity,
but this act indicates again the extent
tu which one department is out of touch
with another department"
Turning to Secretary Bakers war
plan, Senator Hitchcock said:
Secretary Baker says we have plans.
] am sorry to Disagree with him.. If
there is one thing more conspicuous by
its absence than any othe' in the opera
ton Of the various departments and
bureaus in Washington, " " " it has
been planning for the future. I do not
deny that the various departments have
planned as far as they could in advance,
hut who has prepared the master plan
which will harmonic all the other
plans? Nobody. Nobody could"
Referring To The presidents OPPOSE
tion to the two committee bills, the SEN
ator said it was On the ground that the
president alone has responsibility for
conduct of the war, adding:
MI 5000 80 -, >.t
surdity."
Asserting that congress has 4 large
measure IF responsibility, Senator
Hitchcock said il would be 'monstrous"
~ hold the president responsible for
the 1000, 900 tons OF freight piled up in
New York, for the breakdown of
transportation. the muddle and
tumble of priority shipments. the short
con1inSs OF the ordnance department
and quartermasters' department, suf-
ferinSs Of the unnecessarily. sick sol
dicrs and nine months delay in con-
struction Of the government powder
factory"
His Sympathy for Wilson.
The senator summarized the enor-
nous burdens on the president, includ-
ing his formulating a f0rci- Il policy, de-
signing all the legislation for congress
to pass, debating the industrial and
political activities Of the country. II
looking after expenditures Of $250,000,-
UOO n week.
Tho president does not want the
"ommittc to report the cabinet bill.
md" he continued. If press reports be
true. he objects even 10 a discussion Of
this legislation in III" Senate. This at
titude on the part Of the president is
unfortunatt, but not altogether unnat-
uTal.
I'm the first place the president be-
longs to tho school of political phil
osophers who adhere 10 the belief that
all important legislation hould origin
ate and be proposed 10y the executive.
! cannot subscribe {" this scheme of
government, although it has some OBJ
vious advantages in that il provides
leadership, order and program.
Since he became president, Mr.. Will
SON has enforced his view upon con-
gress to a large degree, and generally
with good results, In the main, | have
been one Of those who W. followed his
leadership n supported his policies
and / expect to do SO in the future. Now
q then. however, an expcction must
he made.
"1Ehts 10 one or those cases. The