Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-02-04
Bakers Speech
Is Preposterous And
Statements Exaggerated
Continued from Page ~
An Absurdity.


Referring to the presidents opposi-
ton to the two committee bills, the
senator said it was on the ground that
the president alone has responsibility
for conduct of the war. adding:
1.-THE mere statement presents an
~absurdity."
Asserting that congress has a large
measure of responsibility, Senator
Hitchcock said it would be mons
sponsible for two million tons Of
freight piled up in New York. for the
breakdown of transportation y = y
the muddle and tumble of priority
shipments, the shortcomings of the
ordnance department and quarter
masters department., sufferings of the
unnecessarily sick soldiers and nine
months delay in constructing OF the
governments powder factory"
The senator summarized the enorm-
GUS burdens on the president, includ-
ing his formulating a foreign policy,
designing all the legislation for con
gress to pass, debating the industrial
and political activities of the country
and looking after expenditures of
$3.50, 600, 900 a week.
The president does not want the
committee to repor tho cabinet bill
and" he continued, eff press reports
Uc II uS, TIC OUJcClS eScIl W d ulSCuS-
sion of this legislation in the senate.
This attitude on the part of the presi-
dent is unfortunate but not altogether
unnatural.
Tin the first place, the president be-
longs to-the school Of political phil
osophers who adhere to the belief that
all important legislation should orig
mate with and be proposed by the
executive. l cannot subscribe to this
I-~L@r,4 - -l>,,>l - 1--
some obvious advantages in that il
provides leadership, order and pro.
gram.
Since he became president, Mr.
Wilson has enforced his view upor
congress to a large degree and gen.
orally with good results. In the main
have been n of those who have
followed his leadership and supported
his policies and 1 expect to DO Sc II
the future. Now and then, however
an exception must be made.
This is one of those cases. Thu
question at issue is not partisan
Neither is any principle involved. Thu
matter at issue is purely a practica
question whether we can improve tn
efficiency of war administration b,
adopting business methods in buyint
|supplies and whether we can get or
der out of confusion and action in
stead of delay, by co-ordinating grea
government bureaus now running al
most independently and often at eros
purposes.
Il agree with Senator Chamberlain
that the president does not know tn
real situation. fIe cannot give tw,
months to al investigation such as w,
have done. Like a king. surrounded
by a court, he hears practically onl.
one side. The people who complain
do not reach the president nor eve
members of his cabinet. They com
to senators and representatives. TIL
president and secretary of war hav
evidently realized the defect of tn
existing system and attempted t
change it without legislation, bu
without success"
Praising Edward Stettinius, the wa
departments new surveyor Of pur
chases, Senator Hitchcock said he
without legal authority. like all tn
voluntary agencies and hat a legal
constituted munitions director wa
needed.
Senator Hitchcock said Great Brit
ain and France both had been force
to remedy government weakness by
system similar to the wal cabinet an
suggested that the president, unde
the bill, would appoint and direct tn
: war cabinet and if he pleases coul
y appoint Secretaries McAdoo, Bake
. and Daniels as the members.
i, The war departments obsolet
methods, the senator said, ha
brought the expected results, "cor
fusion of authority. red tape, circun
locution and ~incapacity," and he cite
evidence given in the military col
mittee's inquiry of clothing, rifle an
equipment shortages and sickness an
deaths in camps as the result OF owe,
crowding n lack of clothing.
Depends on France.
" found we must depend c
overworked and ov~erstrained Franc
for machine guns for ground use vi
til nearly the end of this year" /
said. adding that the first America,