Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-01-26
SENATE COMMITTEE CONSENTS
TO HEAR WAR SECRETARY IN
DEFENSE.
WILL DEFEND RECORD
IN WAR PREPARATIONS
Secret Testimony Finally Made Public
General Goreas Gives Details Of
Conditions in Army Camps as He
Found Them-Makes No Serious
Criticism.

Washington, Jan. 26.-The senate
military commitetee late yesterday
decided to give Secretary Baker the
hearing he asked on Monday or earlier
If he elects.
The committee obviously did not
favor Mr.. Bakers request for q hearing
practically before an assembly Of con-
gressmen, because it decided not to in
vito the house military committee or
other members to participate.
The committee decided to hear the
secretary the same as other witnesses
in the committee room. That would
not permit all members of congress to
be present but would accommodate
perhaps q hundred or more.
As - result Of the senate committees
decision to hear Mr.. Baker he withdrew
his request for hearing before the
house military committee today and
that was abandoned.
Asks About Camp Sites.
Calling Surgeon General Gorgas to
camps, the senate military committee
resumed its general war inquiry.
Senator Chamberlain asked him to
give a general statement regarding
conditions at camps he personally In
spected.
"rhey were in general , the same.
General Gorgas replied. "The camp
sites were generally we'll selected.1thin
the drainage and care of the camps
generally was good. certainly consider
ing the character Of unframed troops
in them. AS general rule l think
the sanitary conditions of the camps
were good"
General Gorgas said that not moro
than five men should be housed in the
16 by IS tents used in national guard
camps, but he had seen as high as
nine living In one tent and had reports
Of twelve. Such overcrowding for any
length Of time was dangerous, he said,
and partially responsible for disease.
1t was brought thru questioning by
Senator Mcclellan that the hospitals
usually were the last buildings finished
at q new camp. General Gorsas said
he believed they should be the first.
Give Out Printed Record.
Some Of the secret testimony given
in the senate military committees war
inquiry was made public today when
the committee released the printed
record.
Representative Mccormick Of Illinois
who recently visited the allied coun-
tries, Is shown to have told the sena :
tors that allied opinion developed
"some apprehension" over American
aid and that officials Of both the Brf-
fish and French governments in Octo-
Der cabled to Colonel House urging
him to come over for the purpose of
securing better coordination
Premier Lloyd George, according to
Representative McCormick's statement
wanted Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood as
Americas chief military representative
and officers Of the American expedition
in France urged supplanting General
Crozier. chief Of ordnance and Quar-
termaster General Sharpe.
"Between the time when I first went
to England" Representative McCor-
mick's confidential statement said. and
when Dreturned from Italy, there was
u perceptible change. When l landed
they hurrahed America, the wonder
worker Of the world, but when I got
back there was some apprehension.
They would say, we wonder If there
is lack of coordination in Washing
ton?' We wonder II you have an the
big men you might bring together in
your government They were very
polite but you sensed difference In
their attitude"
Anxiety in England.
Premier Lloyd George, Representa-
tive Mccormick said, expressed great
anxiety lest America should too great
ly multiply the calibers Of ordnance In
use.
Lloyd George" said Mr.. Mccormick
was very anxious to know what had
happened to Leonard Wood, when he
had been buried and why he was not
in Washington or Paris. He wanted
alone the allied war council as our
representative He was very lnsistent
on that point"
Regarding opinion Of officers in
General Pershing's staff regarding
Generals Crozier and Sharpe, Repre-
sentative Mccormick said:
II would rather not mention any
names but the most important Ameri-
can officers said:
IF Sharpe and Crozier do not 80
we do not know what may happen.'
When General Biddle was recently APP
pointed assistant chief Of staff, Anerl-
can officers were all broken up about
it, ...
Ordnance in France.
Representative Mccormick asserted
positively that France could supply
the ordnance needed for the American
forces. The French chief Of staff told
him the German line could be broken
with enough artillery. The Germans
he said, can not break the allies line
If the French morale holds.
Quartermaster General Shapes con-
f1denhal statement included approval
of plans to call into service several
hundred more men than had been ORR
ginally planned and also for Fastening
transportation Of an American force
abroad altho he knew and notified
Secretary Baker that clothing shortage
would result.
IL think it Is to our advantage,
General Sharpe said, ito put as many
men in the field rs we can possibly
get there. even II they have to suEer
somewhat. The greater the number the
greater the effect will be on the
enemy"
When Senator Chamberlain said the
unequipment resulted was costing
lives, General Sharpe replied: =
NO one regrets that more seriously
than I do. think, however. that the
effect upon the Germans willNbc worth
1t, even tho few lives are Sacrificed
IN the cause"