Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-01-25

training for the battlefield ! wouldn't
want him to have his training with
nothing else than a wooden cannon"
England and France, he said, saw the
mistake of having army men control
the ordnance department
| You must go to men who have done
| these things to get results" he added
And congress should face this without
fear of any man but with due regard
for the distinguished commander in
chief"
The commander at Camp Sherman,
O.. told him there was a shortage Of
! 1000 overcoats there He referred that
statement to Secretary Baker.
"ln his usual placid way he said
| That's not true" remarked the SEN
ator.
Wants People To Know
Senator Chamberlain then read from
a letter from Secretary Baker, saying
later report showed 1000 overcoats
were needed at Camp Sherman, but that
they were in course of shipment"
That's the way ever since the war
started, in course but not getting
there" he shouted
| Then placing in the record a chart
submitted to the military committee by
! Secretary Baker showing shortages IF
material at all camps varying from one
to ninety per cent, Mr.. Chamberlain
declared he wished that condition 20
become known to the people.
81 want 1t shown whether I distorted
| the truth when 1 said the military sys-
| tenn had broken down." said he.
Reading from the table to show short
ages of overcoats running as high as rs
per cent, the senator reminded the SEN
ate the troops were "in the midst of
winter"
Il am going to show that these hun
dreds and thousands of men dying in
the environments are due to the war de-
partment." he declared.
This information comes right from
! the men who are on the ground They
know what they are talking about.
didn't intend to do this, but in view Of
the situation that confronts me and in
wolves by integrity, I feel it is my
duty to the country.
81 am going to call attention to he
statement of Surgeon General Gorges
that nearly all epdemics could have
been prevented if the war department
had been effective"
Presidents Statement
PRESIDENT Wilson's statement which
| brought forth Senator Channberlains
/ speech follows:
When the presidents attention
| was colled to the speech made by
Senator Chamberlain at a luncheon
| in New York Saturday, he immedi-
ately inquired of Senator Cham
berlain whether he had been cor
rectly reported. and upon ascer-
tanning from the senator that he
had been, the president felt it his
duty to make the following state
ment:
Senator Chamberlain's state
and ineffectiveness Of the govern
ment is an astonishing and abso-
lutely unjustifiable distortion of
the truth AS a matter Of fact.
the war department has performed
a task of unparalleled magnitude
and difficulty with extraordinary
! promptness and efficiency. There
have been delays and disappoint-
! ments and partial niscarriages OF
plans, all of which have been
drawn into the foreground and eX-
aggerated by the Investigations
which have been in progress since
the congress ACCOMPLISHMENTS
cations which drew Indispensable
officials of the department con-
stantly away from their work and
contributed a great deal to such
delays and confusion as had inevit4
| ably arisen. But by comparison
| with what has been accomplished
these things much as they were tor
| be regretted, were insignificant
and no mistake has been made
which has been repeated.
Nothing helpful or likely to
speed or facilitate the war tasks OF
| the government has come out OF
such criticism and investigation.
1 understand that congratulations
by legislation are to be proposed.
have not been consulted about
them and have learned of them
only at second hand, but their pro-
posal came after effective measure
of reorganization had been thought
fully and maturely perfected and in
asmuch as these measures have
been the result of experience, they
are much more likely than any
other to be effective If the con-
gress will but remove the Few
statutory obstacles Of rigid de-
partmental organization which
stands in their way.
The legislative proposals I have
heard of would involve long addi-
tionaI delays and turn our expert
ence into mere lost motion. My as
ISOLATION and constant conference
with the secretary of war have
taught me to regard him as one Of
the ablest public officials l have
ever known. The country will soon
learn whether he or his critics I'M
| derstand the business in hand.
To add as Senator Chamberlain
did. that there is inefficiency in
every department and bureau of the
government is to show Ignorance of
actual conditions as to make it i'm
! possible to attach any importance
| to his statement l am bound to
| infer that that statement sprang
! out of opposition to the administra-
TONS whole policy rather than out
of any serious intention to reform
its practice.
Chamberlain's Reply
Senator Chamberlain said:
In my New York speech I had
not prepared the address and spoke
twenty minutes extemporaneously'
without notes / pointed out that
from Bunker Hill to the present
time we had had no military or
ganization or policy. The press
report of my address was correct.
But my argument was directed to
the military establishment and not
to other deparements OF the gov
eminent, although it was broad
! enough to be subject to that inter
probation. = But those hearing it
knew l referred merely to the mill
! tary establishment and that the
senate military committee had I'M
| dertaken, through the bills for q
|