Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-02-05
WADSWORTH BANGS
OUR WAR METHODS
Demands Greater Capitalization
of Government Agencies and
Sees Long Struggle Ahead.
ny Associated Press 70 Every Evenlns

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8.
Americas war making machinery was
pictured as a "congi0rneration ~ ambi-
tious and scattered agencies. incapable ~
team work, in an address IN the Senate
today by Senator Wadsworth, Of New
York, a Republican member Of the mill
tary Affairs committee.
The speech renewed tho debate over
war efficiency. Several senators were
waiting with replies uphoiding President
Wilson's opposition 20 the committee
war cabinet aud munition director bills.
Senator Wadsworth confined himself
largely 10 en argument for the proposed
legislation for Capitalization Of war max
ing agencies President Wilson cannot
eo ordinate these agencies, he said, and
with long war IN prospect, radical steps
10 unity the nation efforts are neoeseary
THAT great things have bcon done
cannot be denied be declared ''That
other great things have bern left undone
must bo admitted Tho credit for tho
things accomplished cau he assigned ~
several individuals The blamo for short
corninRs ought not to be laid uY0u any
individual Criticism should be directed
against our stem, or rather the lack ~
cohesive r stem"
Recounting difficulties arising through
Iudiscrminate priority orders and com
petition IN The purchase 81 supplies;
delays on account Of departmental
red tape" and the absence OF power in
the Council Of National Defence, the
senator continued:
THE plain fact is that We have no
agency in our government today charged
with the duty Of projecting is vision isr
INTO the future, anticipating the emer-
gcncies which may arise and laying the
plans by which wo can meet and over
como them.
Calls AFFAIRS DISTRESSING
NO one in his senses would propose
that anY other Office be created 20 take
away from the President the powers the
constitution conides 20 him
Referring 70 the committees var IN
quiry, Senator Wadsworth said 10 had
covered only part of The ground and that
IN investigate all army activiii = which
might justify inquiry would ssot permit
the committee N finish its work during
{ h present session of Congress.
I'm both the ordnance and quarter
masters departments, he said, we
discovered distressing state of affairs.
Purchase and production and u isd dis
tribution Of the vast amount of supplies
must be essentially an industrial operation
and that military men, with rare excep-
tions, are incapable Of bringing about the
btst results"
Lack Of preparedness before the war, the
senator said, Is costing many many lives
and millions Of dollars" besides prolongIng
the war. He called attention 70 existing
vast number of official, sernI-otfiti and
purely advisory agencies, bureaus and
other bodies which, he asserted, are not
co-ordinated, consulting or harnonlzIng-
TOO MUCH BLUE TAGGING HE SAYS.
On the railroads, the senator declared,
goods with blue tag priority orders have
exceeded normal shipments and. in the
east, SO per cent OF III freight was 50
tagged.
What has been the result" he asked.
at was hopeless Jam and congestion oi
our transportation facilities. A million
three hundred thousand tons Of munitions
and supplies are piled upon the docks
along our Atlantic coast. Some 2re
deterorating rapidly.
Reviewing the governments handling
Of the coal industry, the senator 81 i i
'As a result Of lack Of planni ng we have
great communities starving for coal and
and order issued by the Fuel Admins
tration closing down thousands Of fac
tories and throwing out Of work hundreds
Of thousands Of men and women, costing
millions OF dollars In wages and DELAYED
product, and crippiing. Tor the 4 ne
being, those very activiti upon whick
we must depend for the winning OF the
war
Other emergencies viii oyertake us,
| Senator Wadsworth said If We are
wise and prudent and far sii he'd, we shall
estal lish some agency IN our government
whether il be called war cabinet or by
some other name, whose members shall
sit around council table and devote
i their whole time and every ability toward
working out in advance the methods Of
meeting and overcoming emergencies.