The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-30
AMERICA is
UNPREPARED
Senator Chamberlain Says Many Lives
Were Sacrificed Because
We were Not Ready
for War.

d.
limited Press Leased Wire Service.l
WASHINGTON, Dec. 30.-"Amer-
lea is as unprepared today to take
care of the returning soldiers as she
was year ago to expedite their de-
parture to France" Senator Cham
berlain, chairman of the military
committee today declared on the floor
OF the senate.
. God only knows how many lives
have been sacrificed because OF our
he said. Now that
the war has been won and our SOL
diers are coming back. armless, leg
less and eyeless, America Is as I'M
prepared to take care OF them as she
was year ago.
A score of soldiers. some with
overseas service stripes on their
arms, sat in the galleries and listened
to every word as Chamberlain re-
viewed what he charged were grave
mistakes OF the past with warning
that they be not repeated in the
future.
Now that the lid has been lifted
we have learned that every charge
made by the military affairs commit.
tee was true" said Chamberlain, re-
ferring to the Investigation Of year
ago that followed his famous speech
that stirred the country.
He then read into the record, Cen
eral Pershing's statement to Secre-
tary Of War Baker published in the
annual report tending to show that
the lack of equipment and ordnance
In the early days in France was as
great as had been pictured.
Reading further from Pershing's re-
port, Chamberlain showed how In the
battle of ST. Mihiel. the American ar.
nv was dependent on the French and
British both for artillery and air
craft"
Chamberlain quoted from Charles
E. Hughes report on his air craft In
vestigation concerning misleading
statements given the public regarding
the shipment Of Americap-hu1lt air.
planes to France.
"The American people we're led to
believe we were sending air planes
abroad in quantity" said Chamb erlain.
"As matter Of fact, General Pershing
tells us the first American squadron
did not cross the German lines until
August 10. 1918"
Chamberlain declared there was
much inefficiency, injustice and loss
OF man power resulting from failure
to provide training for young Ameri-
can aviators. He told how they were
sent to France to be trained and got
no training, those who went first had
their morale destroyed. Chamberlain
declared, because they got neither
training nor fighting and later on
were shunted aside by other young
men trained in this country and sent
abroad.
He cited the cases Of two lieuten-
ants who appealed TO him after their
commissions had been revoked when
branch of the service where they
could get into active service.
Il got nowhere because OF the RED
tape, until took up the matter per
sonaIly with General March" said
Chamberlain. HE reinstated the two
boys and transferred them to the tank
corps. But thousands Of others did not
get the same redress these two got
General Pershing in the nature OF
things, could not know there were men
in the American forces abroad VINO
were not getting the training they
went over for. would not say a word
in criticism Of Pershing. HIS handling
of the war was magnificent. It has sell
dom IL ever been equalled and never
surpassed But / call attention to this
situation to show the iIefficiency
which existed.
'Unless something is done to cor
rect conditions now these men, when
they come back, will make themselves
heard and felt as they should, warned
Chamberlain.
1--WE are pursuing the same dilatory
tactics in preparing to care for the
wounded men coming back from
France as we did in preparing them to
fight" he added
This may be denied, but the state