The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-01-24

Then after a short pause he
shouted:
Il have not distorted the truth as
has been charged. The president
does not know the truth. From the
lips of those who have testified here
and who are closest to him, he can
not learn the truth because these
men are too busy to get IL, or re-.
member it if they get 1t.
Hot Shot for Baker
"If the administration wanted TO
be fair to the American people why
did not Secretary Baker tell the
truth and let the American people
assist in getting ready for the ter
rible calamity that is facing not only
America but the whole world.
Secretary Baker in general
statement to the country says S3,20O,-
900, 900 had been appropriated Tor
ordnance and that S1,677,000,OOO In
contracts have been let, said Cham-
berlain. That's all true, but the
secretary fails to say that America is
totally unprepared with ordnance.
Il challenge anybody to read the
testimony before the military affairs
committee and come to any other
(.
Poor bleeding France. bled white
not only to save herself, but Amer
lea, is furnishing us today with
heavy guns and machine guns. II
we relied on the ordnance depart
ment, the war would be over before
we could get to the front.
Some HaIf-Witted Americans
What is France to do for Italy
in case of a desperate fight or the
life of that ally?"
Chamberlain declared there is
mot half-witted American" but
could see that we were being drawn
into the war long before April, 1917.
.And what was the ordnance de-
partment doing?" he asked.
Lying supinely on it's back, doing
absolutely nothing to ascertain the
possibilities of getting raw material.
II have the highest regard for
General Crozier, chief of ordnance.
He has made his reputation in the
army and given his life to the ser
vice of his country.
"But we haven't been able to do
what France, England, Italy, all our
allies have done-retire gentlemen
who haven't measured up to the stu
alton.
why should America hesitate. It's
not a question of individuals but of
America" Z
Senator Chamberlain asked the sem
ators to read the testimony before the
military committee which he was go
iny to lay before them carefully and
prayerfully."
The Matter Of Machine Guns.
let me take up the machine gun
situation he continued. England
was using 1000 Lewis guns on the bat
tie front and from the testimony OF
English officers and all others / have
heard, it Is an excellent type OF gun.
American factories were making
these guns for England, but instead Of
Selling upon this type, our ordnance
department was trifling along trying
to find machine gun.
with the nation at war. they actual
ly did not adopt machine gun until
June, and then they adopted Gun on
paper. 1t is still on paper, because 1t
has never had field test
"We'1l have to experiment and
change this gun before it is of real
value to US.
81 asked Secretary Baker how many
machine guns We fad produced. He
answered that at the middle Of De
cember we had completed nine ma.
chine guns.
think of it. Nine machine guns to
go UP against the millions OF Ger.
many's.
1--WE have been In the war ten
months and we have accomplished
nothing in this direction"
Germany Knows More Than Baker.
Asserting that he had no fear of re-
vealing important information to Ger
many. Senator Chamberlain contfn-
ued:
German knows more about Amerf-
ca than men rieht in our own military
department. We'd better come out in
the spotlight and let the rank and file
know all. They would Immediately
rally to the country's support.
"The only source Of information was
through the military committees in
yestigation. There is no other way
of learning the true facts, There are
people out in the west where l come
from. who feel absolutely secure as to
the country's war Situation. If the
fathers and mothers of those boys who
are in camps and are going to France,
knew the real situation, they'd sacri-
fee everything they had to protect
the country"
!
Consulting While House Burns.
Turning to the subject of army rifles
the Oregon senator asserted that
England had stopped experiments with
the Enfield rifle and ordered them
made as fast as possible to meet the
wa rneeds.
America with only motley collec-
ton Of army rifles on hand" asserted
Chamberlain, "began experimenting
and changing the Enfield rifle before
she would adopt j., although our own
factories were equipped to turn them
ont in nnantifies Our ordnance de-