The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1918-02-16
SENATOR WEEKS
SAYS WILSON is
PLAYING POLITICS

NHoI wal C1AC4CuGy ny 0SudEOr weeks,
a Republican member of the military
committee, in a speech today v1gor-
ously criticising the war department
&nd other branches of the govern.
nent.
Supporting the military committees
war cabinet and munition director
bills as a constructive, non-partisap
effort to aid and not enlbarrass Presi-
dent Wilson in unifying America s
war force, Senator Weeks detailed de-
lays and difficulties of the govern
ment's military preparations. He de-
clared that lack of a central body to
make and direct all of the govern
ments' war plans is largely response
Bile for present and past troubles.
In his charge against President Viii
son the senator said:
Not a question indicating PARTISAN
ship was raised until the president de-
iliberately injected politics into the sit
uation by an attack on the chairman
of the committee Senator Chamber
alin (Democrat), and the committee
itself and by calling to the White
House many Democratic party lead
e7s, not for consultation purposes, but
to insist that a discussion of this
question on the floor of the senate be
prevented if possible. Have we come
to a pass that the action of the most
important committee in congress at
this time is to be forbidden by the
president?''
Referring to Secretary Baker, Sen
atsor Weeks said after praising many
army achievements: 997
Neither do 1 wish to unjustly or
unreservedEy .criticisa the head of the
war department. He has had to daal
with a multitude of questions, the dis
posal of many of which meet my ap-
prevail. 1t would require too much
time to enumerate. The secretary has
Gnne that effectively in his speech to
the committee Jan q
eff I were to criticise the secretary
personally it would be that he has
undertaken to do too many things
himself, some of which might have
| been left to subordinates. If I were
to make a further criticism it would
relate to his temperamenta1 relation
ship to the war. Doubtless he him.
self would admit that he is a pacifs:
t
he is opposed to universal military
training and I cannot divorce myself
from the conclusion, based on his
own testimony, that he has been in
clined to plan for prosecution of the
| war-and this condition has to some
degree permeated the department.
on the basis that we're 5000 miles
away from the front, instead of has
| tentng preparation with. all the vigo1
we would exercise if our borders were
the battle front"
| Referring to Mr.. Bakers reply WheI
asked by the committee whether 9TH
er men could not have done things
| better, that he did not know all the
men in the world and could moi
Judge their capabilities Senator Weeks
said the answer was somewhat flip
pant and that it is impossible to ex-
pect a department whose head makes
such a statement to make many
| changes which an outside investiga'
ton has shown to be necessary.
zone of the notable features of the
present situation" Senator Week.
| commended, "is the virulence used il
attacking those who favor the com
mittee's plan of Capitalization" They
are referred to as p1otters, nischiev-
| Gus meddlers and even as servitors
| of the enemy. Every means of falsf
suggestion has been used to discredir
| a sincere and loyal attempt to make 6
change which will materially increase
the efficiency of our war administras
ton"
Asserting that it is physically i'm
possible for the president to indi-
| Vidua11y coordinate and direct al
the governments functions, Senator
! Weeks added:
"Can it be possible that the presi
dent will be embarrassed by such
cabinet? It would seem as il HI
would be embarrassed to a greater
extent by a perpetuation of the dis
iointed situation that now exists, :
/ situation that failed to produce Ships
Notwithstanding the shipping plans
which has failed to deliver coal, not
Withstanding the unbounded coal sup
ply we have; which has been respon
sible for a failure to protect our sol
diers against sickness and furnish
them with suitable clothing.
eve are the inventors and leader
in aeroplanes and yet we have n
aeroplanes. We have the creates
steel works in the world, and yet W
have few guns. We lead the worl
in automobile manufacture, and ye
we are just commencing to obtai
motor trucks; and worst of all, tn
system we have is responsible TO
camp hospitals not having heat, waite
or sewerage.
Furnishing of food to the arm!
Senator Weeks said, has been ga tire
mendous success, due to Ger
Sharpe He also praised Gen. Gre
, zier, chief of ordnance, saying he ha
often asked congress for more ord
nance appropriations but that sent
ment in the country prevented az
preparations. Gen. Crozier, howeve
! he declared, was partly responsible 70
deficiencies in machine guns and ligf
ordnance.
Reliance on France for ordnanc
, and other materials he said was ''ver
doubtful wisdom and the powdt
situation was described as acut
, with half of American productio
? under contract to the Allies and OF
= total capacity not half of our needs
= Aviation work, the senator conceC
ed, has been carried out intelligent
r and Systematically.
: -'FWhile the actual number of m:
s chimes constructed" he said, "do,
e MT compare favorably with impres
; sions given to the public, it is repr,
sented that production will be yer
rapid"
Although praising efforts of the WI
department toward reorganizatio
e Senator Weeks said Edward R. Ste