The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1918-02-28
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tics and endeavor to put more eff
cheney and pep in the conduct OF the
war, men who are concerned over the
situation are watching closely the new
steps that are being taken. Whether
we shall really have more speed or
merely a change of gait is the ques-
ton in the public mind. and people
are looking to the daily record of
events to get an idea of what is &C
tually doing in war affairs.
Following the disclosures of the
Senate investigation. the secretary OF
war announced several changes in the
organization of the military service.
While opposing the recommendations
of the military affairs committee. he
took steps somewhat along the lines
suggested by hat committee. There
has been a feeling that the secretary
of war became alarmed over the wide
spread criticism to which his depart
ment had been subjected, and that he
is endeavoring to allay the criticism
without giving in to the recommends
tons of the committee. He insisted
that his department had functioned
well, but announced changes in or
g~anization, nevertheless.
Whether these changes have really
accomplished anything remains to be
seen. Many days after the reorgani-
cation had been put in force, a promi-
nent Washington paper which has
stood by the administration felt COM
PEELED to say this: Disturbed and
uncertain conditions continue to exist
in the office of the q-uartermaster gem
eral of the army, and in the meantime
the transaction of business is seri-
ously interfered with, activities in
some directions, in fact, being almost
at a standstill during the period of
reorganization of the personnel and
methods of the Office, which has not
ended"
The fact is that from the beginning,
a great deal of the energy of the war
department has been expended upon
the operation of the machine, SO that
there has been too little energy left to
expend upon war. 1t has been too
much like an engine so heavy. cum
bersome and complicated that it re-
quired too much steam to run the
engine, leaving little power for actual
results.
In this respect the war department
is. different from some of the newly
established governmental agencies,
which are more like the steamboat
Mark Twain used to delight in de-
scribing-a steamboat whose whistle
was so big they had to stop the engine
when they blew the whistle. In Mark
Twain's days on the Mississippi. blow
ing the whistle was one of the great
delights of the captain, who liked to
let the people at the various landings
know he was coming. The whistle
blowers are by no means extinct.
But to return to the status of affairs
in the war department-there is a
very general feeling of relief over the
announcement of the secretary that
he has finally come to the conclusion
that the policy of keeping secret the
prices and other information regard
ing purchases of supplies was a mis-
take. The press of the country had
been telling him from the beginning
that it was a mistake and that it would
lead to scandal with injurious results
to the government. 1t was pointed
put that secrecy led to scandals in
Canada and hat America should avoid
such an experience.
Secretary Baker would not listen to
good advice then, but now acknowl-
edges that no good was accomplished
by secrecy and that good will prob
ably be accomplished by frankly tell
ing the people what is being done.
Hereafter, if one contractor gets a
higher price than another. or if the
government pays an exorbitant price
everybody will know it-that is, If the
announced policy of publicity shall be
adhered to.