Mexico Missouri message., 1918-02-07

~~~O~~~~~~~~~S~~~~
only about per cent was exported,
mostly to Canada. Yet, within the last
week England sent coal to us, in order
that supply ships might not be stopped
RI
Out of the fire of congressional in
vestigation the marine corps has come
with added luster, the contrast to war
department conditions being sadly
marked. The house committee said the
corps has been kept supplied on war
basis with no apparent delays, while
about $4,000 recruits during the year
have been properly housed, clothed,
fed and trained. The secret of this
lies in the fact that Maj. Gen. George
Barnett, commandant of the corps, be-
lieved in preparedness. Two months
before America entered the war he or
dered $4,000 pairs Of shoes and 10000
Lewis machine guns. His purchasing
system has worked smoothly and eff
ficiently, possibly because he has had
the assistance of no "dollara-week"
edge are not commensurate with their
patriotism. The bureaus of construc-
ton and repair and of engineering of
the navy department also received high
praise from the committee.
-E-
Secretary Baker and his manage
ment of the war department are still
the objects of sharp attack and the de-
mands for his resignation or removal
increase daily. His long defense be-
| fore the senate committee was the re-
verse of satisfactory, and there is de-
cided diversity of opinion as to wheth-
er or not his reorganization of bureaus
will cure the evils that have infested
his department. Daniel Willard told
| the committee the new plan was faulty
| in that it did not concentrate control
and relied too much on voluntary eff
| fort, and Immediately thereafter Mr.
Willard resigned his post of chairman
of the war industries board. 1t was in.
timated new chairman might not be
appointed pending action on the pro
posals for the creation of q war supply
department or administration.
Can it be that Mr.. Baker, deep in
his pacifist soul, believes the war will
come to an end before the American
troops are called on to fight. and there
fore is willing that adequate prepara
tions for their active participation il
the conflict shall be delayed? In his
review of operations in Europe he says
great German offensive is to be ex
pected on the west front, but ne is con
f1dent that the war-worn British anC
French armies can withstand it.
la
Fierce controversy ragged throughou
the week between the German groups
represented respectively by Won Luden
dorff and Won Kuehlmann-the pan
Germans and the nonannexationists
There was a report that the govern
ment had compromised the dispute b,
yielding to Won Kuehlmann as to tn
east front, and assuring Won Luden
dorff that he might grab any land OF
the west front that the military force
of the empire could seize and hol,
through the peace negotiations. Blu
this report was unconfirmed.
Berlin stated officially on Thursda
that the central powers had found tn
Russian proposals unacceptable; an
that German and Austrian troop
would not be withdrawn from the OF
cupied territories while the war last;
The Austro-G Germans, the statemen
added, do not intend incorporatin
into their respective countries the tel
ritories now occupied by them.
Trotzky clung to his demands for tn
right of self-determinRtiOn for all nt
tionalities, and that principle. supporte
: by oyd-George and President Wilson
has taken its place as almost the lea(
ing peace term of the opponents of tn
central powers. The German GenerG
Hoffman taunts the bolsheviki with tn
J fact that they are inconsistent becaus
, they are fighting the Ukrainians, bJ
7 on the other hand Lenine, Trotzky an
, their fellows have permitted the Sc
ting up of independent governments
: various parts of Russia because til
; people so willed 1t. They have jui
!, declared, also, that their governmeI
, supports the right of the Armenian
| in Russia and Turkey to be indepen,
, ent and to decide their own destin
t The British government has so far re
ognized the bolshevilki as to establis
] Official relations with their minister
E London.
Turkestan announced its indepen
> ence on Tuesday.
{ Petrograd announced that after t