The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1918-01-25
WILSON DENOUNCED
SENATOR CHAMBERLAIN

SENATOR CHAMBERLAIN
President Says Oregon Senator's
Saturday Night Speech Was an "Un-
iustifiable Distortion of the Truth
Resulting From Opposition to the
Administration Whole Policy
Washington, Jan. Elm one Of
the hottest statements ever issued
from the White House, President
Wilson tonight branded as an "un
justifab;e Gisortion of the truth"
the speech OF Senator Chamberlain,
Of Oregon, in New York Saturday
night, assailing the administration
war policy.
He said:
"When the presidents attention
was called to the speech made by
Senator Chamberlain at luncheon
in New York Saturday, ne i'm
mediately inquired of Senator
Chamberlain whether he had been
correctly reported and upon as
certain5ng from the Senator that he
had been, the president felt it his
duty to make the following state
ment:
lsena%ar Chln5srlail's state
ment as to the present inactI0n
and ineffectiveness Of the govern
ment is an astonishing and absO-
lutely injustifiable and distortion of
the truth AS a matter Of fact. the
war department has pref6rmedaa
task of unparalleled magnitude and
difficulty with extraordinary prompt
tneess and efficiency There Anays
been ~delays aa aisSakpointSs.lts.
and, partial rfisearriases Of pfsss >.
ali pi which have beers draSIi. into
the foresround ana ezaggsTaaed b.
the inveSigstjpns ssshics e u bssa'> y
in plogress -ssP tha conAess ass-
embled-iNesi which ,dre9
indispensable officials >oF depart
.meh{ osnstappySsaway .Eo6 theft j
work and offisers fragn tasIg HouiS
mands and eog1ribate6 Erss Seak
to such delAlsns coaAsdh Ss had
inevitable ariseni i
sBut by comparison with what
has been accomplished these things,
much as they were to be regretted,
were insignificant and TO mistake
has been made which has been re-
peateS. Nothing helpful Or likely to
Sized Or facilitate the war tasks Of
tie. government has come out Of
su& criticism and investigation. L
understand that reorgShszatins by
legislation are to ha propoSed. Il
have not besn consulted about them
and have learned Of them oaly at
sscohdhand-but their proposal
came after effective measures of re- l
organization had been th0ughtfully
and maturely perfected, and in
asmuch as these measures have
been the result of experience, they
are much more likely thru any
others to be effective, II the con-
gress will hut remove the few
statutory obstacles of rigid depart
mental Organization which shand
in their way. The Legislative pro-
posaZs l have heard of would in
volve long additional delays and
turn our experience into mere lost
motion.
N"My association and constant
conferences with the secretary OF
war havetaught me to regard him
as ose OF the ablest public officials
I have ever known. The country
will soon learn whether he or his
critics understand the business in
hand. To add as Senator Cham
berlain did, that there is lneffi-
cheney in every department and
bureau of the government, is to
show such Ignorance of actual con-
ditions as to make it impossible to
attach any Importance to his state
ment.
Il am bound to infer that that
statement sprang out Of opposition
to the administrators whole policy
rather than oDt Of any serious n