Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-01-25

I States could have adopted the same
kind of rifle as used by England as
plants in this country we're equipped for
manufacturing them, he continued.
But while the house burns" he
shouted America determines through
the ordnance bureau what Instrumental
ties are to be adopted" He conceded
that the rifle as finally adopted was
an Improvement over the British gun
{ hut declared it took days and months
TO perfect"
After the engineers of various gun
making plants had been consulted gun
/ finally was agreed upon for the Ameri-
can army but "the ordnance bureau
through a very distinguished officer"
ordered that the number of parts be in
creased. which added to the delay
why shouldn't America know these
things?' the senator demanded. Some
people i'm the west said they believed
America has all it needs.
IF they only knew the actual condi-
tions." he continued, they would give
their lives. their all, to protect America.
Casual reading of the secretary of wars
statement gives the impression that we
had everything. But when we get the
testimony of the men who are on the
ground, different information is ibtain-
ed"
NO Trench Mortars
Citing the testimony of an army Of
ficer from Camp Bowie, Tex, who de-
clared there was not a single trench
mortar there and that other necessary
equipment was lacking, Senator Cham
berlain declared:
This is true of Camp Gordon and
every camp in the United States"
IF il hadn't been for the civilian
people VINO have come here and given
their time and service we wouldn't have
been anywhere" he continued.
Turning to the quartermaster gener-
ais department, Senator Chamberlain
said that from Secretary Bakers gen.
erai statement the country would be-
!ieve that everything was lovely and
the goose hung high, so far as clothing
is concerned"
But when you talk to the men that
command these boys you find it isn't
there" he continued. ION a per capita
basis IT is there, but not when it comes
to effective distribution. They simply
haven't got the clothing.
'I realize the difficulties of the quar-
terrnaster general. He has done the best
he could under the present system. The
president inherited that system and has
done the best he could. The president
isn't responsible for the system. But
the fact remains that we haven't the
clothing"
Senator Chamberlain said he proposed
to show by Secretary Bakers Cwn testi-
mony that the secretary did not know
of actual clothing conditions.
That's why l say" he continued,
that the president didn't know the
truth. And 1 did He must have gotten
his facts from the secretary, who in
turn got them from somebody else and
somebody must have lied. And that's
why l say the president has not been
given the truth"
Duty to Tell Truth
Striding out into the. center aisle with
an attitude of defiance, he shouted
'T feel it my duty to my country and
my conscience to tell the truth. l have
no fear of God, man or the devil when
my conscience prompts. And no man in
the country can keep me from telling
the truth. The only fear l have is that
this discussion may have a bad effect
on the country. But if the conditions
exist they ought to be corrected and
quickly. Great Britain found the same
conditions and corrected them quickly
So did France"
Senator Chamberlain passed around
among senators photographs of wooden
, machine guns, rifles and heavy ordnance
used at cantonments and asked sena-