Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-01-14
CONGRESS WAR HEADS
CENTRALIZE activity
.egrouping of Committee
Work Will Eliminate
Red Tape
AIM is FOR S P E E d
Coethals Will Direct All Matters of
Transporting
Troops

n WASHINGTON, Jan. IL.
"a ReorgapIzation OF the entire system
AZ control of army appropriations for
x the prosecution of this countrys part
N the world war has been completed
and a plan by which authority will be
centralized and facts presented In
manner which simplifes a former COM
nIex situation has been perfected.
This is considered one Of the most
advanced steps taken by the Military
Affairs Committee of the House and Il
V came unheralded The responsibility for
ali appropriations has been centralized
a IN groups by the committee, small sec
tons being assigned to take up specific
subjects.
" The first group of this committee to
be publicly announced Is that to take
care of the transportation Of troops.
ammunition, feed and all articles needed
by troops in the United States. trans
porting them to France and their ac-
commodations there until delivered to
the various final training camps or sta
tons
II is one of the mammoth tasks of
the war and the one which will have
A greater bearing upon its success than
any other.
Three men have been given absolute
y charge of this work. They are Maio
man John NJ. NORM, of Pittsburgh. Re-
publican. and Congressman Charles p.
x Caldwell of New York, a,Democrat. The
three men will start work at once.
COCKTAILS AT HEAD
General Goethals becomes part of the
trio because of his position as director
Of transportation of the army. When
asked about duties of the committee
Mr cd fhnt I,
'that moves from the time the soldier
leaves the office of the draft board until
he Is on the firing line and then every
thing that Is brought up to him in the
way of ammunition and food was under
the supervision of the committee
Not only will the Government depend
upon the committee for the chartering
OF vessels for the transportation Of
troops, but for the task of operation in
every detail Pay will be made directly
TO the help on the boats. the regulation
for which will be made by the COM
mittee.
Cooperation with Director General
McAdoo of the railways has al
ready taken place. Many of the present
difficulties arising from the need of coal
at the various camps will be done away
with when the committee gets into
working order and the appropriation bill
The transportation feature of the war
will cost the Government a little less
than one billion dollars during the second
year In which It becomes an item of
large Appropriation. Until the beginning
OF the present fiscal year, last July,
transportation was one of the minor
costs Of the war.
s TRANSPORTATION WORK
Repair. of vessels Transportation of
ammunition to posts both here and
abroad. purchase of pack mules for the
delivery OF supplies In the trenches, pur-
chases and communicating of motor
trucks. arranging for dock facilities and
M everything one could think of in trans
portation will come under the direction
Of Mr. NORM. Mr.. Caldwell and General
Cocktails.
e Another important subcommittee
n which las been named Is that which
viii be In charge of subsistence of the
army. The congressional members Of
this committee are Percy ". Quin, of
Mississippi. and Daniel r. Anthony, Jr..
Of Kansas. The department member of
this trio has not as yet been made public
This committee will control the appro-
priations for all foodstuffs purchased
for the army.
Congressman Ashton Shallenberger, Of
Nebraska. apd Congressman John c.
Tilson. Of Connecticut. are the congress
sional members of the body in charge of
ordnance; William j. Fields of Ken
lucky, and Julius Kahn, Of California.
are to take care of the pay of the actual
fghting force William Gordon, of Ohio
and John C. Mckenzie. of Illinois, mat
ters pertaining to the signal corps Rich
ard Olney. of Massachusetts. and Thomas
s. Crago. of Pennsylvania. engineer
corps. and Thomas w. Harrison, of Vir-
ginia. and James II. Davidson. of Wis
consin, the medical department
The supervision of the appropriation
for clothing will come under the direc-
tion Of James w. Wise. of Georgil, and
Frank l.. Greene. of Vermont. This is
another very important, subcommittee at
this time.
During the last year there has been
considerable agitation relative to the
purchase of clothes and the terms of the
contract for the coming year The
question will be settled by this body as
to The sum to be expended to clothe the
troops.
INCIDENTAL, SUPPLIES
HI Three other subcommittee have been
named from the main committee to take
charge of incidental supplies. equ pment
,/'i camps and the providing of barracks
and quarters. Congressman Nichols, OF
South Carolina, and Hull, of Iowa. are
members OF the incidental supplies body
congressman Garrett. Of Texas. and An
thony on the equipment of camps, and
congressman Lunn and Greene on bar
racks lnd quarters. The third member
OF the trio will be the head of the par
ticular branch of the service for which
tnat subcommittee has been selected
throughout the year all complaints
concerning the operation of any depart.
merit Will be brought before the subcom-
mittee In charge and arrangements made
fcr clearing any situation Immediately
81 Under the old system everything was
placed before the committee as whole
ana at the end OF the session all were
rushed for the completion of the great
army appropriation bill and many Incl.
oentais were neglected.
Inc new system places Congress on a
pet'er worl;ing basis In relation to the
department..