The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1918-03-28
CONGRESS AGAIN
CRITICIZES THE
DEPARTMENTS
FOES OF ADMINISTRATION
RETURN TO THE CHARGE
AGAINST BAKER
Delay in Aircraft Is
Explained
English and French Asked That
Men and Material be Sent Over
to Make Them There and Com
pliance Delayed Things Here.

WASHINGTON, March 27.-Congress
today was split wide open over war
policies. The storm center was the
senate, but in the house there was
much smouldering discomfort. The
gravity of the situation in Picardy and
a declaration by some senators OPP
posed to the administration that there |
had been breakdown in part of the !
war preparations already had result
ed in some plain talk. And it was
asserted that, at least so far as the |
senate was concerned, the members
intended telling the country what they |
know about the war program regard
less of the views of the administra-
ton
Opposition senators resented the
charge by the administration chiefs |
that they were playing politics" They
declared that the political situation
was developed by Senator Lodge, who
has been in season and out of season
an uncompromising advocate of fight
ing the war until Germany is COM
pletely crushed regardless of cost.
The big point of attack is the de-
lay in the aircraft program.
A couple of weeks ago the senators
on the military affairs committee went
to the war department to have the
war program explained to them by AS
sistant Secretary of War Crowell.
They were told that the air program
was very much behind and that the
original program had been greatly
curtailed. In view of the promises
that had been made that the air ser
vice would be made the greatest in
the world if the money was furnished
and that this money was voted with
out question, the senators returned to
the capitol much perturbed. There
were subdued mutterings but not un-
til General Leonard Wood took the
stand day before yesterday did the
storm break. Today anti-administra-
ton senators are sharply demanding
an accounting aand the placing of re-
sponsibility for the failure. What
they will do has not yet been decided
upon.
On behalf of the aircraft board adj
ministration leaders today insisted
that the charge that it had failed was
unwarranted and tended to create a
false opinion in the minds of Ameri
cans generally At the request of the
allies it was stated, men and materials
have been rushed abroad to make ma
chimes in both France and England
In this way American plants have
been deprived of the services of many
skilled workers who are now abroad.
The liberty motor is not a failure,
senators also claimed They say that
it is doing far more than had been
expected of it and that it is now be-
ing manufactured in quantities. 1t
also was declared that there will be
plenty of aircraft by July l and that
then the problem will be one of get
ting them to the front
1t is also pointed out that Senator
Lodge, who led the attack on this oc
casion, recently made bitter, and, as
! the administration men contend, an
unfair assault on the war department
and that the whole attack consists of
distortion of facts, which if fully and
fairly stated will prove creditable to
the administration. 1t is pointed out
that these same senators, who are
criticising have stood in the way of
the passage of the Overman bill, Civ
ing necessary power to the president
to co-relate war activities. 1t is also
suggested that the superiority of al
lied aeroplane fleet on the battle front
shows that there has been no lack
of airships, except at isolated points.
There will be no presidential re-
ply or counter offensive" to the burst
of critics of the administration in
the senate it was learned in White
House circles today. The administra-
ton takes the position that the Amer
lean war achievements speak for them
selves and that it was only to be
expected that there would be 'parti-
san clamor."
Senator Williams of Mississippi, in
the senate, replying to critics, said it
was extremely unfortunate that there
was a "gas attack" in Washington
while the people in Wisconsin are at
tempting to decide in an election be-
TWEEN loyalist and a lukewarm pat
riot. Senator Williams trotted out
Lenroot's past record and said that
his attitude had been lukewarm
throughout Senators Smoot of Utah
Gallinger of New Hampshire, and Nc.
Cumber OF North Dakota, jumped tC
their feet to defend Lenroot