The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-24
BARES
FACTS
SENATOR MAKES
DRAMATIC REPLY
TO WILSON Def
Chamberlain Makes Sensa-
tiOnaI Expose of War Dept.
American People Don't Know
the Truth, He Shouts.
PRESIDENT HAS BEEN DECEIVED
Says Somebody Lied Referring
to War Secretary's Statement
On Brink OF Seething Volcano
Ordnance Dept Stood Idle.
LAID SUPINELY ON ITS BACK
Says Somebody Lied Referring
to War Secretary's Statement.
On Brink OF Seething Volcano
Ordnance Dept Stood Idle.
LAID SUPINELY ON ITS BACK
Quibbling About Gun Designs
Cost Months Delay.
Calamity COnfrOnts World and
People Ought To Know 1t.

washington. Jan. 24.-Standing
firmly by his charge that America s
military establishment is enmeshed in
inefhciency. Senator Chamberlain OF
Oregon. chairman of the military
committee replied in the senate TO-DAY
TO President Wilson's denunclauoh Oh
his recent New York speech by re-
heating the statement which drew the
presidents fire and declaring that the
nresident himself does not know the
truth.
Senator Chamberlain declared ne
would show that the deaths or the
hundreds and thousands of men at
cantonments and camps were due 10
nha war department, and that all
enidenics could have been prevented
If the war department had been ef-
fective." e. ,;,,
senator Chamberlain, after having
read to the senate a Verpatlih copy
Of the speech for which the president
denounced him, declared that ne ad-
hered to what he had said
senator Chamberlain read TO the
senate a letter received from Presloeht
Wilson opposing the creauoh Vi d
minister of munitions.
He said he did this to counteract
tba presidents charge that he had not
been consulted regarding proposed
legislation to be offered in congress.
Veracity and Integrity Attacked.
IN beginning his address Senator
Chamberlain said the president hao
attacked both his veracity ana lnteS-
1-ity. heretofore unchallenged, put tndt
in replying he did so without any per-
sonal feeling against the president
For twenty-four years" Senator
Cbamberlail said, Il have served the
public in my state to the best OF my
ability and in all that time l have new
er had my veracity called in question
nor nv integrity impeached and L
have passed thru some bitter cam
paigns 1t is therefore with some feel
ing of humiliation and also sadness
that l rise to a question of personal
privilege when my veracity has been
called in question not by an ordinary
citizen not by one of my colleagues.
but by a very distinguished gentle
man who has the love and admiration
of the people and who by their suf-
frage occupies the highest place in the
gift of the people, and, may say, the
highest place of any man in the world.
1t is, therefore. with much feeling
that I rise to address myself to the
attack made upon me and l do so
without any feeling of unkindnesS.
THE personal charges made against
me amount TO nothing to the American
people but affect policies which may
involve the future of this country, if
not the entire world"
Speech Reported Correctly.
Senator Chamberlain said he had
been invited to speak before the Ma
tfonal Security league accepted on
short notice and without time to pre-
pare an address. He recalled tnat on
the platform with him were Alton B.
Parker, Theodore Roosevelt and Ju-
Illus Kahn. and that the audience was
IA representative body whose patriot
ism cannot be eXcelled by any like
body in the United States" He then
reiterated that he assumed RESPONSE
bility for the speech as reported bv
newspapers and had read to the senate
verbatim report published in the
New York Times.
Upon his return to Washington,
Senator Chamberlain said he received
a letter from President Wilson con-
tanning a quotation taken from the
New York World and asking if the
quotation was correct. The president
wrote that he did not like to COM
ment upon the statements until he
knew positively that the senator had
actually made them.
The letter was received too late for
a reply Sunday, Senator Chamberlain
continued but in a letter sent to the
. White House the following day. he re-
piled that he had been quoted sub
stantially correctly in the World but
asked the president to read the en-
tire speech as printed in the Times
instead of only a part of it,
Conducted Military Probe.
Senator Chamberlains letter added
that he was discussing only the pol
icy "or lack of policy of the mill
tary establishment. After stating his
experience in the military affairs com
mittee and testimony in the commit
tees Investigations the senator's let
ter continued;
I believe 7 know som mething about
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