Omaha daily bee., 1918-06-07
Wood, the Soldier, Goes
) Baker, the PacJist, and Creel, the Faker, Stag
George Harvey's War Weekly.

nlgnt Work. we are SiOIt OF modern HelQ
wireless to such an extent that we had to
strip Panama in order to secure small
amount for use on the border We are with
out any of the modern types of heavy mobile
artillery such as is in general use in Europe
artillery which often has had a determn-
ing effect upon operations. We have not
built in this country as yet any OF the mod
ern aeropane engines of the latest military
type. We are not constructing, as we should,
with all possible haste, artillery of various
types. We are building little or none of the
long range mid-caliber type of artillery such
as is now in general USE Indeed, we are
only just commencing the manufacture of
the approved heavy type of machine gun.
and have not yet determined the type of
light machine gun we are to use. although
these guns must be provided in the proper
tion Of about eight of the light to one of the
heavy guns.
This is the condition, although the
worlds greatest war is two and one-half
years sold, and its lessons as to equipment,
development OF arms and munitions are an
open book to all the world. We stand prac-
tically as ynprepared as when the great war
began and are apparently unobservant of its
clear lessons and unappreciative of the fact
that no amount of money and no amount OF
effort can purchase time or make good its
loss.
Senator Lee of Maryland-Is not your
proposition substantially to turn over the
entire military control without question to
the War department that has failed. as you
admit, to properly handle this relatively
small number of soldiers?
General Wood-No, sir; would turn it
over to the commander in chief. the president
of the United States and |. would go after
he RI nj II
necessary, with sandbag and reorganize it
/ would enlarge the coordinating and super
vising control of the chief of staff until eff
cient supply resulted.
"The Chairman-Take the British army
for instance, as | read about it, they have
the same difficulties in mobilization that our
own army has had; that is, they did not have
| trained men to handle the transportation
facilities; they did not have trained SOL
| diery; so they had the same difficulties whip
| ping it into system, and it took practically
year and half to do it.
General Wood-That is right. But their
regular army, known as the expeditionary
| force, was like our own regular force, ready,
and it went promptly. Their supply depart
ments, like our own, failed. and they had to
create the great munitions commission as a
special commission, because the old supply
departments, dyed-in-the- welded to
methods and thinking mostly of department
al entourage, did not meet the demands Of
the situation. They had the same experience
we had. If we had gone on with this war,
it had been real war, we would have had
to shake things up and form some commits
sions, including big business men with wide
experience and energy, or fail disastrously.
Senator Brady-To put business methods
into the organization?
General Wood-To get the cobwebs out
OF the supply departments and put some
puach into them to convert them from a
wheelless vehicle into something that will
. move easily and smoothly.
! "In conclusion, I wish to emphasize the
necessity of prompt preparation of an ade-
quate force of trained men with the necessary
arms, equipment and supplies for 100000
men. In my opinion there is nothing of more
vital importance. than that we should take
measures to this end and take them imme-
diately."
This is most interesting and highly i'm
portant reading. Practically everything that
General Wood foresaw as necessary-even
to the raising OF an army of 100000 men
has been done or is in process Of doing, but
of course, a year or even more too late, be-
cause this was not the first. it was pretty
nearly the last Of General Woods adjura-
tions. From the very beginning of the war
he had beseeched our government to make
ready, but the president did not, Mr.. Baker
smlingly would not and Mr.. Creel continued
and still continues to heap pious effusions OF
gratitude upon the Almighty, who of course
had nothing whatever to do with it and, we
have not the slightest doubt is as disgusted
as the rest of us that an impudent popinjay
! should undertake to shift part of the re-
sponsibity to unfamiliar regions.
The simple fact is that General Wood is
4 so haA har hn iohf He ,1c ia
troduced Colonel Roosevelt to the boys al
/ Plattsburg and got the reprinland which we
thought he deserved from Secretary Garri.
son. But it was trifling matter of excessive
zeal, fine patriotism and deep conviction, nc
. unworthy attributes at best, and-we were
, not at war then.
We are, now. And it is the common peri
and love of country that should be drawing
US together, just as recently it did effect
: the, happy reconciliation OF Mr. Roosevelt
and Mr.. Taft, instead OF inducing the wreak
5 cially great soldiers, capable of rendering
the best service. The World disposes o.
: all such things, at stated intervals, by say
r ing that Roosevelt hates Wilson" and. o.
. course, Wood is friend of Roosevelt. Well
( suppose he does; what of it? Who care.
. whether he does or not, SO long as the presi
e dent doesn't-as OF course, he does no
: because OF the Biblical inhibition which som,
), think let's even the Germans out-hate tn,
d | colonel
e The suggestion lis too often heard tina
i Mr.. Wilson wants to can General Wood be
r cause he might, as military hero becom,
a rival for the presidency we reject will
e utter scorn. II we really believed that, W,
/ but we don't, not for a minute; of cours
not; one simply couldn't 1t is the SAM
e old story, we guess: Petty partisan ant
: personal. But oh, such pity! Think Of i