The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1918-03-22
War COUNCIL Meets Senate
Committeeman.
THINGS NOW MORE SMOOTH
Superior War Council Lays Its Cards
Upon the Table and Exchanges
Views With Members of
Senate Committee.

washington. - DIRECT contact De-
tween Congress and the Administra.
ton in the conduct of the war was
established when the Senate Military
Affairs Committee conferred with the
Superior War Council at the War De-
partment. This meeting was at the
request of the Acting Secretary of
War.
The House Militnry Affairs Com
mittee will have similar session.
This marks the first of series of
general conferences to be conducted
,, weekly throughout lie war, so Con-
sress may know every step taken.
1t will represent the first tangible
move to bring the efforts of Congress
and of the Administration together for
a successful prosecution of the war.
The harmonious cooperation of the
civil and military forces will meet
more than half way those critics of
the administration who have been &C.
tive in demanding a congressional
committee for the supervision of the
war.
Frankly the Superior War Council
laid it's cards on the table. The men,
bers told where the army was ahead,
where it was behind, and just the re-
Quirements in the field in France to-
day. They freely admitted that the
country was far behind in its aviation
program. They showed that it was
making satisfactory progress in it's
shipping program, although that had
been somewhat delayed in the start.
Secretary Crowell and the other
members of the Superior War Coun-
Gil, except General Crozier, were pres
ent, including Generals Marsh, chief
of staff; Goethals, Weaver, Crowder
and Sharpe and Edward r. Stettinius,
who recently has been given the task
Of purchasing for the Army. Senate:
Chamberlain, chairman of the Senate
Military Affairs Committee, was not
present, owing to illness. Senator
Hitchcock acted as chairman, and with
him were Senators Myers, Thomas,
Mcclellan, Warren, Wadsworth, Suth-
erland, New and Frelinghuysen.
Charts, diagrams and plans were
spread out on the large conference
table, showing the status of the troops
in France. Informal talks were given
by the generals and by the senators,
both sides saying frankly what they
thought of the conditions of the var
ht,o of hn Cah
grams from General Pershing were
read to make clearer to the senators
the various points brought out in the
conference.
Various phases of the problems to
be met in this country were presented
and neither the senators nor members
of the council stinted themselves in
criticism.
Senator Hitchcock after the confer
ence said:
1.-THE whole situation is coming
along satisfactorily. The war situa-
ton was visualized splendidly. We
received full knowledge of the whole
general situation. They showed
where our Army was behind and
where ahead.
THE shipping situation is in salts
factory shape, but the aviation pro-
gram is bad; it is far behind. They
told us that frankly and bluntly so
we could take measures to see just
how far behind we were and where
the fault lay. A committee Of which
H. Snowden Marshall is chairman,
will go over the whole aviation situa-
tion to speed it up and find where the
fault lies. The committee was APP
pointed by the President.