El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-01-24
SAYS ARMY NOT
WELL EQUIPPED
Senator Chamberlain An
swers Wilson'S Charges;
Proves Inefficiency.

and if 1 succeed in making q rift in
the clouds through which the Ameri-
can people may see / will feel that my
efforts have not been in vain.
snow that my truthfuIness has
been questioned" senator Cham
berlain continued, Il feel IL my
duty to tell the country something
1 might not have told IL under or
binary circumstances. l 40 II rs
n man who loves his country best
of all and who would Willingly
give his life for IL. / do fearieEsiy
as an American citizen who de-
sires to help and not TO hinder.o
Z President Doesn't Know the Truth.
He repeated he had not distorted
I the truth in his speech made In New
York but that, owing to the great
rush Of business due to the war the
president has probably not been able
/ 10 ascertain the truth and does not
know the truth. From the lips OF
] those closest to the president, the
truth, not because his advisers desil e
TO mislead him but because they are
situated in the same position as ne is.
The Lack of Preparation.
The secretary Of war in a general
statement 10 the country, which was
carefully and ably prepared, tells US
that $500 100000 have been appro-
priated for the ordnance department
and that contracts for $1,677, 900, 600
This is true. But the secretary failed
70 tell the country that America
failed TO stand prepared"
France Is Supplying Us.
France, bled white" he continued,
lis furnishing Ame.ica today and the
troops going abroad with heavy ord
nance, machine guns and s.rplanes.
If we relied on the ordnance depart
ment in this emergency and this
is a war OF artillery" the war would
be completed before we ever got
enough 10 go to the front. France
agreed to deliver this artillery. To
win American Did she furnish ii in
order to invite American"
It was improper, he said, to give
details Of American purchases Of
ordnance from the allies but referred
senators to the confidential testimony
before the committee by Mai. Gen.
VIM. CrOzier. chief Of ordnance.
Why Didn't We Know.
IF the administrator had wanted
to be fair to the Aemrican people"
he shouted, why didn't the distin-
guished secretary OF war, and I have
the highest regard for him, let the
people know. 50 that the people could
assist in getting ready for this terri
bic calamity that cOnfrOnts not only
America, but the whole world?'
Senator Chamberlain charged that
the ordnance bureau failed in 1916
to prepare for war when it seemed
certain.
Ordnance Bureau Doin Nothing.
There were omens in the sky" he
continued, that America could not
keep out What was the ordnance
department doing2 Nothing. It was
lying sup.nely on its back not max
ing cages for manufacturing ord
nance nor discovering the possibilities
of manufacturing, but doing nothing.
nothing"
Appropriations for figs and dies TO
make ordnance, he said, had not been
used.
Retire the Ineompetents.
I'm not blaming anybody in. par
ticular." the senator continued. Il
have high regard for Gen. Crozier [
But we haven't been able to do what :
England, France and all our other al /
lies have done and that IS to retire |
these gentlemen who have not proven
ought not to dismiss them in disgrace |
but in other countries they have gone /
into innOcuous desuetude.
This isn't a question of personali- /
ties This is not a question between 1
the president and myself It's a ques-
ton Of America and every man ought
TO make it his whole purpose to see
hat America IS saved.
Machine Gun Controversy.
Take the machine gun" said the
senator It's an old controversy and
much may be said on both on both
sides. The Lewis gun has been manu-
featured here for the British army
and there are 10000 of them on the
battle fronts Every British officer