Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-02-02

titled to go ana see, | fclt that my
efforts and the efforts of my colleagues,
for whom l entertain the highest re-
gard and respect, would not have been
i'll vain in our cndcavor to save our
country in the pending crisis.
TESTIMONY NOT YET PRINTED.
"rhe evidence has not yet been
printed. That has not been due to
any fault on the part Of the commit
tee. but, because Of It's Importance,
tho testimony Of each witness has
been sent to him in order that he
might revise ii, and that the country
might get the evidence as it came
from the lips of the witnesses.
hope 1t will be finished today, so that
the Senate may have it. But now,
MIR. President. In view of the fact
that my truthfulness has been called
in question, l feel it my duty, not to
go into dctail-because ii would take
me days to do that-but to say some
things here in all kindness, and to
tell the country some things that
possibly l might not have told under
ordinary circumstances. l shall do
it as man who loves his country
best OF all man who would sacrifice
not only his own life. but the life OF
every member Of his family to save
it. | shah do it fcarlcssly, and as
an American citizen who wants to
help and not hinder our great Presi-
dent in this emergency
81 rather think. Mr.. President, that
it is not that | have distorted the
truth but I have sometimes feared
that in the multitude Of cares and
responsibilities that have devolvcd
upon the President Of the United
States he has not been able to asccr-
tain the truth. If he has relied upon
some Of those who have come before
our Committee Mr. President, and my
fellow Senator's he docs not know the
truth. and from the lips of some OF
those who have testified and who arc
closest to him he cannot find the
truth-not because there has been a
disposition to deceive or m'slcad our
distinguished Executive but SIMPLY
because they, too, arc so situated in
the multitudinous affairs OF this
great crisis that they cannot ascor-
tain the truth; and, even If they
could ascertain the truth through the
labyrinth OF things that pass over
their desks and through their Offices,
each day. it would be impossible for
them to remember 1t for any purpose.
So this investigation was started, Mr..
PRESIDENT with purpose to be crit-
cal where criticism was necessary.
but its purpose was to be constructive
as we'll: and this committee would
not have discharged its duty to tho
Senate and to the country II It had
gone about the work with any other
purpose in view than to critcise
where criticism was just and to offer
Sunn0St
where that was proper.
UNrREPARED WITH ORDNANCE.
Mr.. President the Secretary of War,
IN his general statement to the coun.
try-which was carefully written and
AMY prcparcd-tellS us that So, 200-
QUO. 600 have been appropriated for
the Ordnance Department and con-
tracts have been let for 81 GIT 900 900;
all OF which is true. But the Secre-
tary fails to tell us. Mr.. President,
in his statement to the country. and
1t only comes out in the course Of
a cross eXaminatiOn, that America
stands today unprepared so far as ord
nance Is concerned. I challenge any
body to read the testimony and come
to any other conclusion. Poor bleed
not only for her own life and for the
liberty OF her own citizens, but for
America as VOLTS today furnishing
our troops as they go abroad with tho
heavy ordnance and the machine guns
for aircraft and for ground service.
Why. Mr.. President, II we relied upon
the Ordnance Department in this
emergency to furnish our troops with
the ,1leayy ordnance-and this Is a
war OF artillery tOday-the war would
be over before we ever got to the
front
"Why. there is testimony before
the Military Affairs Committee that
along some Of these fronts the cannon
the heavy cannon, If you please
are located five yards apart for dis
lance Of six miles; and yet America,
this great and magnificent country,
Is dependent uDon poor France to de-
liver the ordnancei Did France
agree to deliver 1t in order to win
America? Did sho agree to furnish
it in order to invite America? What
has France to do with the debacle in
Italy. my friends, where her own
troops are and where the troops OF
her allies are? What is France to do
for them in case Of an emergency and
desperate battle for the life Of ono
Of her allies?
What has the Ordnance Department
heen doing since 1914? Was there a
half-witted American citizen who did
not know and realize that there was
chance that America might become
involved? There were omcns in the
sky. my friends and colleagues. that
indicated that America would become
involved. Notwithstanding her desire
to keep out. She could not keep out
What was the Ordnance Department
doing r.? Nothing Here we were from
August, 1914. until the declaration Of
war in April. 1917 with the Ordnance
Department lying supinely upon its
back, making no plans constructing
no guages, manufacturing no dies, do
ing absolutely nothing to ascertain