The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-06

must be admitted. The credit for the things accomplished can be assigned to several individuals. The blame for short comings ought not to be laid upon any individual Criticism should be direct ed against our system, or rather, the lack of cohesive system.'
 COVERED PARTS OF GROUND Referring to the committees war in- quiry, Senator Wadsworth said it had covered only a part of the ground and that to investigate all army activities which might justify inquiry would not permit the committee to finish its work during the present session of Congress All of the expert civilians appearing before the committee, Senator Wadsworth declared, testified in the same direction --'proper centralization of authority, es-- tablished preferably by statute, whose decisions may be promptly reached and accepted as final
 Lack of preparedness before the war, the senator said. is costing many, many prolonging the war.
 Illustrating his argument from a large chart hung on the Senate wall, with Sec retary Bakers reorganization plan and that of the committee shown together, Senator Wadsworth called attention to the existing vast number of official, semi-official and purely advisory agencies, bureaus and other bodies, which he asserted are not co-ordinated, consulting or harmonizing.
 BLUE TAGS
 fa.. &t.z goods with blue-tagged priority orders have exceeded normal shipments and in the east S6 per cent of all freight was so tagged
 What has been the result?' he asked "A hopeless jam and congestion of ouI railway transportation facilities. A million. three hundred thousand tons of munitions and supplies are piled upor the docks along our Atlantic coast. billed to France and Italy alone. In some places locomotive boilers and great piles of shells and other important materials have been. dumped out upon the ground and lie rusting in winter weather.
 Reviewing the governments handling of the coal industry, the senator said:
 "As a result of lack of planning WI have great communities starving for coa and an order issued by the fuel admin. istration closing down thousands of fac. tories and throwing out of work hun dreds of thousands of men and women costing millions of dollar in wages ant delayed product, and crippling for tn. time being those very activities upor which we must depend for the winning of the war;
 Other emergencies will overtake us Senator Wadsworth said in conclusion If we are wise and prudent and far. sighted we shall establish some agency in our government. whether it be called g war cabinet or by some other name whose members shall sit around a counci table every day. morning. noon and night. and devote their whole time and every ability toward working out in ad. vance the methods of meeting and over coming the emergencies.'
 REPLIES TO WILLIAMS
 Senator Wadsworth replied to asser- ticns made by Senator Williams, demo crat. yesterday, that the proposed wal cabinet legislation was stupid,
 "The legislation springs from mer whom that senator nor anyone else car say are stupid" he said.
 The New York senator conceded tha reorganization of the war departmen as made by Secretary Baker, had re suited in improvement. but contended i affected that department only. Such citi xens as have been summoned to aid tn government can act under the existing law only in advisory capacities. Eng land. Canada and France. he reminde, the Senate, have been compelled to cen tralize authority in the purchase of sup plies.
 Senator Wadsworth contended the mn nitions director bill would leave solely t, the President the power to determin how far munitions purchasing should b. centralized.
 "There is nothing in the bill." he said s'that inteiferes with the navy purchas ing system. unless the President shoul, SO decide"
 "The British munitions control" h. said. ssaved the British army by mobo liking industry, and no one in Englan, would now abandon the system
 FUEL RESTRICTION
 The fuel restriction order was cited b. the New York senator as an example o lack of proper coordination between gov ernment departments. Although the or