Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-02-02
RlCHhOND
v irgi MIA
Ing Congress for what 1t had done"
SENATE'S RIGHT TO INVESTIGATE

SENATE'S RIGHT TO lNVESTIGA ATE
Here Senator Chamberlain read
what Senator Arthur p. German said
In. reply to President Cleveland and
continued:
Il glory in the spirit that was
shown by Arthur Pue German. | oc-
cupy little different position. This
charge by our distinguished presi-
dent has not been hurled at the Sen
ate; 1T Is hurled at my devoted head
am only one Of nincty-siX; I am on
~ unit in this body; but above AMI
over 1T all IS great principle that
inc Senate Democrats and Republicans
ana the country at large ought to re
sent.
1T may be me today; it may be
inc senate tomorrow or any other
member; IL may come in five years
when somebody else is in the Senate.
II does not make any difference who:
appea! upon the principle not be
cause 1t has been hurled at me. but
insist that this body as a coordinate
branch Of tho Government has a right
TO speak as it plcascs as to condi-
lions.
lhc Senate can Investigate any
man or any set Of men that it sees
Ut 10 investigate, and do 1t at It's own
sweet VIII. without suggestion and
without let or hinderance. If the
senate Will only do that once, then
we VIII not be troubled with this con
d1tlon very often in the future. The
senate ought to assert it's dignity
ana It's part and parcel in this great
Governmental machine.
senators. | am no: rOsenting the
animation contained in tho prcsi
uehts letters about interfering with
these Investigations but am simply
calling the attention Of the Senate to
the conditions that may confront them
at most any time. However. Is it ell
,lrcly true that this Investigation
mas done no good? Why, my friends
there has been whole rcorganiza.
uon or the system since wc started
into 1t.
Ol course the evidence tends 10
snow that the reorganization was
commenced before we got busy. but
"hether was or not, thcy have
changed the whole plans down there
IN nope OF bcttcring Il bad condition.
"or instance with all due reference
10 my good old friend. General Sharpe
VINO Is splendid man and a patriot
c.l'%cn: ne was wholly unified for
the JOB. lie has gone out of il. and
they have put General Cocktails in.
lhat Is Il part OF the REORGANIZATION
with al due reference to my friend
General Crozicr who has been q bril-
liant soldier and brilliant man,
thlnk that in these days, perhaps,
that move so fast. he was not quite
the man for the place So he was
practically taken out of tho active
control of the Ordnance Department
ana General Wheeler Was put in.
"hat have they done? They hay,
gone to work and gotten Mr.. Essen
man; in other words they are put
'lhG strong men at the head and put
ting Mr.. Esicnman just where he was
"lth the old regime. They have nut
INTO the ordnance department anoth
or dlStinGuiShcd gentleman. Mr. Sam
uel McltobcrtS, who is very able
man, and | think will possibly help
bring order out Of chaos"
TOLD THE PRESIDENT THE FACTS
Mr.. Chamberlain said that the pro
posed War Council would bring order
out OF chaos and effect coordination
He continued:
Senators, the President SAYS that
we have not consulted him about this
legislation. | am very sorry the Presi
dent said that. Now, speaking as a.
Democrat, and not as an American
Tor few moments-( Laughter in
the galieries)-
"Thc Senator from Nebraska (Mr.
hitchcock and l, while these hearings
were going OIL ain stating this to
the House Committee for the first
tlmo; they never heard about it, for
Things were coming out in that com
mitlee that were so bad that we
thought we ought as Democrats, if
not as American citizens, TO tell the
president something abouI thcmc-it
would not have made any difference
TO me IL Roosevelt or Taft or any
body else had been Tres dent.
Il would have felt it my duty to
do just the same th:ng-anyway the
Senator rom Nebraska and l went to
tho White House and told the Presi
dent the way Kings had been develop
ing before the committee and that we
thought he ought to know it. We
went into it pretty fully; I think
stayed there an hour. l think the
President was surprised at some Of
the things we told him; in fact he
expressed surprise.
The remedy was the thing that
was in our minds. | said that the
proposition for II Director Of Num-
lions had been in my mind for a long
while that | had been studying the
British system and that somethisg
like that or some strong intermediary
between the President and the army
ought to be pretty good thing. The
conversation was not confidential, as
l understood. We were simply taln
ing about conditions. l would not
even refer to it but for the fact that
1t IS charged as to our committee
a splendid body OF men--that none
Of them had discussed this legisla-
ton with the President. The Presi
dent did not approve or disapproye.
but he had the information, just the
same.