The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-02-04

Administration leaders prepared to reply to Senator Hitchcock, whose speech launched the dehate which has been impending since Secretary Baker made his statement and the president made known his opposition to the military committees plans for reorganizing the governments war machinery.
 Conceding that much of a big task has been creditably done, the Nebras- ka senator insisted that centralized and co-ordinated war operations through war cabinet and centraIiz- ed purchasing through a munition director are imperative. He assert cd that the president and Secretary Baker had tried, but failed, to attaio the object, and that the governments system was obsolete The commit tees legislation, he argued, would not embarrass or interfere with the presi- dents direction of the war.
 sharp criticism of many govern rnent war activities was made bv inc senator in illustrating his arguments
 Blunders that almost surpass belier'
 nave occurred in the war depart- ment,' he said, and the ship building situation he described as "a farce and almost a crime.'' He declared the transportation system "has brok en down" and is a gigantic wreck" With 2,OOO,000 tons of freight piIed ,,1 at New York without shipping fa acf1f- ties; that the fuel administrators or ders have paralyzed war and other industries; and that food distribution also has been inefficient. In f1atly denying Secretary Bakers statement that the government has plf'n TOT the war, the senator said the military committee was thunder struck by the war secretarv's onti- mistic assertions.
 T am afraid to go too deeply into shipping figures he added, "for one might be charged with giving infor- nation to the enemy. All who are informed as to the present supply of our shipping were thunderstruck at the statements of Secretary Baker. His sanguine predictions as to our ability to ship men to Europe and supply them there are exaggerations of the widest sort
 To supply million men in France supposinS we could get them over. it will require 5,G0O,000 tons of shipping in constant use. We all know the to- tai tonnage now available is nothing like that amount. We all fear it will not approximate that a year iron. now"
 The senator summarized the enor- nous burdens on the president, in- cludfng his formulating a foreign pol icy, designing all the legislation for congress to pass, dictating the indus trial and political activities of the country, and looking after expendi-. lures of S25O, OOO a week.
 Tn the first place the president be longs to the school of political phil osophers who adhere to the belief that all important legislation should orig mate with and be proposed by the executive. I cannot subscribe to this scheme of government, although it has some obvious advantages, ;7l that lit provides leadership, order and pro- gram.
 Since he became President MT. Wilson has enforced his view on Con- gress to 2 large degree and generally with good results. In the main I have been one of those who have followed his leadership and supported his poli- cies and I expect to do so in the fu- -ture. Now and then, however, an ex- ception must be made"
 The war departments obsolete methods. inc senator said. had brought the expected results, "con- fusion of authority, red tape. circum- locution and inca aDacity." and he cited evidence given in the military com- mittee inquiry of clothing, rife and equipment shortages and sickness and deaths in camps as the result of i over-crowding and lack of clothing. We found we must depend on
 over-worked and strained France
 for machine guns for ground use until S nearly the end of this year." he said. 1 1dding that the first Anierican-made' (Continued on Page S.l