The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1918-02-22


state of efficiency was found in every
bureau connected with it.
The county discovered that the crit
les, not the secretary had fallen
down"
Their criticisms for all the world
ended like Hudibrases' gun:
whether aimed at duck or plover.
Kicked the gunner over.
Failing, they next turned their
guns on the secretary Of war The
country was informed that a weak
ling had been appointed TO The most
important arm of the government ser
vice
In saying that the nation had fall
en- down" in every bureau of every
department" Senator Chamberlain of
the military affairs committee, said
that he only meant his criticism to
apply to the war department
But when Secretary Baker took the
country into his confidence in his won
derfully lucid and exceptionally frank
statement it was Immediately discov-
cred that he had been more shocking
ly traduced than even the secretary Of
the navy
The nation has awakened TO the re-
alizati0n that a tireless and almost
super-human worker is at the head OF
our military organization and never
before in the history of the world has
such complete system ever been in.
augurated and this term applies to
every bureau Of every department
of our military operations
Almost frictionless things have
moved forward and continue to move
forward with electric speed
Yet, after the grilling given the sec
rotary by his missionaries, viz:
Messrs. Chamberlain, Hitchcock
Weeks and Mcclellan, Senator Hitch
cock has the audacity to say:
1--WE found that we are only now,
nine months after entering the war
just beginning to work on two great
powder plants, costing $90,000.000, the
powder from which will not be avail
abel until next August. We found that
We need a million pounds of powder a
day more than America is producing.
We found that the need of this pow
der was known last spring, and that
now for the first time We are begin
ming to build the factories in which
the powder is to be made"
The question of powder was gone
over very thoroughly and exhaustive
ly before the committee. The cross
examination covers several pages in
the Congressional Record.
The secretary's explanation ought
to have convinced every unbiased
mind The whole matter was put in
The hands OF experts aud ii every way
was entirely satisfactory to the army
officers and all concerned. The very
best things were done that could have
been done and the cross examination
ended with the following statement
from Secretary Baker:
Our powder supply is adequate"
Yet in the face of this examination
which showed that we have annie
munitions ana equipment and every
complaint was shown to have been
unfounded and made in malice. sena.
tor Hitchcock attempts to convey the
impression that We need a million
pounds Of powder more a day than we
are manufacturing
He fails is tell the country that We
are buying i, both III This country and
abroad at an exceedingly small Der,
ceacage OF profit ana are making pre-.
partitions TO manufacture il in nam.
moth quantities as fast as il $ posi-
Bile TO construct buildings ana procure
the necessary materials for its manu-.
facture
There was great deal of criticism
about the cantonments bur read what
eN-FfeSident Tat says about them in
another column
Every criticism is made not for the
purpose Of periodically having mis-.
takes, If any, rectifed. bur for the
purpose. pure and simple. Of electing
a republican congress in our fail cleo
tons.
Well may Mr. Martin Glynn say:
And so. III view of these verities.
which no political manipulation can
snatch from history's page; in view
OF the official funeraI-hued glories and
the official scarlet-tinged scandals Of
the Spanish-American war: in view
OF Ayers embalmed beef OF odorifer.
Gus memory. in view OF inferior ships
purchased by the government at 81.
perior prices; in view of the stigma
and disgrace that typhoid fever killed