The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-01-24
WAR WORK MAZE
OF INEFFICIENCY
Senator Chamberlain Repeats Statement That Drew
President Wilson's Denunciation Hundreds Of
Thousands of Deaths at Camps Might
Have Been Prev ented, He Says

washington, Jan. ~. otd"o'"S
firmly by his charge that Americas
military establishment is enmeshed IN
ineffieiency, Senator Chamberlain, OF
Oregon, chairman Of the military COM
n1ittee, replied in the senate today to
President Wilson's denunciation of his
recent New York speech by repeating
the statement which drew the presi-
dents fire and declaring that the pres
ident himself does not know the truth.
Senator Chamberlain declared he
would show that the deaths Of the hum
dreds and thousands Of men at the
cantonments and camps were due to
the war department and shat all epi-
denies could have been prevented 1t
the war department had been effect
i've"
Washington, Jan. "a. - Senator
Chamberlain, chairman Of the military
committee, rose to question OF per-
sonai privilege in the senate today and
replied to President Wilson's recent
statement charging that the senator, in
a speech at New York advocating gov
ernment war reorg anization and de-
claring inefficienoy existed in all
branches Of tho government had made
an astonishing and absolutely un-
justifiabie distortion of the truth"
In beginning his address. Senator
Chamberlain said the president had
attacked both his veracity and integ-
rity. heretofore unchallepged,, but that
in replying he did so without any
personal feeling against the president
His First Attack.
For twenty-four years. Senator
Chamberlain said. Il have served the
public in my state to thIbest of my
ability and in all that time have never
had my veracity called in question nor
my integrity impeached, and have
passed through some bitter campaigns
IL is therefore with some feeling OF
humiliation and also sadness that l
rise to a question of personal privilege
when my veracity has been called in
question, not by an ordinary citizen;
not by one of my colleagues, but by a
asery distinguished gentleman who has
the love and admiration of the people
and who by their suffrage occupies tn
highest place in the gift of the people
and. may. say, the highest place OF
any man in the world.
ut is therefore with much feeling
that 1. rise to address myself to the at
tack made upon me. and do so with
put any feeling of unkindness.
These personal charges against me
amount to. nothing to the American
people but affect policies which may
involve the future of this country, if
not the entire world"
Speech Read to Senate.
Senator Chamberlain said he had
been invited to speak before the Ma
tional Security league, accepted on
short notice and without time to pre-
pare an address. He recalled that on
the dais with him were Alton B.
Parker, Theodore Roosevelt and julius
Kahn and that the audience was "a
representative body that for patriotism
cannot be excelled by any like body in
the United States"
He then reiterated that he assumed
responsibility for the speech as re-
ported by newspapers and had read to
the senate a verbatim report published
In the New York Times
Senator Chamberlain, after the
speech was read declared that he ad-
hered to what he had said.
Query From Wilson.
Upon his return to Washington,
Senator Chamberlain said, he. received
a letter from President Wilson con-
tanning a quotation taken from the
New York World and asking if the
quotation was correct. The president
wrote that he did not like to comment
on the statements until he knew pos
itively that the senator had actually
made them. The letter was received
too late for reply Sunday. Senator
Chamberlain continued, but in a let
ter sent to the White House the fol-
lowing day he replied that he had
been quoted substantially correct. in
he World but asked the president to
'ead the entire speech as printed in
ghe Times instead of only part of it.
Received No Reply to Offer.
In his letter the senator also offered
TO 60 over the whole situation with
the president, but said he received no
reply, and on the following day the
presidents statement criticising him
was published.
The presidents statement and SEN
ator Chamberlain's reply then were
read to the senate, and the Oregon
senator observed:
Il DO not Know II any reply 10 my
letter was necessary. l assume that
statement is the answer.
The statement of the president
challenges me. of course, for proof of
the statement in the New York Times,
to which statement I adhere and re-
peat before this body.
"The people of this country may not
see this as do, but as chairman of
the military committee, as an Ameri
can citizen and a member of this dis
say the things that are in me and if
[ succeed in making a rift in the
clouds through which the American
people may see, 7 will feel that my
efforts have not been in vain.
Does Not Do II to Hinder.
Now that my truthfulness has been
Senator Chamberlain
81 feel IL my duty to tell
the country something I might not
have told X under ordinary circum-
stances. I do it as a man who loves
his country best of all and who would
give his life for II. I do II
fearlessly as an American citizen who
desires to help and not to hinder"
He repeated that he had not dis
toTfed the truth in his speech made
in New York, but that owing to the
great rush Of business due to the war
the president has probably not been |
able 10 ascertain the truth and does |
not know the truth. From the lips |
81 those closest to the president the |
','af ~-crutive cannot learn the truth |
rot because his advisers desire TO
lnislead him, but because they are
in the Same position as he is.