Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-03-27
SENATOR LODGE ARRA|CNs
POLICIES OF DELAY
Declares American Front Has No
Air Defense and Only Few
Old Coast Guns.
COMBAT PLANE PRODUCTION
PoindeNtcr Declares This Country
Has Virtually Abandoned Manu-
featuring This Type OF Flying
Craft-IiitcicockC ontrauicts.
49, Associated prcsu .,

bf Associated Press
" ASlIINGTON. March 2S-Stirrcti by
the menace or the great German Of
fensirc. the Senate spent to-days de-
bate almost entirely on subjects con-
ncctcd with the war. and heard Senator
Lodge deliver n dcnunciation Of the
delays which have prevented greater
forces from the United States being
placed beside those OF the allies in the
critical hour.
Compulsory military training was adj
vocatcd by Senator Lodge. who urged
adoption Of the amendment to the draft
law, providing for the training OF boys
between the ages OF eighteen and
twcnty-onc years.
Senator Lodge characterized the sit
uation confronting this country as
terrible" and urged that tho Amcri-
can people he told the truth
The fate Of this war is trembling In
tho balance" he declared "In this dark
hour It Is crime TO keep from tho
people the facts that Germany herself
knows"
1t has been known for weeks. he
said. that we have no lighting planes
in France.
LODGE GIVES VARIED
DISCOURAGING IMPORTATION
our front is undcfended in the air"
he continued. we have no guns in
France. except few old coast guns
That is the hard fact.
we have turned out only two
American ships. although the country
mas been led to believe there were
th.rty-six ships.
1T is TO the fast degree painful TO
sa" these things. but 1t is the truth.
Let the American people know the
truth, whether good or bad.
II have held my peace Il long time"
he added. but the day is gone by 70
stand b. in silence.
Il as an individual. as an American
citizen, want the American people TO
know what the situation IL. so that
they may rise up to meet It,"
Senator Hitchcock said airplune man
utacturers were ovcroptimis;ic al first
and plans were made for the manu-
facture o! more than they were able to
produce. AZ result. he said the es,i-
mate Of the number 10 be produced
has been reduced SO that there will
have been produced by July only
about tenth the number originally
planned
Senator Hitchcock said he did no,
feel at liberty TO reveal the number
now produced. but declared II "ridicu-
lousy small"
NOT FAIR TO SAY AMERICA
HAS ABANDONED PRODUCTION
The Liberty motor. he added, might
only be used In bombing planes. but he
declared II was not fair 10 say that
America has abandoned the production
Of combat planes. France. he said has
reached limit and cannot deliver any
combat planes 10 the American army.
Senator PoinGeNter declared he knew
the aircraft production board had aban-
doned plans for lighting planes.
Production OF combat planes has, in
fact, stopped. ~ 1t ever began. said
Senator PoindeXter.
Senator Hitchcock interrupted TO say
that at least 1000" combat planes
will be ready b. July under present
calculations.
Men high in the organization OF the
airplanc production board stated TO me
that there seemed 10 be in the efforts
10 produce airplancs some mysterious
and unknown influence that is putting
the blight on all of the efforts of the
board" Senator Poindcxter declared.
Senator Overman urged Senator Poin-
dexter 10 desist. saying such arlis
only distress the American people. add
ing that 1t was time when men should
work together.
Senator PoindeSter retorted that II
conditions were such As has been rep
resented. IL was the duty OF every per-
son 10 see that they were corrected.