Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-02-16


rect all Of the governments war plans
was largely responsible for present and
past troubles. .'& l.
President Injects Politics.
In his charge against President VIII
son. the senator SAID:
Not a question indicating partisan
ship was raised until the President de-
Iil,erately injected politics into the SIT,
nation by an attack upon the chairman
of the committee. (Senator Champer-;
lain Of Oregon, Democrat, ana Ihe'
committee itself, and by calling 10 lhe
White House many Democratic party
leaders not for consultation purposes
but TO insist that a discussion OF TINS
question on the floor of the Senate pc
prevented if possible. Have we come
TO such q pass that the action OF the
most important committee in Congress"
ut this time is TO be forbidden by the
President"
referring to Secretary Baker, Sena-
tor Baker. Senator Weeks. after prais-
iny many army achievements. said:
Neither do wish to unjustIy or un-
rescrvedly criticize the head of the war
Department. He has had TO deal WIN
n multitude of questions, the dlSpoSal
of many of which meets my approval.
IT would require too much time to emu
Inerate. The secretary has done that
effectively in his speech made TO the
committee on Jan. IS,
Secretary Pacifst by Nature
II / were to criticize the secretary per-
hot no Il -
undertaken to do too many things HIM
self many OF which might have peeu
left to subordinates. If ] were to make
"A further criticism it would relate to MS
temperamental relationship to the war.
Doubtless he himself would admit that
he is a pacifist by nature. For example,
even now he is opposed to universal MILL
tarv training, and l cannot divorce my
self from the conclusion, based on his
own testimony, but he has teen inclined
~ plan for prosecution of the war-and
this condition has to some degree per-
meated the depa rtment. on the basis that
/. we are GOO miles away from the front, IN
stead OF Fastening preparation with all
the vigor we would exercise if our Dor
ders were the battlefront"
fteIerflnS TO MI baker reply 10 Il
question by the committee if other men
could not have done things better. that
he lid not know all the men ~ the world.
and could not Judge their capabilities,
senator Weeks said the answer was
somewhat nippart" and that it was I'm
possible to expect a department whose
head made such a statement to make
many changes which an outside inVesti-
cation had shown 10 be necessary
''nnc Of the uota bic features Of the pres
ent situation" Mr Weeks contended, lis
the virulencc used in attacking those who
favor the committees plan Of centraliza
ton They are referred to as plotters,
1nischievous meddlers and even as servi
tors of the enemy. Every means of false
suggestion has been used to dscredit
sincere and loyal attempt to make a
change which will materially increase
the efficiency OF our war administrat ton"
Asserting that it was physically i'm
possible for the President Individually to
coordinate and direct all the govern
ments functions. Senator Weeks added:
can it he possible that the President
will be embarrassed by such a cabinet?
" would seem as if he would be embar-
raised to greater extent by a perpetual
ton Of the dis jointed system which now
exists. system which has failed to de
liver coal. uotU outstanding the unbound
"d coal supply we have; which has been
responsible for a failure to protect our
soldiers against sickness and furnish
Them with suitable clothing
No Airplanes and Few Guns
We are the inventors and leaders M
"Irpianes and yet we have no airpianes
We nave the greatest steel works in the
world and yet We have few guns We
l"ad the world in automobile nanufac-
turt and Vet We are iust commencing 10
"btan motor trucks. and. worst of al
the system We have is responsible for
camp hospitals not having heat, water
az sewerage.
furnishing of food TO the armv. Senator
weeks said. had been a tremendous sue
'SS' Que 70 General sharpe" He AIS,
praised General Crozier chief OF ord
''H'e' saying he had often asked Com
-I'Ss l"r more ordnance appropriations
""t mat sentiment in the co,,n,rv NO
'A''' appropriations. General Crozier
"' declared, WAS partly rcsnonsih,, ~
"'l''ieA'ts Ia machine guns and light
ordnance
'"""hee upon France ror ordnance ,,a
O. "'h'r materials, he said. was .,,.rr
""u"ho' wisdom and the powder sitn
'N'' was described as acute. with ha1r
American production under contract
p '"e Allies and our total capacitv no, nj.
~ our needs
AVIATION work. the senator conceded
"'c oeen carried out inteEoon,l,. an.
Scientifically.
"hlie the actual number of machine.
constructed he said does nor com,ar.
i'Nor8"l} with impressions given the nuh.
I' Is represented that production wiz
re very rapid.
Although praisins efforts of the war
"' Pdi 'ment toward reorganizatio,
Hei'"'"f Weeks said that Edward S,et-
'.heus' TIE civilian surveyor of mr.
'haseS. was in an "impossihla nos;
non ana that the administration u,s
throwing away an opportunity 10
make an effective orSaniZatiopr hy ra-
jectins the plan for munitions tiirec-
tor,
Roots Reeomme dations Disreoard.d
That the recomme ndations of The