The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-01-24

and yet has called for no such panicky y
action by any one Of them. The severe
winter weather which psrslyzed traffic,
and the extraordinary demands for
fuel due to wartime conditions are
cited by Doctor Garfield as the causes
making necessary his order. The
miners blame the railroads for the coal
shortage, and the railroads blame the
starvation policy" Of the government
toward them for the last generation.
More coal was mined In the United
States last year than ever before, the
output exceeding that Of 1915 by TO-.
100000 tons Of anthracite and 1900.
OOO tons Of htuminous. or the output
only about 3 per cent was exported,
mostly to Canada. Yet, within the last
week England sent coal to us. In order
that supply ships might not be stopped.
Out Of the Are OF congressional In
vestigation the marine corps has come
with added luster. the contrast to war
department conditions being sadly
marked. The house committee said the
corps has been kept supplied on "A war
basis with no apparent delays, while
about 25,OO0 recruits during the year
have been properly housed, clothed,
fed and trained. The secret OF this
lies In the fact that Maj. Gen. George
Barnett, commandnnt Of the corps. be-
lieved In preparedness. Two months
before America entered the war he or
dered 10000 pairs OF shoes and 10000
Lewis machine guns. His purchasing
system has worked smoothly and rf-
hciently, possibly because he has had
the assistance Of no 'dollar.a-w week"
civilians. whose capabilities and knOwl-
edge ure not commensurate with their
patriotism. The bureaus OF construc-
ton and repair and Of engineering OF
the navy department also received high
praise from the committee.
Secretary Baker and his manage
ment Of the war department are still
the objects Of sharp attack and the de-
mands for his resignation or removal
increase daily. His long defense be.
fore the senate committee was the re-
verse Of satisfactory, and there In de-
cided diversity Of opinion as to wheth.
er or not his reorga nization Of bureaus
will cure the evils that have infested
his department. Daniel Willard told
the committee the new plan was faulty
In that II did not concentrate control
and relied too much OH voluntary ef-
fort, and Immediately thereafter Mr..
Willard resigned his post OF chairman
Of the war industries board. II was In
timatcd new chairman might not he
appointed pending action on the pro-
posnls for the creation OF q war supply
department or administration.
Can II he that Mr. Baker, deep In
his pacifist soul. believes the war will
come to an end before the American
troops are called on TO fight. and there.
fore Is willing that adequate prepare
tions for their active participation In
the conflict shall he delaye,ii In lis
review Of operations In Europe he says
q great German offensive Ia TO be ex-
p~cted on the west front, hut he IL con.
fdent that the war.worn British and
French armies can Withstand II.
-
Fierce controversy ragged throughout
the week between the German groups
represented respectively by Won Luden-
dorfT and Won kuehlmann-the pan.
Germans and tn. nonannexatio ionists.
There was n report that the govern.
ment had compromised the dispute by
yielding to Won Kuehlmann as TO the
east front. and assuring Won Luden.
dorff that he might grab any land on
the west front that the military forces
OF the empire could seize and hold
through the peace negotiations. But
this report was unconnrmed.
Berlin stated officially on Thursday
that the central powers had found the
Russian proposals unacceptable, and
that German and Aurtrian troops