New Britain herald., 1918-01-03
HA
 .HARGES BLUNDER
 IN CAMP SUPPLIES
&iSenInan Puts Blame for Lack Of
 Uniforms on QuartermaSter


 the Quartermaster- Generals depart ment in evidence before the senate Military Affairs committed
 MT. Eisenman, who was put through severe examination, defended his own committee against any delin- = quency. He maintained that the Sup A@&ly committee, of which he Is the ac- tive head, had carried out the work of pareeling out contracts and hurry ing the manufacture of equipment but that the Quartermaster Generals de- psrtment had failed to get the equip n1ent to the camps.
 Although sufficient blankets had been made to supply all the men in Ascamp, MT. Eisenman said the Quar- termaster Generals department blum dered in shipping too many blankets to some camps, while others had none. The department, he said, was also at fault in not having informed the Sup ply committee as to exactly how many uniforms would be needed, this caus- ing delay in getting the uniforms man. ufactured
 l Senator's questioned MT. Eisenman about contracts given to various mem -7hers of the Supply committee the wit ness teStifying that nearly all of them were engaged in supplying the govern nlent with equipment for the army. Senator McKellar brought out that the Supply committee members did not vote on contracts in which their firms were directly interested
 The Tennessee senator pointedly ewssked MT. Eisenman if the Supply committee members had avoided vot- ing so as to keep from violating Sec tion 3 of the food law, which forbids seynTfJnta a +S of bo ernment from participating in any government contract in which they are financially concered.
 Mir. Eisennan let Senator Mex ellar know that he resented the insinuation ssthat the members were trying to con venientiy dodge the law as the sen- ator put it. He defended the Supply committee against any suggestion of favoritisn in the award of contracts to it's members
 At one point in the evidence MT. Eisenman became aroused over ques- tions about why the army contracts had been allowed to lag. He said he Melt that the senators were unjustly Tinsinuating ineficiency and favoritism in the Supply committee.
 The insinuations of senators here are unfair and uncaI1ed for" he ex- claimed, heated1y 1T don't think it is fair to let such stuff go upon the record as has been given before this committee in the last few days
 The witness was led into an ex- k pianation of the activities of the ' Base Sorting Plant in New York, one of the owners of which is Ira I. Rap Ian. brother of Samuel Kap1an, chief advisor to Mir. Eisenman on the Sup ply committee. MT. Eisenman insist nG ha hn ~, pt ot grating" outfit, had been int- lated by witnesses before the com mlttee, and that he had approved the contract under which ii operated
 Mr. Eisenman said the Supply com mittee had made purchases for the army aggregating $s0o,00o,000.
 What I'd like to know,' inter rupted Senator Hitchcock, lis why, with a. country of such vast resources as ours, asd such tremendous produc- ton, we have been unable to equip 1900, 900 men with clothing over coats. and shoes. I cannot under stand it''
 There has been no shoe shortage" replied MT Esenman.
 Well. at least thousands of pairs of shoes supplied don't fit the sol diers' feet" commented Senator n Hitchcock. 'It cannot be denied that there has been a serious shortage in uniform and blanket equipment Deaths have resulted ia some of the camps and have been laid, by some, to lack of sufficient clothing in the severe weather
 . Well. when more men were called out for service than had been antici- !, Npated and they had to be equipped, something had to happen, and it did in6 shortage had to come somewhere. If we had known last May that we would be called upon to equip an army of the size that was called we would have done it without delay
 When were you informed how many men you would have to equip?' 'aslzed Senator Hitchcock.
 We were never officially informed of it."
 ''Well, don't you think it was your job to see that there was adequate equipment for every soldier?'' de- manded Senator Weeks. Wasn't that the job YOU had D.
 Tt was the job of the Quarternas- ter Generals department" was the A reply.
 " Senator Trelinghuysen remarked that the Supply committee ought to have made sure that the men had adequate clothing and blankets
 Well. if the Quartermaster Gen. eral points out the greatest need there would not have been any shortage" answered MT. Eisenman. "T don't A like to criticise the Quartermaster 0 General, but that's a responsibility cannot assume. In some camps there were as many nine blankets to .SA each man, while other camps had Nnone. Now, there was something