Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-01-14
WILL PUSH MEASURE
FOR MUNTTION CHIEF
Senators Join Chamberlain in
Plan, Despite Bakers
Opposition
WANT RED TAPE TO GO
Have Little Faith in Reorganization
Scheme of War Sec
retary
>yActIJNCTON Ian IA

Despite the expressed opposition OF
Secretary of War Baker to the Cham.
berlain bill. providing for Ministry
of Munitions and the implied diSap'
proval of that measure by the Presi.
dent. the bill will be pushed by ma
jority of the committee. including the
author of the measure, who Is a Dem
ocrat. Some members OF the commit
tee do not hesitate to say they have no
faith in the reorganization scheme lot
the War Department.
Many persons in Washington hold
the opinion that the plan which Sec
retary Baker outlined Saturday was,
to a large extent, formulated after the
committee started to uncover instances
of inefIiciency and delay in the
handling of the war.
No one has accused the Secretary of
War of ouibbling or attempting to hold
back information under examination
but some committee members feel
there was grave mistake IN per-
mitting his preliminary statement TO
20 before the country unscrutinized.
II was not until the day after Bakers
appearance before the committee that
the members realized he had spread a
bright picture of war accomplish.
ments before the country, tints or
which. they say, are of such brilllant
hue as to cast into the background the
shadows of doubt.
NIGHT CONVINCE THE PUBLIC
1t is frankly admitted that this state
ment may convince the country that
the Chamberlain bill is unnecessary
and that no further legislation Is
needed to push progress of the war.
This statement and the opposition of
the Secretary Of War to the Chamber.
ain bill are correlated in the minds OF
the committee members. They assert
that reorganization of the War Depart.
nent has not been thoroughly done. be-
cause 1t does not centraliZe the pusi'
ness of procuring and distributing sup
plies. Most of the members think this
responsibility should be placed upon
one man. Therefore they taNor fniil-
lister of munitions.
Baker does not favor such post,
and puts forward his plan as solu-
,ion Of the difficulties and as an an.
swer to both the demand for central
authority and increased efficiency. His
statement Is taken as brief for his
plan and the hypothesis upon which
he bases his opposition to a chanSe
AS he said yesterday, IF the country
is reassured by my statement, II is en-
titled to that reinsurance. and II II Is
found no more legislation Is needed we
should consider ourselves fortunate.
According to the views of some Re'
publicans of the committee. Secretary
Baker himself advanced strong argu
ment in support of the chamberlain
bill. They point out that he mas
erected a cumbersome structure oy
which supplies will be purchased oy
four or five committees not operat
ing under one head.
BALK AT RED TAPE
II is such a system they say. winch
has caused confusion and delays and
enpendered doubt and suspicion. IL Is
not their idea that superhuman task
should be placed upon one man. Du'
they do believe central autnorlty
should be established to settle disputes
and manage complicated anairs IN an
emergency or when the bureaucratic
, system would become topheaNy Vi
ensnared in red tape.
Another serious objection, which com
mittee members voice to the new order
is the retention of military men In th'
purely business branches of the service
rbav do not think officers should handle
the purchase of supplies, arrange con
tracts and credits and perform rune
tions entailing the expenditure Oh vas
sums and requiring an intimate ana eN
perienced knowledge OF business ah'
business sagacity.
This work should be handled by CIV
ilians, they say, men skilled In bartel
and trade and the political economy o.
the times; keen-witted men OF aifair'