The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-03-27
SPlii:.)upU.S.W WAR
.|SSENAT0RS'PLEA
Many Attacks Are Made on
Program.
DEMAND FULL PUBLICITY
1t is Declared When 10000 Airpianes
Were Promised, But 81 Combat
Planes Will Be Ready.

Were Promised, But 81 Combat
Planes Will Be Ready.
Washington, March 21.-Stirred by
the menace If the great German often
SiVe, the senate spent a day debating
almost entirely on subjects connect
ed with the war
In the coUr>r of the debate, Sena-
tor New, Republican, Indiana, declar-
ed instead OF 100 combat uirplanes
as provided i'll The Original airplane
program. the number will amount to
only thirly-srven.
Senator Lodge, Republican, Massa-
chusettS. delivered Il denunciation Of
delays which have prevented great
er forces from the United States be
ing placed beside those of the allies
in the critical hour.
An impaSSioncd plea to speed up
productions. especially of coal, was
E3aip by Senator Thomas, Democrat,
Colorado He said HE German forces
are "thundcring 1T the gates of
Paris and the country should be
aroused To the peril that confronts
us"
The situation at this time" said
he, is graver. perhaps, than at any
time in our history. We need every
reSource-to tell them we are coming
five million strong. with our treasure,
our coal, our ships and our food.
Senator Thomas attacked the fuel
administration orders reducing the
cut down production and result in dis
aSter.
Compulsory military training was
advocated by Senator Lodge, who
urged adoption of the amendment to
the seIective service law introduced
by Senator New, Republican, Indiana,
providing for the training of boys be-
tween the ages of eighteen and twen-
ty-one years.
Mr.. Lodge characterized the stu
TERRIBLE" and urged the American
people be told the truth.
The fate of this war is trembling
in the balance" he declared. Our
gallant allies are holding back the
Germans with sacrifices and courage
that goes past eulogy. In this dark
hour it is a criIae to keep from the
people the facts Germany herself
knows"
1t has been known for weeks, Sen
ator Lodge declared, we have no
fighting planes in France.
We haven't a fighting plane there"
he continued. Our front is undefend-
ed i'll the air. French and British
have use for every plane they can
bring up, and our men are not defend
ed We've no guns in France except
a few old coast guns. That's the
hard fact.
six months we wasted while we
We're trying to improve the French
15-millimetre gun, the best in the
world And now we have no guns
and have gone back to the French
plan-siX golden months wasted.
I'VE have turned out only two
American ships, although the country
has been led to believe there were
thirty-six ships. Some of these were
ships obtained by foreign countries
and completed by the shipping board
which has been in existence since
September, 1915"
Senator Hitchcock, Democrat, Ne
braSka. said airplanes manufacturers
were over-optimistic at first As a
result. plans were made for the manu-
facture of more than they We're able
TO produce. AS Il result, the esti-
mates of the number to be produced
has gradually been reduced, so the
number that will have been produced
by July l is only about one-tenth OF
the number originally planned.
Senator Hitchcock said he did not
feel at liberty TO reveal the number
now produced, but called it ridicu-
lousy small.
Senator PoindeXter, Republican,
Washington, said he knew the aircraft
production board has abandoned plans
for fighting planes.
Production of combat planes has
stopped, if it ever began, he said.
When the fate of a nation is to
be determined. when defeat stares Us
in the face" he cried, Its a great
satisfaction to know were only behind
schedule What's the matter with the
SCHEDULED"
Senator Hitchcock interrupted to
say, lat least 1000" combat planes
will be ready by July under present
calculations.
Declaring calculations have contin-
ually gone awry, Senator POindexter
retorted: Things have come to such
a pass as To be scandal to the en-
tire world, in my Judgment
Il say there is just one way to cor
rect this outrage on American youth
and that is through 'pitiless publici-
ty,'" warmly replied Senator Johnson