New-York tribune., 1918-02-05

Wilson Leaders
In Heated Reply
Sen. Williams Charges
Nebraskan Is Play
ing German
Game"
lStof Correspondence

"HoAANH1ON, FeD. g. DECLARING
that neither the President nor the Sec
retary of War knows the real situation
and charging that the Administrators
conduct Of the war has fallen down and
VIII continue to fall down until the
whole system was revised On a business
basis, Senator Gilbert N. Hitchcock
Democrat, of Nebraska, to-day told the
Senate that the only remedy was pas-
sage Of the Chamberlain War Cabinet
and Minister Of Munitions bills.
Ihe Senator's speech provoked a hot
response from Senators Williams. o.
mississippi, and Reed, of Missouri. The
day IN the Senate was given over 70
discussion of The bills-a discussion the
PRESIDENT had striven to prevent.
Likened to King on His Throne,
Senator Hitchcock said that oplv
omnipotence could succeed in what
either President Wilson or Secretary
Baker had undertaken to do. In de-
claring that neither the President nor
the War Secretary knew the real situa
tion, Senator Hitchcock likened the
President to king or his throne.
The complaints of things gone wrong
never got to him-never could get to
him--the Senator asserted. They came.
hs said. to members Of the two houses
cf Congress.
And" he added, ito use a slang
phrase, this situation is up to US. The
remedy is a war cabinet"
Senator Williams, probably the clos
est personal friend President Wilson
has IN either house, replied to Mr..
Hitchcock's arraignment of the pros
ent war making machinery, virtually
charging that the whole agitation for
war cabinet was pro-Germa,
scheme.
Talks Of German Game
Twice during his speech Mr.. Williams
referred to the fact that. long before
the United States entered the war, MI
Hitchcock had favored an embargo on
munitions and food to the Allies.
That embargo was the German game
then,' said Mr.. Williams "Muckrah-
ing the Administration is the German
game now"
Mr.. Hitchcock sat calmly through the
Williams attack. not attempting once
to interrupt. His own speech, wh:ci,
went into details as to the inefficicrc.
OF the war machine of this country. FOL
LOWING up and amplifying the arraign-
ment delivered in the Senate last weck
by Chairman Chamberlain, aroused OBJ
Nlous CONSERVATION among the Admin
istration leaders.
Democratic Leader Martin. one OF
the Senator'S on whom the President
urged the necessity, in a conference at
the White House last week, of not even
discussing the super-war cabinet and
the ministry of munitions bills, rushed
round the floor early in to-days ses-
SION seeking some means of choking off
the discussion.
Frequently Interrupted
Early in his speech Mr.. Hitchcock
was interrupted several times by Ad
ministration Senators, particularly
Leader Martin. Senator Myers, who is
member of the Military Committee.
and Senator Williams, who was taking
notes for his answer.
MIR. Martin insisted that the Nebraska
Senator should have taken his observa-
tions S TO inefficiency over to Secre-
tary of War Baker.
Il have made myself nuisance to
the Secretary of War by bringing such
questions to his consideration" said
Mr.. hi chcock. ''In my opinion, the
Secretary of War ought not to be
troubled with these details He is com
pletely overwhelmed with complaints
and details all the time He has little
time to plan the great affairs of the
war"
Senator Williams demanded that Mr..
Hitchcock should reveal the names of
his lnformants on some of the mos
obvious blunders which he recited. as.
for instance, the fact that the War
Department ordered 2l,ooo,ooo pairs of
shoes. greater number than Great
Britain had used so far in the thre Q
and half years of war.
Can Verify Facts
M. Hitchcock said he could not en-
barrass his informants by revealing
ttelr names, but that the facts could
be verified.
:. II enter Il general denial" rctorted
Mr. Williams. That is all that would
be required to such charges in a court
Of law" . 'N'
81 am willing to leave the decision to
the jury" said Mr. Hitchcock. whereat
the Vice-President had to threaten to
clear the galleries
Mr.. Hitchcock's speech was consid-
cred on both sides afterward to be verv
temperate and fair almost as temper
ate as the speech of Senator Chamber
lain last week. Only once did he in
duilge in sharp criticism of Secretary
Baker, and even then his comment was
that Mr.. Bakex had been misled as to
me iacts. This was his reply to Mr.
Bakers statement with regard To ths
number of troops that could be sent Ia
France in 1913. He characterized this
as an "exaggeration of the widest
sort"
Il am curious to know" interpose
Senator Penrose at this point, "whcther
any explanation has occurred to thu