The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-06-10

tppdIdtuS, eSpeClally ioT hight WUIh.
We are short of modern field wireless
to such an extent that we had to strip
Panama in order to secure small
amount for use on the border We
are without any of the modern types
of heavy mobile artillery such as is
in general use in Europe artillery
which often has had a determining
effect upon operations. We have not
built in this country as yet any of the
modern aeroplane engines OF the lat
est military type We are not con-
structing, as we should, with all pos
sible haste, artillery of various types.
We are building little or none of the
long range mid-caliber type of artil-
lery such as is now in general use.
Indeed, we are only just commencing
the manufacture of the approved
heavy type of machine gun, and have
not yet determined the type Of light
machine gun we are to use, although
these guns must be provided in the
proportion OF about eight of the light
to one of the heavy guns.
This Is the condition, although the
worlds greatest war is two and one
half years old, and its lessons as to
equipment development of arms and
munitions are an open book to all the
world. We stand practically as un-
prepared as when the great war began
and are apparently unobservant of its
clear lessons and unappreciative OF
the fact that no amount of money and
no amount Of effort can purchase time
or make good it's loss.
Senator Lee or Maryland-Is not
your proposition substantially to turn
over the entire military control with
out question to the war department
that has failed. as you admit, to prop
erly handle this relatively small num-
Der OF soldiers?
General Wood-No, sir; I would
turn it over to the commander in chief,
the president Of the United States.
and would go after the war depart
ment supply organization, if neces-
sary. with sandbag and reorganize
it. l would enlarge the co-ordinating
and supervising control of the chief OF
staff until efficient supply resulted.
THE Chairman-Take the British
army for instance. as read about it:
they have the same difficulties in mob
ilization that cur own army has had;
that is, they did not have trained men
to handle the transportation facilities;
they did not have a trained soldiery;
so they had the same difficulties whip
ping 1t into a system. and it took prac-
tically year and half to do it.
General Wood-Tlat is right. But
their regular army, known as the expe-
dictionary force, was like our own
regular force. ready, and it went
promptly. Their supply department
like our own, failed. and they had to
create the great munitions commits
sion as a special commission, because
the old supply departments. dyed-in-
the-wool, welded to methods and
thinking mostly of departmental en-
tourage, did not meet the demands OF
the situation. They had the same ex-
perience we had. II we had gone on
with this war, il it had been a real
war, we would have had to shake
things up and form some commissions,
including big business men with wide
experience and energy, or fail dis
astrously.
Senator Brady-To put business
methods into the organization?
General Wood-To get the cob
webs out of the supply departments
and put some punch into them to con-
vert them from a wheelless vehicle
into something that will move easily
and smoothly.
IN conclusion, / wish to emphasize
the necessity of prompt preparation
of an adequate force of trained men
with the necessary arms, equipment
and supplies for 1000, 900 men. In my
opinion there is nothing of more vital
Importance than that we should take
measures to this end and take them
Immediately"
This is most interesting and highly
important n aiding. Practically every
| thing that General Wood foresaw as
necessary-even to the raising of an
army of 100000 men-has been done
or is in process of doing, but Of course
a year or even more too late, because
this was not the first, it was pretty
nearly the last of General Woods ad-
jurations. From the very beginning of
the war he had beseeched our govern
ment to make ready, but the presi-
dent did not Mr. Baker smilingly
would not and Mr.. Creel continued
and still continues to heap pious eff
fusions of gratitude upon the AL
mighty, who of course, had nothing
whatever to do with it and, we have
not the slightest doubt, is as disgust
ed as the rest of us that an impudent
popinjay should undertake to shift a
part of the responsibility to unfamil-
lar regions.
The simple fact is that General
Wood is in bad because he was right.
He also introduced Colonel Roosevelt
to the boys at Plattsburg and got the
reprimand which we thought he de-
! served from Secretary Garrison But
/ 1t was trifling matter of excessive
zeal, fine patriotism and deep convic-
fiOn NO uuworthv attribute NJ host
and-we were not at war then.
We are, now. And it is the COM
mon peril and love of country that
should be drawing US together, just as
recently it did effect the happy recon
Citation of Mr.. Roosevelt and Mr.
Taft, instead of inducing the wreaking
of vengeance upon great men, and es-
pecially great soldiers, capable of rem
dering the best service. The World
disposes Of all such things, at stated
intervals by saving that "Ro0Sayelt