Evening star., 1919-09-21
Army and Navy News

supply divisions for the Army. 1t
has supervision of all the bureaus
and, can prescribe, through the Secre-
tary of War, methods by which they
shall proceed to perform their func-
tions. which is the fact that most Of
the bureau chiefs are resenting. Mar
kets are formed by layers of COM
modities. which are manufactured
and sold to consumers.
The bureaus purchase for the most
part strictly according to their func-
tions, ordnance buying. ordnance sup
plies and engineers seeking their
peculiar needsA 1t was found that
to interfere with one another; nearly
all needing large quantities of the
same commodity-steel. for instance.
4 4
Senator Chamberlain's analysis of
discussion of the
Regulating the extension of the
General Staff. powers Of the gen.
eral staff beyond
the Limitations which Congress placed
upon it under the fifth section" of
the national defense act, which. after
defining the duties Of staff officers
generally of planning or investigat-
ing nature-adds. ''or such other du-
ties, not of an administrative nature,
on which they (the staff oflcers) can
be lawfully and properly employed"
It severaly arraiens the Secretary of
War for overruling the opinion OF the
judge advocate general that this pro-
vision deprived the stah supervision
of the supply departments, and for
directing the chief of stan to exer-
else. although in the name OF the
Secretary, who unquestionably pos
sesses the authority, certainsadminis-
trative functions. >,
If there is any one thing more than
another which enabled the War De-
partment to function, 1t was the
meaning and force which the Secre-
tary gave to the language of this Sec
tion. 1t was quite true that 1t was
the intention of Congress to limit the
activities of the staff to state of
innocuous desuetude as far as any in
reference with the supply bureaus
was concerned; and in constituting the
law. to be that Congress could not de-
prive the Secretary of the advice of
his authorized chief of staff or de-
prive him of the right to allow the
chief OF staff to give orders in his
name. the Secretary. at his personal
risk. took fine and courageous stand
in giving the forced Interpretation,
contrary to the opinion of the Judge
advocate general, even though pre-
pared by former Gen. Ansell. By this
action the Secretary made it possible
for the chief of staff to get co-ordi-
mated action.
Had he at the outset Of hostilities
possessed stan experienced in busi-
ness. with authority and force to CO.
ordinate bureau activities, the War
Department might have escaped some
of the severe criticisms that persons
from all sections have leveled against
It. A stronger STAN would have known
what was going on and would never
powers Of the quartermaster general
to the Council Of National Defense; a
stronger supervision would not have
tolerated the absorption by one or
world; would not have allowed one bu-
reau chief. in his unrestricted eager
ness for the performance Of his own
duty, to monopolize copper or some
other commodity Of equal importance
and would have put an end to q system
purchase in the open market In the
meantime no one was interested in
securing tonnage for the transporta-
tion Of men and supplies to France.
breakdown. in the whole organization.
With the advent Of stronger advisers
to the Secretary and an increased
transfer to them OF the exercise in
his name of authority to regulate the
supply divisions the War Depart
ment began to assume some degree
of effectiveness. -
That was the result Of the disregard
by the Secretary of War Of the mar
row intention of the Congress and is
one of the finest instances of courage
and independence en- his part. It is
true that Gen. Goethals, who was in
vested with peculiar authority by
the chief executive. in his eagerness
administration than the present di-
rector Of P. S. and T. approves or
permits; but what Gen. Goethals did
was done under war pressure. and
1t got the results which he was after.
+ + \ \
Senator Chamberlain on the whole
has presented excellent reasons why
the. proposed
Arguments Against Army reorgani-
the War Bill. .ss.,s '
passed. He raises the objection that
the proposed army is too large for q
reace-time army: and no more dan
gerous instrument can be found in q
nation, republic or autocracy. than a
large professional army at the direc-
tion Of the executive. 1t was the un-
doing Of Germany in that it was the
chief support Of militarism: it is
-