Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1919-02-18
BLAME is PUT ON ROADS
Use of Facilities by British
and French Causes Con-
gestion, Is Claim.
OCEANS OF MUD ADMITTED
War Secretary Says Weather
Is Hindrance; Promises
Speed Of Return.

WASHINGTON. Feb. 17..-Sonator
Robert L. owen Of Oklahoma will
be invited TO tell the senate military
committee OF conditions at the
American embarkatlon camp at
Brest which he sharply criticised In
statemynt today after his arrival In
New York from France Secretary
gsker also expects Senator owen to
call az tho war department soon to
Inform officials there OF what he saw
AZ this much discussed center OF the
American army's huTcWard move
ment@
Secretary BAKER said today he was
delighted that Senator owen had
been al camp and after reading what
the senator had TO say declared that
the war department was Combing
every source where additional ship
ping to bring the troops home might
be found.
Roads Are Blamed.
AS TO -he crowding at Brest." the
secretary continued. II have not the
means OF knowing what the answer
10 this Is. / have been told-and |
do not Ike TO say that | have been
told because II sounds so unauthori-
istIyc-but I have been told that the
French railroad congestion is such
that II Is necessary for w to use the
French railroads when We can get
them. They are using them in their
eva demobll lzation and for the Brit
ish, and as "A consequence We have
10 use them when we can get them,
That might mean sending more
people into Btest and keeping them
longer than We would desire them
10 be there In anticipation Of the
known capacity OF the transport flee,
In order 20 make sure to have
enough men there when the trans
ports come In. That Is the answer
have heard from officers who have
returned 10 this country, but wheth-
er any error has been made about
that an the French railroad dif-
ilcully has been overes,imatcd I can
not say, because | do not know.
Oceans of Mud.
When the senator SAYS Clnslni-
larry | do not think he mcahS un-
sanitary In the sense that it ls\ I'm
clean. There are simply oceans OF
mud there | know that because |
was a Brcst substantially at this
trnc last year. II rains there $50
days ont OF 365 and sometimes five
umes a day. The mud seems TO be
our Blk trouble there"
Thc secretary added that returning
oiiicers and others who had passed
through Rrcst recently had told him
mat food conditions were very good
and that outside Of the weather and
NE mud, they saw little to complain
o' lie said he could well imagine
me feeling of the men waiting In thai
camp Tor returning ships however.
ana fnIly sympathized with ali the
o"content and unhappincss that this
"a'Nng under unpleasau, conditions
sn,si'cd
Owens Criticism.
go senator Owens statement that
hrrs' Is not ri for cattle to live In -
WI hls return from France, was the
occasion for the scCrctary's state
H'Nl That there were too many
M'n az brest and not enough ships.
ana mat the men were detected and
ut'hcholy over their detention were
u'n'r criticisms made by Senator
u"'h The government must or
e'h'Ae employment bureaus and
Ts'h'les So get men back into civil
NE as quickly as possible. he said
,"T announced his intention 81 going
~, " "aSnlhEion TO take up the iues-
"on WIN Secretary Baker.