New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-09-14
R;Il for Reorganization of
Army Declared by Cham
berlain an Example of
.sN;litarism Gone Mad"
Power of Gar Outdonc
All Checks Wiped Out and
Control Centred in Will
son and Chief of Staff
.Nr,r York Tribune
y ARLINGTON BM~,ou


WASHINGTON. Sept 1s- Senstor
George f. Chamberlain. Of Oregon. in
an ansly;icsl statement on the War
perartment bill for reorganization Of
me army to- day asserted tina. in effect
j. invites Congress to rel;nquish all
control Of the army and place it ia
the hands of the General Staff.
The bill is an example Of "militarism
zone mad" Senator Chamberlain said
It proposes to give nominally to the
President, but really TO the chief cf
staff, he asserted. more dcspotic con-
troll than ever was exercised hy tho
Gar over the armies Of Russia
Senator Chambe lain severely crit
e;sed Secretary Baker Ind Chief of
Staff March. The Secretary Of War. he
said, had proved a flexible instrument
IN tire hands Of the ch;ef Of staff. Ho
charged that Secretary Baker had vo-
lated explicit directions by Congress
that the wo~k OF the general staff be
restricted to correlation anu planning,
ana had suppressed an opinion by the
Judge Advocate General which held
the general staff could not exercise
administrative functions
Impeachment Suggested
Senator Cham berlain said the de-
tant action OF the Secretary had set
1t naught the intent Of Congress, and
added, lat this time there appears tt
be no remedy except possibly by fur.
ther and more explicit restrictive leg.
islaton or the extreme one of resort
TO impeachment proceedings by Con-
ress"
However" ne continued, cher,
remains 4 faint hope that at some
time there may be a head of the Wa1
Department sufficiently free from this
dominance Of the general staff to give
to the legislation In question tht
force and effect that congress in
tended, andn plainly said, that j,
should have
Secretary Baker took no cogni-
saice Of the Chamberlain charges ex.
eept to deny that ne had suppressed
the report C. the Judge advocate
general In letter to Senator Wads-
worth, chairman of the Military
Affairs Committee. he asserted The
opinion Was printed in his annual re
port for 1915. Secretary Baker re-
ferred 10 tine opinion in his report anc
said in order TO carry out the genera
policies laid out by the chef Of staff
1T is not only appropriate but neces-
sary for the chief of sta TO pursue
with as great detail as his judgment
dictates, the execution Of these poll
cies through the several bureaus"
Other Accusations in Report
Senator Chamberlain other charges
we're:
l. That the General Stag has taken
over and would keep permanently
under the army bill many of the pow
ers of the War Department bureaus
=. That the adoption OF the bill
would set aside the provisions Of the
civil service Law and permit appoint
ment of vast numbers of enlisted men
to serve in the various bureaus.
g. That tremendous additions of
officers of high rank are made 20 all
bureaus, and particularly to the Gen
eral Staff
4. Thatthe chief of STAFF would be
given full power to transfer officers
from one branch to another and from
all parts Of the earth as his favor or
prejudice dictated.
d. That the emergency rank granted
the heads of the various bureaus
would be given them permanently
without reference to the Senate
6. That witnesses appearing before
the Senate Military Committee to
testify on the bill have either been
hand p cked" or intimidated to cou-
pei them to favor tbs War Depart
ment measure.
Senator Summarizes Charges
Senator Chamberlain summarized his
statement as follows:
Briefly stated, the principle purpose
Of the legislation proposed by this bill
Is to empower the chief Of an all-pow
ertul general staff corps, acting by au-