The sun., 1919-02-19
PROBE OF ARGONNE
LOSSES POSTPONED
Next Congress to Investigate
Gov. Aliens Charges of
Inefficiency.
GENERAL INQUIRY LIKELY
Colonel Writes That Wounded
Had No Ambulances for
SO Hours.

investigation OF losses among Kansas
and Missouri troops Of the Thirty-nfth
Division in the Argonne fighting, which
Gov. Allen of Kansas charged were UNI
necessarily heavy because OF inefhciency
and lack OF artillery. will 60 over until
the next session OF Congress.
Gov. Allen completed the presentation
Of his request for an inquiry to the
House Rules Committee to-day, and the
committee in executive session decided
that the time was too short to permit q
comprehensive inquiry at this session.
Chairman Pou said a general inquiry
into the whole conduct of the war prob
ably would be ordered by the next Con-
gress.
Saw Crippled Soldiers Beg9ing.
Representative Siegel IN. W. author
OF a resolution for a general investiga-
ton of conditions in the army. appeared
before the committee to urge action
upon his measure. He said that "condi-
lions in at least one New York division
were similar TO those OF the Thirty
NTH" Protesting that no arrangement
had been made by the War Risk In
surance Bureau to pay the monthly AL
lotments OF crippled soldiers, Mr. Siegel
| gaid the bureau was four months be-
hind in it's work.
He declared he had seen crippled SOL
| diers in uniform begging in the streets
Of New York because OF failure to get
Government allotments.
Gov. Allen in his testimony to-day as
had n of
American soldiers during the seventy
two hours before the signing Of the
armistice.
"Of course, II 10 a Well known fact that
| the fighting continued up to IL o'clock
OF November H." said the Governor. 1T
seemed that they were eager TO get as
| close to Germany as possible. But
every one knew when the seventy-two
hours was given Germany for signing the
armistice that the terms would be ac-
copied. That, then, was needless sac
riflce of life.
The Germans were retreating under
fire. but their fire WAS very effective and
in a very deadly fashion"
The Governor also appeared before the
Senate Military Committee and repeated
in part his statement Of yesterday re
garding the Thirty-fifth Division.
what is the purpose Of these dis
closures. We won the fight. didn't wer
asked Senator Kirby (Arkansas), Demo.
crat. interrupting the Governor.
| THE purpose Is to find out why al
this ordnance that we paid for did not
arrive in time" he replied I'VE wor
the battle. but We won 1t with a terrible
loss"
Colonel Makes Charges.
! Before YOU get through / would like
| for you to give us a report on the eff
cent work of your organization. the Y
". c. A. have heard more complaints
about the inefficiency OF the Y. NJ. C. A
than OF any other organization II
France" said Senator Kirby.
1--WE had to meet certain amount OF
criticism" the Governor replied. ''Th'
Y. NJ. C. A. was the only organization
that sold anything in France. We tool
over the army canteens and there were
many charges OF profiteering."
Among the letters presented to thu
committee was one from Col. Carl Ris
tine OF the 13sth Infantry OF the Thirty
fifth Division. who wrote:
Some one ought to tell them abou
things over here how We were stripped
of blankets and had summer underwear
and no overcats for the Argonne fight
during which wounded men almost fro2
to death. No ambulances for thirty-sl,
hours and then only six to nine small
ones to haul $500 wounded men in 81,
days. These ambulances frequent!
took as long as thirty-six hours to &c
to the field hospital and many men die
on the way. We finally evacuated
4 stretcher cases by the hundred Il
trucks"
The Governor also presented othe
letters from privates and officers relating
to similar conditions. one from Harold
Perkins, who was in charge of the re
mount station of the division. who SAT-
that the division was without a sum
Client number of horses to move the ar
tillery, and that many of the animal
were unfit for service
Blames Whole System.
Chairman Chamberlain asked Gov
Allen where he placed responsibility 70
the Argonne situation.
II put It down as a part of the highl
organized inefficiency of the whole sys
tenn" he replied. We bought broke,
naturally did not sell us their bes
horses We paid $500 apiece for Their
after many of them had been gasset
We did not buy enough horses in thi
country. At that time we were sendin
only raw man power over, but We wer
no: sending enough equipment to suppl
them"
While in France the Governor said h
organized through the Red Cross tn
system -aSxS.,ting infoLRsac1 TO rela
tivea regarding the conditions of soldier
in hospitals. but when report OF tn
death of an Alabama soldier reached hi
home six weeks before the casualty Ifs
an order was made that no informatio
: be sent by the Red Cross ahead OF tn
casualty lists.
81 told the officer that that syster
was in vogue in the British army an
that It worked WELL" he said. but tn
: officer replied that just because the so
ders In one army wore red pants 1t wa
No align that oiir army should Wea