Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-02-18
KANSAS GOVERNOR
CLAIMS MEN SHOT
BY OWN ARTILLERY
He Tells House Committee
Troops Were Sacrificed
in Argonne Battle.
EXECUTIVE AN EYEWITNESS
OF BLOODY FOREST FIGHT
Declares American Big Guns
Moved Down Troops From
Sunflower State.
PLANES DID NOT AID INFAN NTFY
ASSERTS Wounded Men We're With
out Attention. and Urges Full
Investigation.
EXECUTIVE AN EYEWITNESS
OF BLOODY FOREST FIGHT
PLANES DID NOT AID INFANTRY
ASSERTS Wounded Men We're With
out Attention, and Urges Full
Investigation.

WAsHISc;ToN. FEB. 1.-THE Thlr-
ty-tittl Division was insuniciently
equipped. improperly supported and
suffered heavily from tho fire OF it's
own artillery in the battle ot Argonnc
fcrest. Such was the substance of
Committee today By Governor Henry
j. Alien, oc Kansas.
Our own artillery was moro dc.
s;ruciive TO our men than 20 the
enemy" an officer OF the division
wrote in repor, OH the battle. Gov
ernor Allen told the committee.
The Thiriy-nfth Division is com
Prised OF Kansas :roops. Governor
Allen was in charge of Y. NJ. e. 4.
work for the division in France. and
Vas an eyewitness at tho battle
Ipc Rules Committee summoned the
Sovcrnor to appear before Il during
consideration OF resolution by Ecp-
icsentatire Campbell. OF Kansas. di-
;.fsins an !nvestigation of charges
speech In his home state
'NNGsTiGATION PROMISED
ny HOUSE COMMIrTEE
You may be assured tha: this nEh;
WI! be investigated" Chairman Pou
ioid Govcrno: Allen after the COM
Charges made By Governor Alien
summed up, were:
Ihere was insufficient aircraft,
either TO keep off the German airmen
tire
That. the artillery barragc fell short.
Tounding and killing many infantry
inen IN the division. due TO failure 10
provide sufficient aircraft support.
] Ihat ,ne infantry vas also wi,hou,
psoGsT arti!iery support because OF a
no telephones, fareg or other means
Or sisnhltng, and that the advance
va'niy sent back runners in An effort
20 hafc the artillery range increased
SAYS WOUNDED MEN
WE'RE not ATTENDED,
hours without attention. and that there
"as lack or itiiers, ambulanccs and
That the infantry was ordered for
ward TO capture machine guns and ar
:l.."ry. involving needless sacrifice OF
IKE. instead OF empioying. trench NOR
s' es.s' machine guns. tanks. artillery.
ctr.. for the purpose.
Govern Allen also said that on
re ,m' az nni9oe the battle opened, two
removod. Ono OF them. Rrigadier-
General I. G. Martin. who has been
discharged. wa7 "A, the hearing today
ana "il! appear before the committee
tomorrow. lie is now .,djutan,- q en- :
cral OF Kansas
Governor Allen said the aivcraf, did
somr,. 1, srarT, ,r,,,, ,,a aud ihai the division
declared tina; they we're constantly
buying French horses at s400 each.
ana losing them the mex; day be-
cause they were not Iii to do the
CASUALTIES IN EIVE
DAYS NUMBER 1000
Governor Allen sa!d The divisions
casualties during the battle lasting six
gays ana iive nights, from September
whom lJ%3 were dead or missing.
Repiyins TO q statement by General
March that there we're l23 airplanes
so they covered twcnty-two- nile
i:oni. ana many naturally would be on
nc ground: Anyway he said. there
weFe not enough planes at any poin,
After. reading from orders issued by
Najor-Gsnsrai i'ctcr =. Traub, who
c9}Trnmamdiea conn the division. Governor
These orders show the commenda-
ion o. men Of The infantry who went
guns. grenade ana tanks."
From the same orders he showed
how the One Hundred and Tenth l;ngi-
line fo-. several days. although NOT
supposed to be organized for infantry
duty.
ARTILLERY FIRE FAILED
~ 1-ho1ESl INFANTRY
From letter written by lcuten-
@nt- colonel. Governor Allen read:
our artillery fire failed US and did
no,,-s not supRor' s,msn, us afier The first few
lery, machine guns. hand grenadcs,
etc. with our service rifles only We
should have been trained to fight ma
lie also read from ii letter written
hy first sergeant. who wrote that
TIC artillery support was useless after
t,a tire ff,IlY- nd l,alf =
lack OF horses TO bring up the guns.
Most OF the horses the sergeant wrote.
we're not fit for use. and could be seen
said that the Germans dominated the
Governor Alien laid before the com
mt;ee report signed by a Captain
Truman. written at intervals during
the oaS.iei sdod and COPY of whicl,
Mo Ne Il became ls pnbis e THAT nari
written on September 80 declared tina
the division was suffering losses from
i;s own artillery ilrc. which was fall
TROOPS ARE CONTINUALLY
PELTED BY ARTILLERY
During the entire dag our troops
were continually pelted with our own
artillery. Our own artillery was more
destructive to our men than. 10 the
enemy. Our airplanes have been OF
little use to us In combating enemy
planes. nave Scul hNe mes
sages to the artillery this morning to
lengthen our range. 1t is doing more
TO undermine our morale than any
thing else. There is not telephone
In the organization, no signal flares
left and we have no way to commu-
nlcatc except by runner Our regi-
left"
with the full strength of 5000. Gov
crnor Allen commented.
An official report by Lieutenant
Colonel r. G. Peck, inspector-gencr
OF the corps. Of which the Thirty-tifth
was a. part, estimating that the total
shortage Of horses In the division was
, a.703, and declaring the. ammunition
trains. were practically immoblln be.
i n Continued on Second Page.)