The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-21
TRAUB'S OWN men
GAVE ALLEN DATA
FOR 18th CHARGES
Governor Answers Testimony
of Divisions Commander.
Information Based on Official
Reports of Officers.
SAYS TRAUB KNOWS OF FACTS
Inspectors Report Shows Horse
Shortage So Per Cent.
War Machinery, Not Men, Fell
Down, Says Executive.
SAYS TRAUB KNOWS OF FACTS

Gov. Henry ]. Allen today answered
the testimony of General Traub before
the congressional investigating COM
mittee when he said that the entire
complaint regarding Thirty-fifth divi-
sion losses had been made by civil
ians. The Kansas governor stated that
the information which he gave to the
investigating committee this week
came thru military sources. This same
information, Governor Allen declares,
was before General Traub, received MS
personal attention and is now tled
in full with the investigating commit
tee.
In his statement today Governor AL
len declares that the charges he made
were not based ON idle gossip among
civilians To bear out his statement
he gives names of army officers who
were responsible for charges. This
information, the governor states, was
by army officers in the field and In
possession of facts Nor that all.
He states further that General Trauo
himself was in possession of this same
information Shortages of supplies
which are declared to have been re-
sponsible for heavy losses among
members of the Thirty-fifth also af-
fected other divisions.
Had these men been backed by the
war machinery for which the Ameri-
can people had paid the price" said
the governor in his reply to General
Traub, 1.-The losses they suffered would
have been very much less"
In his statement answering the testf-
mony of General Traub, Governor AL
len said:
Traub's Officers Furnished Data.
General Traub states no complaint
has been made of the conduct of the
battle of the Argonne and Thirty-fifth
division except by civilians.
This statement was astounding to
me in view of the fact that my entire
presentation was from the testimony
of his own officers and men,.
The statement that we were 50 per
, cent short in horses, and that the
artillery and 10th ammunition train
had become practically imm obile thru
lack of horses, was from Colonel Peck
Il regular army officer who was the
inspector general of the corps tc
which the 35th belonged This report
also dealt with the shortage of ambu-
lances and clothing. 1t was an Off
cial report and had received the at
tention of General Traub himself. L
is filed in full with the investigating
committee. and it will provide ar
astounding revela ton when the con
gressionaI investigation goes into the
entire matter.
Barragc Fell Short
rage fell short on account of the lacl
of aircraft to direct the artillery fire
was not my report. 1t was the repor
of Captain Truman. a regular arm!
officer whose duty it was to keep th'
post commanders informed as to tn
progress of the battle in the from
line.
This, also was an official repor
and will receive the full attention o
the investigation committee when tn
investigation starts.
1.-The report that our casualties wer
much heavier th2n General Traub il
his impromptu statement says the,
were, was given by Captain Harry r
Huffman, who had charge of the cas-
ualty clearing station and whose dut
it was te count the wounded as the
went thru.
when you add to Captain Huff
mans report of the casualties tn
1888 the war department states wer
killed or missing. it makes the tota
of the casualty list of the 35th Divi
sion over 1000. This report receive
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