New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-04-30
BAKER MAIN CAUSE OF
IMMENSE WAR WASTE

Washingt n, April rs In one OF the
most startling reports ever laid be-
fore Congress, revealing waste and
theft of Government funds totaling
millions of dollars and intense suf-
ftring among the soldiers, Repre-
sentative Roscoe c. McCulloch, OF
q" hmi ted II the House today
the findings of Subcommittee No. 2
of the Sci Ct Committee investigat-
ing expenditures in the War Depart
ment
McCulloch revealed the results OF
six months invest cation of the
camps and cantonmen built at the
beginning of the war for the train
ing of the army, at a cost of humid
reds of m lions OF dollars. The use
of the cost plus system Of contract
for this undertaking. put into effect
wi h the sanction OF Secretary of
War Baker caused the committee
und, d lay waste, fraud and ex-
travapence, the result of win ch will
be felt for years and years to come
by the people of the United States
Camp Sherman, at Chillicothe,
Ohio was held up by McCulloch as
an example of the waste of public
funds. Ont Of expenditure of more
than $'3000000 for this single pr J.
jec' the committee estimated that
S. 100000 might have been saved for
the taxpayers had the contractors
b. en- held in check from their riot of
extravaPence 1t is an astonishing
story of extravaganza
L., ., .a1t,tarc
ditures at Camp Sherman including
even the destruction of vast duanti-
ties of building material, McCulloch
showed that ineXcuseable delays
caused great suffering among our
soldiers who were patients at the
base hospital at the camp. Steam
lines, intended to supply heat for
the hospital, were left unconnected
from September until the first part
OF November. although severely Did
weather had set in while the steam
filters employed to do the work
"were engaged almost constantly in
gambling, shooting craps and iding
away their time" TIL also was
true in the barracks where accord
ing to one witness. Ohio boys fresh
from their homes and as yet unused
TO he hardships of war actually
were pinched blue by the cold"
McCulloch revealed what is recog-
ni7ed as the worst scandal of the
war, the result of a most searching
investigation that included lonG
hearings a. the various camps and
also in Washington. That criminal
prosecution of those responsible
will follow is almost a foregone con
clusion Demand is made upon the
Department of Justice to bring i'm
mediate action for the recovery OF
the wasted public funds.
Some idea of what these are may
be gathered from he discovery that
out of an expenditure of $206000000
paid for the construction of the six
teen National Army cantonments,
more than $780O0Oo0 should have
been saved In add ton to these
were The National Guard and special
camps and hospitals in large num-
bers. The total cost amounted to 81.
100000 600 and it is estimated that
from 80 to 50 per cent was lost be-
cause of waste and idleness. Not
only that, but il is estimated that
there was SO per cent loss of time
in construction due to the cost-plGs
system
McCulloch made a scathing attack
on Secretary Baker, Who, in testi-
flying before the committee, admit
ed responsibility for authorizing the
council of National Defense, altho
not legally empowered to do so. was
permitted by Mr.. Baker to put the
work in the hands of an Emergency
Construction Committee, the mem
bership Of which was composed of
contractors, although the corps of
army engineers, including such Of
ficers as General Goethals, who
built the Panama Canal, was ready
and anxious to undertake it, but in
stead was snubbed and Inundated.