New-York tribune., 1920-10-11
u. S. w asted
Billions by
War Policy
Continued from page one,

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spad aeroplane, the highly efficient rs
gun and other weapons which could
have been produced speedily in Ameri-
can industrial plants. The Admins
tration turned them down.
In December, 1917, eight months
after our war declaration, we had 1867
ooo men in France, some of whom had
sailed without rifles and were totally
devoid of artillery, airplanes, tanks.
sheils, machine guns, trench mortars
and other munitions and supplies pro-
duced in America
About that time, the records show,
Colonel Ansell. Acting Judge Advocate
General, went to Secretary Baker in
despair and pleaded for action. The
records also show that Secretary Baker
smoked his pipe complacently and re-
marked:
Il don't know that it will be neces-
sary to send very big army to France" ="
On December ~, 1917--eight months
after we entered the war-the Com
mlttee on Military Affairs of the Sen
ate started an investigation on war
conditions. The. committee elected
early IN its inquiry that with an aver
IN the United States there were rifles
tor training only half the number; ar
tlllerymen were being trained without
artillery; machine gun companies had
never seen machine gun; thousands
OF troops were wearing summer under
wear in winter; thousands had no over
coats; hospitals were without plumb
ing and heating, though inhabited.
Blame Laid to Baker
General Crozier, a witness, blamed
Secretary of War Baker. On January
l9, 1918, Senator Chamberlain, Demo
cratic member Of the investigating com
mlttec, said in an address in New York:
~ me military establishment of the
United States has fallen down There
is no use being optimistic about thing
that does not exist. 1t has almost
stopped functoning Why? Because
of inefficiency in every bureau and in
every department OF the United States
speak not as a Democrat, but as a
citizen of the United States"
The President later charged Senator
Chamberlain with "an uniustifable dis
tortion of the truth" and referred to
Secretary Baker as zone of the ablest
public officials I have ever known"
Senator Chamberlain defended himself
IN the Senate, saying:
The President did not know the
truth, but l did. The President nat
orally obtained his facts from the
Secretary of War. but if subordinates
gave the information, they lied"
Records show that the Administra-
ton displayed great production activity
only after it was apparent that Amer
( lea must throw her whole weight into
the war. Almost year had been
wasted since the declaration that war
existed.
The Ordnance Department at Wash
lngton spent nearly $4,000, 900, 600 from
the beginning of the war to June 1
1913. The Civil War was fought fo1
less This department started to build
10000 guns Of all calibers and equip
them with munitions.
Pershing's Final Report
Only 1913 guns and 5000 shells of g
single caliber reached the front in time
for use during the war. General Per
shing's final report, made almost yea1
after the armistice said:
"The only guns of these types pro
duced at home which reached France
before the cessation OF hostilties were
100 77millimetre guns. In addition
twenty-four S-inch howitzers reached
eur front and we're in use when the
armjstice was signed"
The War Department declined to
make the hand grenades used in the
war by the Allies and attempted a new
one. Orders were placed for 10000 60O
They were too complicated, and Per
shing bought grenades from the Brit.
lsh.
Over billion dollars was spent or
an aviation program, and not one
American built fighting plane ever
reached the front. A few American
made observation planes, which, ac-
cording to testimony of experienced
flyers. were clumsy, badly constructed ID
and highly dangerous, reached the
front They were dubbed by the flyers
Flaming cotfins."
Pershing fired French gas exclu-
sivcly at the Germans though the War
Department spent $4,000, 900 on this
mmodity.
The War Administration built three
pcric acid plants and seven more
plants to produce phenol required for
picric acid. These plants cost $685.
000,000 and nothing was producted
from them for the war
A powder plant at Nitro, w Va.
costing over $70,00000c, powder
/! plant at Nashville, Tenn, costing $780,
( 100000, and nitrate plants at Sheffield
Ala; Muscle Shoals, Ala; Toledo, Ohio;
Perryville, Md, and Cincinnati, cost
ing Sll6 ,OOU,OUO, produced no powder
or nitrates for use in the war Soms
were not completed until after this
armistice. Two of the largest were
sold after the war for less than 500
100000.
Tremendous Orders Placed
The War Department placed tre-
mendous orders, including 100000
pairs of army shoes, of which more thar
100000 pairs were delivered, fol
less than 100000 men. Although the
war had been demonstrated to be e
"motor war;" orders were placed fol
soc, 900 sets Of double harness anC
more than 10000 sets of single har
ness.
Orders were given for 945,OoO sad
dies for the army's $4,000 cavalry
horses. All ambulances were motor
lied, yet $21 100000 worth of ambu
lance harness was bought. Other item!
included 100000 halters, 1,50O,00C
horse brushes, 100000 feed bags, l.,
100000 horse covers and l95,00(
branding irons.
The government spent $3.50, 900.
000 for ships, and the bulk of Ameri
can troops were carried to Europe or
British ships. According to the Ship
ping Board these ships are now wortt
about $2,0OO,0O0,
McAdoo,c ro;lr0od ;etr