Evening star., 1920-03-07
HOOVER PROPOSED
CALM PROBE into
CONDUCT OF WAR
Letter. to Col. House Advised
Investigation Outside
of Congress.
Special Dispatch TO The Star.

Special Dispatch 70 The Star.
NEW YORK. March 6.-Accredite
American correspondents to the peac
have had for nearly a yea
PERSONAL knowledge of the existence o
/ remarkable letter written on Marc
II. 1919. by Herbert Hoover to Col. T
". House. Copies were sent at tn
lime Of its writing to heads Of variou
departments in Washing
on from Paris to make certain tha
hey would have definite knowledge o
the proposed plan.
Text Of Letter Given.
The letter, dated at Paris, Is self-ea
planetary, It follows:
My Dear Col House: While you
are thinking ef many other prob
! JsHiS. fswant to makesa suggestion
a. to matters in Washington. In
the present political situation in
the United. States, Congress will
undoubtedly on reconvening devote
itself very largely to investigation
Of the conduct of the war. These
Investigations will be mixture of
derhagoguery. politics and sin
certify Of desire to maintain a high
standard of administration.
Owing to the nature Of congress
sional Investigations. by which
they are SO often colored with
prejudice. political trickery and
self-advertisinsA they are unlikely
to@reach the truth. They are more
likely to besmirch the reputation
of the American people to the
whole world. The war officials of
the government will have handled
some SAC, 200. 900, 900 in a period of
two years. They have mobilized
an entire nation. not only for mill
tary action, but for industrial and
social concentration, and to my
positive knowledge with a freedom
from dishonesty and with an ef-
ficiency not equaled by another
country engaged in this war.
Would show Mistakes and successea
Mistakes have no doubt been
made which it would be desirable
to have Illuminated for their BEN
eft to future generations. On the
other hand. the successes of a vast
number Of financial. economic. So
cial and military measures should
be likewise properly illuminated.
My suggestion is. to secure these
ends the President should appoint
q tribunal, composed of indepen-
dent men of pre-eminent character
who have themselves been free from
administrative work during the war.
who will sit as commission to in
vestigate the conduct of the war;
that this commission should be ap-
pointed in order that it may be able
to summon before 1t the officials who
will be available for some time, to
take such action now while events
arc fresh in the public mind,
while people who have complaints
and knowledge may come forward.
Taking my own department as
an example, every man in it will
be glad to have an entire public
illumination at the hands of some
just and Independent body that we
may be adjudged wrong where
wrong has been done. that we may
be adjudged right where success
has been attained; that we may
be freed from perpetually recur-
rent scandal and traduction at the
hands Of demagogues by having
some honorable acquittance and
discharge Of our. case. am sure
every other department and bu.
reau in tho government would
welcome such an inquiry and
am sure 1t would be OF lasting
benefit to the nation and would
tend greatly to Offset that pro-
found American ambition to ad-
vertise our weakness to the world
without any appreciation Of our
strength. HERBERT HOOVER.
Ne Comment Obtainable.
It was said that there was no one in
ew York who vas authorized to speak
n Mr.. Hoover: that II there was corre-
,ondence in the files growing out Of
,is letter no one had right to dis
iss 1t.
Col. House was exceedingly cautious
hon seen and asked about It. He
lid. "A great many letters came to
% when I was in Paris upon every
subject. There may have
Dsns such letter N you outline. but
the moment J Do net recall tt"