Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-02-03
SUPPLY CHIEF
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went over there to help. We cleaned
the slate and Congress today still has
pending claims that date back to the
Revolutionary War. 1t was a big job
and we are proud Of it. In finding
fault and hunting responsibility you
don't have to go far. Pershing was
the commander-inechief and his Shout
ders are broad enough. thank God, to
bear it."
Mr.. Bland questioned Mr.. Dawes
about excessive,prices paid for equip
ment and material.
"Sure we paid" he said. Eve didn't
dicker. Why, man alive, we had to
win the war! 1t was q mans job. We
would have paid horse. prices for
sheep if the sheep could have pulled
artillery to the front. The man like
johnson. there" he said, turning to
the chairman of the committee, was
standing at the front to be shot at.
We had to get him food and ammuni-
ton. oh, it's all right now to say we
bought too much vinegar and too
many cold chisels. but we saved the
civilization of the world"
Quite lot of the questioning relat-
ed to Great Britain.
Il am no more ashamed to stand up
here for England than for the United
States" said Mr.. Dawes, jumping
from his chair and racing around the
little committee room.
1T seems to be fashionable in Amer
lean politics to attack England. / am
not in politics and I am not going to
be. And 1 thank God that in a crisis
like we had there were no chickering's
between the English speaking people.
England took over forty per cent. of
our troops. OF course, Pershing gave
them five divisions, but it had to be
done to save the allied line"
The line of questioning shifted con-
stantly. Diplomats were mentioned.
"The diplomatic system of appoint
ing men with pink tea experience in
war time" said Mr.. Dawes, was a
rotten failure. Sharp was all right,
but the rest of them were utter fail
ures. It was all due to the appoint
ment of society men-pink tea fell
lows. They couldn't get anywhere
We had George McFadden over there
and he did in three days what the di-
plomats couldn't do in three months"
Mr. Dawes also paid his respects to
open diplomacy.
Let me illustrate" he said. I'VE
needed $4,000 artillery horses. They
were in the fields, and 1t was harvest
time In France. and everybody said
there would be revolution If we at
tempted to take them. 1t was my Job
to get them. and 1t was my argument
that we could not get our men to the
front without them and unless we
got them the Germans would break
through. We did not talk prices-we
Just pulled them out of the field. OF
course that sort of stuff could not be
printed" az ar
What did you get for the horses
when they were resold to France?" he
was asked.
II don't know" he replied, "but the
price was low. OF course 1t was. The
horses we're taken from the field. It's
easy to find fault, easy to say we
should have struck a bigger bargain.
But put yourselves over there and /
think your viewpoint would be diff
ferent."
Before the supply service was coor-
dinated, everybody. Mr.. Dawes said,
was pulling in, different directions.
1--WE have got the same trouble
here" ne added. with 10 cabinet Off
GERS each trying to get everything for
himself regardless of the common
welfare. The president ought to
stop it,
Mr., Dawes said mistakes were made.
But" he said. II am glad that
there is a desire in some quarters to
make a permanent and honorable rec
ord of what our men did, There have
been complaints that our surplus in
France was sold. 1t would have kept
10000 men trying to guard 1t while
we peddled 1t In small lots. The men
were brought home, and the best bar
gain of the war was, in the sale of
that stun to France.
Nov. here Is how we sold It: Mem
bers of our commission. including
Judge Parker, sat down at table
with the French. We laid our cards
down. told our friends that some
Of us had suggested different prices.
that this bird Parker was a flard-boiled
egg and was standing out for $780,
100000. ] said that ! thought s400.-
100000 was fair and we traded
Mr.. Dawes agreed to remain over
for another session fnnorrau