New-York tribune., 1921-02-04
Dawes filings
Profanity at
A. e. #. Critics
punctuates His Testimony
Before Committee With
Stream of Oaihs Despite
Women Among Auditors
Charges Partisan Attacks
AssaiIs Investigators in Com
gress, Mud singers S
and Pinhead Politics

Krcsn The Tffbans's WoShfn0toa Bureau
WASHINGTON, Feb. 3.--Charles G..
Dawes, former brigadier general and
purchasing agent of the A. f. f., re-
newed his attacks to-day on the critics
cf Americas war achievements and on
she methods pursued by Congressional
war investigating committees. Ripping
out streams OF oaths, apparently OBJ
sivious of the presence of few women
sn the Graham committee room, Gem
eral Dawes assailed partisan efforts to
blame the whole army for the mistakes
Of few men and suggested that Con-
sress could better devote its energies
TO reducing governmental waste.
"What the hell did we go in for-to
steal money!" was characteristic
auswer hurled at members while Cen
erai Dawes was denouncing. criticism
OF army methods during the war. "a
dirty shame, this business of pinheadas
politics and mud singing" cried the
man who had been prominently men
toned as Secretary Of the Treasury in
Harding's Cabinet.
II bitterly resent this effort TO re-
feet upon the entire army because
some poor devil blundered in Switzer-
land" he continued. "You cannot nut
blotch on the army, These commit
tees try TO bring in partisan politics.
It was not q Republican or a Demo-
cratic war"
Says Committees Waste Time
The Congressional Investigating COM
mfttees are wasting time. declared
General Dawes, when they could be try-
ing to "save disgraceful governmental
waste" There is nothing new in any-
thing they may develop, he added.
Then he exploded this one:
Put Fatty Arbuckle, Douglas Fair
banks and Mary Pickford down in the
park performing and this whole COM
mittee would be down there and leav-
lng US alone. If wasn't here strut
llhg around and swearing there would
be no news in this. You could save
more money for the people if YOU did
your investigating right here in Wash
lngton. AS to France, you haven't got
I eVlaehce TO make case if one existed
and | don't believe it does"
replying to Representative Henry
d. Flood, of Virginia, who suggested 4
at this point that the object of the in
Vestlgations is to prevent recurrence
OF any mistakes learned during the
war, General Dawes shoHted:
Don't let this thing go before the
people as partisan fight. Everybody
wants to hear something bad about
somebody else. / am not here to make
charges that would blacken the name
OF soldier who cannot come in to be
heardn
Another member of the committee
asked If it was true that profteering
supply contractors had gone to France
and made fortunes.
"Yes, they were there, some of the
most despicable characters on earth,
trying to help the army by selling it
things it needed badly at exorbitant
prices" cried General Dawes. "There
was one man we caught and deported
What's his name? WHAT'S the use? /
am not muckraker He was a
traitor, and / wish we could have
shot him.
did you try to be purchasing agent
for the army?" Representative Royal
g. Johnson, of South Dakota, asked.
"Hell-no," shouted General Dawes.
Il tried to get into the artillery"
Mr.. Johnson then asked about "the
aircraft scandal"
while we didn't have the planes we
had the aviators," replied General
Dawes. "You want to be fair. Aviation
was an entirely new thing. We started
out in a brand new field. Nobody
wanted to steal anything. 1t was like
fellow starting department store
overnight when he had just been run
ming a little grocery. 1t was big and
new to him. That's the reason we
failed in aircraft.
"We can go around and bespatter
mud because fellow had $1,000 of
stock in some concern, but that does
not get us anywhere"
Praises French Sacrifices
The General branched off for few
minutes and discussed the French, avi-
alton service. "The record of sacrifice
OF the French can never be told"
said he.
Considering everything" he con-
tinued, "the record of accomplishment
of the War Department in getting
ready Tor war was greater accom-
plishment than that of France or Great
Britain in the same period of time.
and ] am not speaking as Democrat
Long after this committee is dead
and gone the achievements of the
American Army will stand as an ever
lasting blaze of glory. You have tried
to make mountain out of mole hill.
But, thank God, the army was Amer
lean, not Republican nor Democratic"
General Dawes's fire was then di-