The Washington herald., 1921-02-03
Pink Tea Warriors Were
Mistake, He Tells
Committee.
CRITICISM OF A.E.F.
is IN POOR TASTE
Army Did Its Best, His
Answer to Charges of
Extravaganza.

eating overseas expenditures by
the War Department ran into a
hornets nest yesterday when Brig.
Gen. Charles G. Dawes, Of Chicago,
former chief of the supply procure
ment division, American Expedition
ary Force. was called to the stand
Gen. Dawes resentment was so
strong against efforts OF what he
termed political committees" to
uncover mistakes by the organiZa-
ton that won the war" he could
not remain in the witness chair
while testifying.
Pacing up and down the room,
he waded into the committee and
threw in reinforced damns and
other strong language at the end
of frequent sentences to emPha-
size his remarks.
Incidentally, the general paid his
respects to the pink tea" diplo-
matte service and the unbusiness-
like methods of the executive de-
partments Of the government. Presi-
dents of the past were charged
with having failed to perform their
constitutional duty in not exercising
more careful supervision over de-
partmental expenditures.
Answers Charge Of EItravsEance.
Con. Dawes was asked by the
-
mittee to testify in reply to charges
made in a reliminaTy report Of gross
waste and extravaganza by the
overseas forces. These charges
were based principally on the sale
Of all army surplus goods, Variously
estimated 10 be worth as high as
s4ee 600. .0be.
Represe seatative Bland. Republican.
OF Indiana. leading in the cross
examination. sought to make the
point that Il would have been Use
and economical to have bSOught
these supplies back to the United
States The food and clothing turn
ed over to France, he said. could
have been used to bring down the
cost Of living here. The airplancs
would have been valuable TO the
military establishment
Gen. Dawes made it plain he
thought il came with poor grace
for the committee at this late day,
5000 miles away, to criticize things
done under the stress Of war. The
army withdrew all Of the supplies
IT deemed necessary. and ordered
the remainder disposed ot, he said.
French Deal Hurt His Conscirnce.
Declaring the deal with Franco
was the best that possibly could
have been made. he said:
THE only thing that hurts my
conscience in the whole transaction
was a fear that We had charged
the French too much for that stun.
IF you gentlemen had heeu therc.
with your minds open and wise,
he continued. YOU would hav" done
The same thing We did. But pOli-
teal committees, Of course. have
got to get something out OF our
mistakes"
Answering Blands comment that
a larger price could have been OBJ
taired for the supplies. Gen. Dawes
said:
Just that sort Of fool argument
forced Great Britain to wait and
drive a hard bargain, With the -et
suit that she's got the stuff on hand
today. Much of it has spoiled and
there is a furore in London because
they didn't sell it sooner.
You can't by eX psrtc proceed
ings at this distance pass on prob
lens they had TO face at the mo
ment. There is no use to throw
mud when you are not on the spot.
Great Britain lost millions by listen
ing to this sort Of talk and fear OF
undertaking.
French Took Over All Claims.
General Dawes emphasized that
all claims against the United States
growing out of its military activ-
tiles over there were assumed by
the French government. There will
not be a claims committee for this
war like there still are for the
revolutionary, civil and Spanish
American wars, he added.
Bland suggested that too much
was paid for French horses.
Hell, we would have paid horse
prices for sheep II they could have
pulled artillery into the front line"
the general retorted. I'VE were out
10 III llAN " a. 1+AN -~N
tape couldn't stop US
Hospital supplies and blankets
might have been brought back,
Bland said.
Apply this argument TO the dis
graceful situation which has been
going on for 100 years right under
Congress- nose" Gen. Dawes shot
back, with a bang of his fst on the
table. Nobody thinks Of the Coun-
try as a whole.
The present methods Of business
administration of the government
are disgracefuI. The country does
not get its moneys worth for what
1t spends.
Says Presidents Ignore Duty.
The great trouble is that Pres
idents have not fulfilled their con-
stitutional DUTY and exercised con-
troll over expenditures by their Cab
met members"
Predicting a change under the
Harding administration, Gen. Dawes
said:
President Harding should hold an
AK over the head Of a Cabinet MEM
ber and chop his head OF II he
should try to spend money on a
plan of his own without a co-or-
dination of the various government
al activities. The government needs
a complete reorganization, and It
needs 1t badly"
The general recommended a uni