Evening star., 1940-11-21


policy making officials. AS con-
sequence Senators who have writ
ten to the War and Navy Depart
ments for simple data have been re-
fused or have been given replies
which were marked confidential"
although they contained informa-
ton that could readily be made
public.
1t is not a difficult thing to draw
the line between military informa-
tion and that TO which the public
is entitled. The hush-hush man.
euver can easily be used to cloak
unnecessary secrecy and to cover
up ineffciency and delay. Some
times when 1t is a choice between
disclosure OF something that looks
like a piece Of military information
and something that might bring
anout public benefit, the Sena-
tors and Representatives ought to
be the judges in the final analysis
of what should be issued. If the
data are so secret that they ought
not to be disclosed to anyone. then
it is not likely that anybody in the
War or Navy Departments would
transmit them to Congress in the
first instance.
Public Entitled to Know.
What is sought now is some fac
tual knowledge of the progress of
the defense machine unhampered
by vague phrases about contracts let
or cleared or awarded The public
is entitled to know lust what the
rate of production of airplanes is
and what is being done about other
essential weapons Of war. If the
rate is too slow. the people will in
sist on corrective measures and re-
spOnSbilitieS for delay will be fixed.
Unfortunately, very few Senators
have busted themselves with the
details of the defense program
Senator Byrd is one Of the few who
has specialized on the subject, He
can be of much help in compelling
efficiency for he is one of the ableSt
men in the Senate. His contribu
tion to the cause Of good govern
ment has just been recognized by
his State. For while Virginia is
overwhelmingly Democratic and
gave Mr.. Roosevelt a substantial
plurality. Senator Byrd was re-
elected Notwithstanding his we'll
known opposition to the third term
idea. He had no candidate against
him.
It is a disappointing thing to find
so few Republican Senators special
izing in defense problems, Here
and there are some who have shown
an interest in one phase or another,
but none has taken the defense pro-
gram piece by piece and subjected
1t to public analysis. Now that the
campaign is over, perhaps this can
be done.
One of the aior difficulties, of
course, is that members Of CONGRESS
do not have access to the official
records. They hear various things
from constituents. but cannot verify
them Efforts to get at the facts are
usually met by 2 strategy that
throws up a smoke screen. This is
one reason why Mr.. Bvrd's resolu-
ton to create a committee on ma
tional defense with power to sub
poena records is worthy of national
attention. A committee composed of
both Republicans and Democrats
would hardly be turned down in its
requests for data.
Beneficial in Last War.
During the last World War. the
Military Affairs Committees of both
Houses were active. The late Sena-
tor Chamberlain. Democrat. of Ore
gon, kept almost continuous hear
ings going and while what he did
in this respect was considered some
what of an annoyance by the War
Department, It turned out in the end
TO be beneficial and led to the re-
organization of the whole setup
early in 1918.
What Is needed today is some
check by the Senate and House on
defense operations. Heretofore this
has been confined to testimony given
when appropriation bills are pend
ing, but 1t appears that virtually all
the money needed for the next year
has been authorized. Hence inter-
est focuses now on how the Job is
being done currently and this is
something that merits the most
peinstaking examination. not in any
partisan sense, but in the interest
of the young men who are being
separated from their jobs and their
homes under the draft law
Politics Is over for awhile and
efficiency in the defense machine is
the paramount consideration. but it
cannot be achieved unless Senators
and Representatives begin to de-
mand more information from the
executive agencies in surveying the
problem.