Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 25, 1918)
THE jrORXIXG OREGOXIAN. FRIDAY, JAXTJAKT 25, 1918. POLITICAL STORM BREAKS IN SENATE r Chamberlain Makes Reply to - Wilson and Assails War 'Inefficiency. OREGON SENATOR WHO DEFENDS HIMSELF AGAINST PRESIDENT'S ACCUSATIONS. Orrgoa Statramaa. Impelled. Be I Says, by High Sens of Duty, Makes Startling Revelations of Admlnl.lratlon Blunder. (Br t i rutd WASHINGTON. Jan. 14. Standing firmly by hl chare that America's military establishment la nineehed la Inefficiency. Senator Chamberlain, of Oregon, chairman of tha military com ml t too. replied In the Senate today to President Wlliooi denunciation of hla recent New Tork speech. Senator Chamberlain repeated the tateraent which drew tha Preatdent'a fire and declared that tha President himself does not know the truth. Senator Chamberlain read to the Senate a letter received from President Wilson opposing the creation of a min ister of munitions. He aald he did this to counteract the President's charice that he had not been consulted retarding proposed legislation to be Offered In Congress. Devottoa Declared fnskakew. After speaking nearly three hoars the Oregon Senator concluded with a plea that he was only dolnit his duty In arousing the country to Ita dancer and that he would support the Presi dent, although grossly maligned. Seaator Klrby. of Arkansas, a Demo crat, took op a reply. Senator Klrby In tha course of his reply said "1 challenge tha statement of it all. The examination before our committee does not warrant much that baa been said today, or the statement that tbe military organisation has broken down. The Chamberlain reorganization bill, on motion of Senator Hitchcock, waa referred to the military committee without objection when Senator Kirby kad concluded. Baker te Reply Soon. Secretary Baker's reply to th speech of Senator Chamberlain In the Senate THE tor glv " y' ..- .-. ...... - GEOHUB C CHAMBERLAH. I do It as a man who lores his country best of all and who would willingly give his life for It. I do It fearleaaly as an American cltlxen who desire to help and not to-hinder." He repealed that he had not distorted th truth in his speech made in New Tork. but that, owing to th great rush of business due to the war. th Presi dent bad probably not been .able to ascertain the truth Ad doea not know th truth. From the line of those clos- today will probably be made before the t to the President he aald. th Chief House military commute Saturday. It waa announced that tha Secretary would go before th House committee after Chairman Dent had called at the War Department. In beginning his address. Senator Chamberlain said the President bad at tacked both his veracity and Integrity, heretofore unchallenged, but 'that In replying he did so without any per sonal feeling against tbe President. "For 24 years."-Senator Chamberlain said. "I hare served th public In my state to th best of my ability and In all that "time I bay never had my varaclty called In question, nor my In tegrity Impeached and I have passed through soma bitter campaigns. "It Is therefor with soma feeling of humiliation and alro sadness that I rise to a question of personal privilege when my veracity has been called In question, not by an ordinary citlsen. not by on of my colleagues, but by a very distinguished gentleman, who has tbe love and admiration of the people and who by their suffrage occupies tbe highest place In the gift of th people, and. I may say. the highest place of any man In the world. I nklad FeeUag Dtaclaiased. "It Is therefor with much feeling that 2 rise to address myself to th attack made upon m and I do so without any feeling of unklndnesa. "The personal chargea against me amount to nothing to tbe American Executive cannot learn th truth, not because bis advlaera desire to mislead him. but because they are situated In the same position as be Is. Osalasloa Laid to Daker. "The Secretary of War In a general statement to the country, which waa carefully and ably prepared, tells us that $3,300,000,000 have been appropri ated for the Ordnance Department and that contracts for 41.677.O00.uuo have been awarded." he continued. "This Is true. But the Secretary failed to tell the country that America failed to stand prepared." Senator Chamberlain declared he would show that the deuths of the hun dreds and thousands of men at can tonments and camps were due to the War Department and hat ail epidem ics could have been prevented If the War Department had been effective." France, bled white, ne continued. "la furnishing America today and the troops going abroad with heavy ord nance, machine guns and airplanes. If we relied on the ordnance department In this emergency (and 'his is a war of artillery), the war would be completed before we ever got enough to go to the front. Franc agreed to deliver this rtlllery. To win America? Did she furnish It In order to Invite America?" Confldeatlal Data lie f erred Ta. It was Improper, he said, to give de tails of American purchases of ord nance from the allies, but referred people, but affect policies which may c....... ta tha confldentlal testimony involve tne xuiure ot mis country u not the entire world." Th Senator said he had been Invited to speak before th National Security League, accepted on short notice and without time to prepare an address. He recalled that on th dais with him were Alton B. Parker, Theodore Roose velt and Julius Kahn and that th audi ence was "a representative body that for patriotism cannot be excelled by any like body In tbe United States." He then reiterated that he assumed responsibility for the speech as re ported by newspapers and had read to the Senate a verbatim report pub lished in the New York Times. L'pon his return to Washington. Sen ator -Chamberlain aald. he received a before th committee by Major-General Crosier, chief of ordnance. 'If th Administration had wanted to be fair to the American people," be shouted, "why don't the distinguished Secretary of War. and I have the high est regard for him, let the people know, ao that the people could assist In get ting ready for this terrible calamity that confronta not only America, but the whole world V Senator Chamberlain charged that th Ordnance Bureau failed In 191 to prepare for war when It seemed certain. "There were omens in tha sky," he continued, "that America couldn't keep out. What waa tha Ordnance Depart ment doing? Nothing, it waa lying letter from Prealdent Wilson contain- supinely on Its back not making gauges Ing a quotation taken from the New Tork World and asking If the quota tion was correct. The President wrote that be did not like to comment on th atatementa until h knew posi tively that th Senator had actually mad them. Fat Ire 'Beech Cited hy Seaator. Th letter waa received too late for a reply Sunday. Senator Chamberlain continued, but In a letter aent to the Whit House the following day he re plied that he bad been quoted sub stantially correctly In th World, but asked the President to read the entire speech as printed In th Times, Instead of only a part of It Senator Chamberlain's letter added that he waa discussing only th policy "or lack of policy" of the military es tablishment. .After stating his expe rience In th military affairs commit tee and testimony In the committee's Investigation, th Senator's letter con tinued: "1 believe I know something about th deficiencies In th military estab lishments: deficiencies which are clear ly recognlxad and proven In a system that ought to be remodeled for tbe proper prosecution of tha war and have these disjointed and unco-ordlnated ef fects weeded out." In hla letter th Senator also of fered to go over th whole situation with the Prealdent. but said he received no reply, and on the following day tha President's statement criticising him waa published. Tbe President's statement and Sena tor Chamberlain's reply then wer read to th Senat and th Oregon Senator observed: "I do not know if any reply to my letter waa necessary. I assume that statement Is the answer. fitatesaeat Adhered Ta. "Th statement of the President chal lenges me. of course, for proof of th atatement In the New York Tlmea. to which atatement I adhere and repeat before thla body. "The people of this country may not ae this aa I do. but as chairman of the re Hilary committee, as an American citisen and a member of this distin guished body. I feit that I should say th things thst are In me. If 1 succeed In making a lift In th clouds through which th American people may see. I will feel that my efforts have not been In vain. "Now that my truthfulness ha been questioned," Senstor Chamberlain con tinued. I feel It my duty to tell the country something 1 mla-at not have told It under ordinary circumstances. for manufacturing ordnance nor dis covering th possibilities of manufac turing but doing nothing, absolutely nothing. Appropriations for Jigs and die to make ordnance.. he aald, had not been used. "I'm not blaming anybody In particu lar." th Senator continued. "I have high regard for General Croxler. 'But we haven't been able to do what Eng land, Franc and all our other allies have done and that la to retire these gentlemen who have not proved them selves up to the mark. We ought not to dismiss them In disgrace, but In other countries they have gone Into Innocuous desuetude. Katie Dee la red at Stake. "This isn't a question of personali ties. Thla Is not a question between the President and myself. It's a ques tion of America, and every man ought to make It hla whole purpose to ae that America la saved. "Take tbe machine gun." said tbe Senator. "It's an old controversy and much may b said on both sides. Ths Lewis gun has been manufactured her for the British Army and there are 70. 00 of them on the battle fronts. Every Britlah officer 1 have aeen has ex pressed approval of that gun. equipped for manufacturing them," ha continued. "But while the house burns," he shouted. "America determines through the Ordnance Bureau what lnstrumen lalltlea are to be adopted He conceded that the rifle as finally adopted was an Improvement over the British gun, but declared It "took days ana monies to peneci. Alter me en glneera of various gun-making plants bad been consulted, a gun finally waa agreed uporr for the American Army bill, the Ordnance Bureau, through very distinguished officer," ordered that the number of parts be Increased, which added to the delay. "Why shouldn't America know these things?" tbe Senator demanded. "Some people In the West," he said, "believe America has all It needs. If they only knew the actual conditions, they would give their lives, their all. to protect America. Casual reading of the Secre ta ry of War's statement gives the Im pression that we had everything-. But when we get tbe testimony of the men on the ground, different information is obtained." Trench Mortars Lacklag. Citing tbe testimony of an Army or fleer from Camp Bowie, Texas, who de clared there was not a single trench mortar there and that other necessary equipment was lacking. Senator Cham berlain declared: "That Is true of every camp In the , united states. If It hadn't been for the civilian people who have come here and given their time and service, we wouidn t have been anywhere," . Turning to the quartermaster-gen eral's department. Senator Chamberlain declared that from Secretary Baker's general statement the country would believe that "everything was lovely and the goose hung high so far as doming is concerned. "But when you talk to the men that commanded these boys, you find it isn't there," he continued. "On a per capita basis It is there, but not when it comes to effective distribution they simply i got tne doming-. I realize the difficulties of the quartermaster-general. He has done the best he could under the present system, me president inherited that system and has done the best he could. The President Isn't responsible for tha system. But the fact remains-that we naven t the clothing." Senator Chamberlain said he nro. posed to show by Secretary Baker's own testimony that the Secretary did not know of actual clothing conditions. "That Is why I say." he continued, that the President did not know the truth. And I did. He must have gotten hia facta from the Secretary, who In turn got them from somebody else, and sombeody must hsve lied. And that's why I say the President has not been given the truth." Duty Impels Statement. Striding out Into the center of the aisle, he ahouted:- "I feel it my duty to my country and my conscience to tell the truth. I have no fear of God. man or the devil when my conscience Dromnta And n m.n In the country can keep me from tell ing the truth. The only fear is that this d may have a, bad effect on th mimm- But If the conditions exist they ought e correciea ana oulcklv. r.rt nniain round the same conditions and corrected them quickly. So did France." Senator Chamberlain passed around among Senators photographs of wooden machine guns, rifles and heavy ord nance used at cantonments and asked Senators to study them carefully. "They are of some use." he explained. In training men. But if I had a boy training for the battlefield I would not want him to have his training with nothing else than a wooden cannon." England and France, he said, saw the mistake of having artillerymen control the ordnance department Tou must go to men who have done these things to ret result." v.- .... America was prepared to produce I v-ongress snouia face this withou the Senat the troops wer "In the midst of Winter." "I am going to show that these hun dreds and thousands of men dying In the cantonments are due Jto the War Department," be declared. This information comes right from tbe men who are on the ground. They know what they are talking about. I didn't Intend to do this, but In view of the situation that ' confronts me and involves my Integrity I feel It is my duty to the country. I am going to call attention to the statement of Surgeon-General Gorgas that nearly all epidemics could have been prevented If the War Department had been effective.' Senator Chamberlain referred to the warnings given by Major-General Greble, commander at Camp Bowie, Tex., last Summer against overcrowd ing men in tents. -Men at Camp Bowie, the Senator de clared, "were packed together like sar dines," and despite frequent warnings, disastrous epidemics broke out in De cember, with 8000 men passing through tbe hospitals. Men died." he asserted, "without proper nursing because of Inefficiency of the system. I challenge you to read the record. Don't take my word for it. All the cantonments are arteries of Information and I hope to God that every young man will write his father or mother and tell them Just what the conditions are, not to stay patriotism, but to .stimulate those in authority to do their duty. Gorgae Reaert Quote. General Gorgas' report, he continued, showed overcrowding In virtually every camp, and he asserted that the Surgeon-General, ot eminent reputa- "In season and out of season these tion, had not been consulted regarding I distinguished gentlemen have gone ou cantonment locations. among the people of the country and "Think of that.- Senator Chamber- I have tried to impress upon them, and lain said. "He was not even consulted they have begun to realize, that Arner AMERICA DECLARED TO HAVE FALLEN DOWN IN WAR WORK Full Text of Senator Chamberlain's New York Speech, Which Brought Presidential Wrath Down Upon Him. HE full text of the speech of Sena tor Chamberlain at the luncheon ven In honor of himself and Representative Julius Kahn at Nw Tork last Saturday, was published In the New Tork Times of the next day. It follows: "I assure you It Is a very great pleas ure and privilege to be permitted to be with you today, because I feel that we are all engaged In the same great work the work of the preservation not only of our country, -but the preserva tion and -perpetuation of civilization itself. Let me disclaim, my friends. any further credit for what has been accomplished and for what we hone to accomplish in the great task that con fronts us in this emergency. Let me say to you that I .have had the co-operation and effort of the great mass of the members Of Congress, without re gard to party: and in addition to that. and above and over everything else, we have had the support of such distin guished men as the ex-President and ex-Commander In Chief of the Armies and Navies of the United States, and such men as my friend, EHhu Root with reference to the sites. And not a single cantonment waa built In ac cordance with his recommendations for 50 feet of space for each man.' Senator Chamberlain then read pre viously published reports of camp con ditions, showing lack of Winter dom ing in some Instances, overcrowding and prevalence of meaales and inter- Ica, for the first time in its history. Is involved In a war which may, my rnenas, mean its life and Its dlssolu tion unless America and her allies hap pen to De successful in it 'Because of the limitation noon mv time, ana i Know you are all glad o It (cries of "No! No!") It Is absolutely impossible to go Into this subject as rupted to refer to Secretary Baker's I would love to go Into It with you and statement to the committee that "every thing- was all right at these .canton- ments." Senator Chamberlain said If Surgeon-General Gorges recommendations for greater space had been ODservea disease at least would cave oeen re duced. I "Have these recommendations been followed?" asked Republican Leader Gallinger. They are attempting to - in some to discuss the military policy of the United States, or its lack of military policy, since the earliest Revolutionary time. It has not been the fact that we have had a faulty military uollcv dur Ing all of those years; It has been, my irienas, that we have had no military poncy tnat has led us into these trou dious times ana conditions. We are wont to talk of the magnificent cour age of our forefathers, but it has often seemed to me. my friends, that the places, but the recommendations have most unfortunate thing that ever hop pened In this country was the fact that an unorganized militia at Bunker Hill was able to defeat an organized army of Great Britain, because there was then established what was later to be called the traditional policy of the United States against the organization of a standing Army. or. rather, of trained Army to be called Into service not been canrled out If these are th condition existing with soldiers in their horn countries, what must be th fat of the boys sent, to Europe to meet the dangerous and treacheroua conditions of warfare?" replied sen ator Chamberlain. Letter Illustratea Keglect. r, . -.v. - .1 a Tetfee showing that camp authorities failed to whenever the emergency required. notify a family of th death of a sol- Bane of "Traditional Policy" Set Forth di and that the body came home "From that day to this the histories wrapped only In a sheet. I of our country have talked about the it I were to print all th letters- traditional policies of the United States. get along this line," be continued, and have commended the valor of the they would shock not only congress. Revolutionary troops. I have no dis but tha American conscience. I do It position to criticise that statement nr only to show the country that there is to question the valor the Individual Inefficiency, and Im going to do it u valor of the -splendid men who fought It costs me my poiitioai lire. the battles of the Revolutionary days, Let th American mothers know but the lack of organization which was conditions and they wtll see to It tnat decried by. the commanding officers ths public, servants either do thel then and which has been decried by duty or retire from publlo life In dis- them since, and Has been criticised, my grace. . I friends, are the troubles which con "Let s let the sunlight In on these front us today; and if their recommen things," . he pleaded, and never feat datlons had been followed we not only that the American people win not loi- would have had -a splendid Army to low th - President Into the thickest f the fray wherever their duty calls them. I hope you don t think I m doing this to be sensational. My whole pur pose Is to remedy these conditions that may be remedied. Senate and galleries were moved to expressions of emotion as Senator Chamberlain read a letter to. Senator Wadswortb. Appalling Incident Narrated. The writen, whose name was not day, but that Army would have been organized and raised under a system of universal military training that would have made us absolutely uncon querable. Washington called attention to it and I have sometimes wondered how that distinguished commander of the American forces, with his splendid aid, Alexander Hamilton, ever had time to organize an army, because they devoted much of their time to appeals to a given, said he was notified through Cntin1e"ta Congress and to the states " . 1 T ft aslllct f ha T--l In nra-an vine on n TT-ti r friends that hia son was ill six days after he had been taken to the camp hospital. He was first permitted to see the boy through a window, and the irst sight appalled him. The room and bed were filth, he wrote, and the to assist them in organizing an army that might be successful In accomplish ment of victory. I wish I could go into these matters and discuss the various battles that were fought; but, inciden tally, let me tell you, my friends, that oatient had not been bathed for eignt America did not owe the accomplish afcyg l inent gi victory in if as 10 its own HI, r.nu..t, for a nurna or to ner- l"J"uiu ni mjr UisiUi.u, uui. duo mit himself to aid his son were refused. wed it to r ranee and the splendid ef th. u-ritcn t atari hut finailv ha was 'Oft that France made. tniri ha mlirht nrovlrta clean clothes. with all the pacifists that are When he returned his son s face and abroad in the land denouncing America h.nrf. hart been washfea. but still were tor senaing a lew nunarea mousana dirty. The next day be returned again as an attendant was trying to give the patient water from a bowL When the father intervened the attendant said: "I guess I better get a funnel," and actually returned with a paper funnel. The father stopped that and suggested spoon. Fifteen minutes later the son died. At headquarters of the camp he was told that he might have his son's body that night Having provided him- elf with a pass to the hospital, he Id not knock when he entered, but. as he tried to open the door. It struck heavy object. . It was his son s body. and the door struck his head. AH Urged -t Unite In Appeal. I want to arouse the country and very mother and father in the lana men, or a million, to France in this day of rapid transit. It Is well to remember that when America, on account of Washington's efforts, appealed to France for assistance they sent to us under Rochambeau five or six thousand troops across th water, and Instead of taking them five or ten days or two weeks to reach America, they were TT days from the time they left a French port until they landed at Newpors, R. I.. afflicted with disease, and chased every foot of the way by a British fleet My friends. If America had nothing else to fight for In this war but to preserve tbe magnificent French Republic, every drop of blood and every dollar of the Treasury would be well spent for this BDlendid DeoDle "I am going to skip through It all because my time is almost up now. We have got to get out of here at 2 o'clock, mind you. "Traditional policy? It seems to me that a war policy called for by Wrash inaton and advocated by him would sustain a policy now of training young men to do battle for their country. We have deDarted from traditional policy, thank God, and in the last two years we have enacted a law that as your chairman has said, compels Americans to know that the duties of citizenship firry with them the responsibility for service whenever that service happens to be needed. . Volunteer System Vicious. "The selective draft law which has been mentioned here put into service every man between 21 and 30; and it may be aald to the credit of these young men who have been drafted that tney are rendering Just as effective and Just as patriotio Service a those who have volunteered. - I sometimes regret that volunteering has ever been permitted, for the reason that in the loss that we sustain in the battles where there Is a volunteer system, as there was in Great Britain, we have a horizontal loss, tak ing the- young, red-blooded people that volunteer for service and leaving those who ought to have shared the fatS of their colleagues at the first sound of war. On the other hand, under this system we take from the walks of In dustrial and commercial and everyday life young men of all classes, so that there is not this horizontal loss that I speak of, but rather a perpendicular loss, where the high and the low, the rich and the poor, the professional man and the artisan, stand shoulder to shoulder, and when losses come, the loss falls on all, every social stratum or life. "Let me tell you that we are going to extend that We are going to com mence to train the young men from 18 to 21, so that when they become 21 we will have an army of young men to draw from from every walk of life. But, say the pacifists, it is un necessary in tbe United States to train the young men or to have an Army. My friends, there were those in Great Britain who said It was unnecessary; and yet, but for the fact that repub lican France trained her young men. what would have become of France when the German forces went down and attacked her on her western front? Nothing saved her, my friends, but the universal military training which that splendid republic had in vogue. Ah! my friends, let us get away from that Idea. When those who now advocate universal military training began to advocate It nobody was with them; now the country, thank God. is with them, and the country will see to it that Congress gets with them, too. "Now, in conclusion, and I have only touched a few of the high spots, let me say that the military establishment of America ha9 fallen down. There is no use to be optimistic about a thing that does not exist Every Department Inefficient. It has almost stopped functioning. my friends. Why? Because of ineffi ciency in every bureau and in every department of the Government of the United States- (Applause.) We are try ing to work it out. I speak not as a Democrat but as an American citizen." A voice: "You are telling the truth, Senator." "We are trying, my friends," the Sen ator continued, "and I have burned the midnight oil in an effort to do it we have tried to centralize the power of supplying the Army in one man who can say 'No' and has the nerve to say No' when the time comes to say it We have reported a bill, following the ex perience of Great Britain and France, creating a Director of Munitions for this purpose. W e have gone one step further, and we have provided a bill for the creation of a Cabinet of War, whose duty it shall be to lay out what we never have had and haven't now a programme to oarry on this war to a successful conclusion. My friends, this is not an Administration measure; it is an American measure and comes from Republicans and Democrats both. I want, this splendid audience, I want the citizenry of New York, I want you, Mr. President, and you, Mr. Sec retary, and you, Mr. Kahn, to get be hind it and see to it that this law graces the statute books of America, so that America may play her part in the war. Let us see to it that the Stars and Stripes are planted upon the plains ot France and be there, as it is here, the emblem of freedom, liberty, and the rights of man. Tour flag; and my flag-, and how it flies today In your land and my land, and half the world away. Rose-red and blood-red, the stripes forever gleam. Think of Prices Like These Now-a-Days at the "Imperial" if'"1 IT" CENTS and up for table d'hote Breakfasts and lunches. 3 5E CENTS and up for table d'hote Dinners. A la carte bill con tinuous. Best materials best cooking best service. imperial Manager me that you had heard that I had writ ten a letter to the chairman of the Sen ate military affairs committee con- write to the President of tbe Unitea earning me iaea or tne munitions mm- States, and appeal, not In a spirit or lister, ana you askea me wnetner l aid revenge, but in order that the example I write such a letter. I did and am glad a beloved son, brother or husband I to send you herewitn a copy oi it them, but with the country standing on a seething volcano, the Ordnance De partment was trying to decide on a gun. The War Department didn't even adopt a gun until May and Anally adopted It In June (1817), I believe, and then only on paper, and It still Is a gun . on paper. It never has had a Held test Maybe the Browning gun ta a good weapon, but the Lewis gun Is doing good work. Why not manu facture the Lewis gun? "The Secretray of War testified be fore the committee." be aald, "that In September the United States had nine Browning guns, with which to go out against the millions of Germany." He denounced the cry that Investigation gives Information to the enemy. Peeple Require FVaakaesa. "Germany knowa more about Amer ica today than the men coanscted with the departments." Senator Chamberlain declared. "If tha Government would be frank with tbe people, then we could rely upon th people to rally to the support of the President and th prose cution of the war," he added. "tireat Britain." he said, "did not waste time manufacturing guns. The United State icould have adopted the aame kind of a rifle as used by Eng land, as plant In this country were fear of any man. but with ri. j for the distinguished commander-in-chief." Shortage Matters Takea Tp. .Th e"lmaJ,der at C"iP Sherman. toId him thr ws shortage of 7000 overcoats there. He referred that statement to Secretary Baker. "In his usual placid way" he said atoV "0t true''" remard the Sen Senator Chamberlain then read from a letter from Secretary Baker saying a later report showed 7000 overcoats were needed at Camp Sherman, but a,fny "were in course of ship- "That'a the way ever since the war fiart'.f Jln ou"-' but not getting there." he shouted. Then placing In the record a chart submitted to the military oommittee by Secretary Baker showing shortages of material at all camps varying from 1 to 90 per cent Mr. Chamberlain declared he wished that condition to become known to the people. "I want it shown whether I distorted th truth when I said th military- sys tem bad broken down," said he. Reading from the table to hw ahortagea of overcoats running aa high a 75 per cent, the Senator reminded of may arouse the country to save the lives of our soldiers, senator tnam- erlatn declared, as he finished read ing the letter. . . Senator Chamberlain cited what ne said was another ' Instance of Ineffi ciency In the failure of the Govern ment to accept wool offered when war as declared. Later, he said, the wool had gotten into the hands of specu lators; tbe wool was-: bought by. the Government at higher prices. Senator Vardaman, Democrat, asked ho was responsible for use of shoddy In, the Army clothing. Mr. Chamber lain replied that Mr. Eisenman, chair man of the supplies committee, ad ising the Council of Defense. "What was the excuse? asked the Mississippi Senator. "Conservation of wool Senator Chamberlain replied. "I'd rather have conservation of life.' Turning to the President's stricture pon him. Senator Chamberlain read that part assailing Congressional in vestlgations. Rights of Office Claimed. "With all due respect to the Presi dent, who has served notice on Con gress that there must be no meddling and must be no Investigation unless it meets the smile of executive favor," said he, "I differ from that view. W are a co-ordinate, part of the Govern ment When I become a rubber stamp In my duties I'll get out of the Senate and public life and let somebody sub servient take my place." Senator James, Democrat, Inter rupted to explain that the President had referred to the - war cabinet bill in complaining that a bill for a war cabinet was being Introduced in Con gress without consulting him. Senator Chamberlain said he was of the impres sion that the President referred to the munition director bill, but he hoped he was mistaken. Senator James said he had a letter from President Wilson saying that Sen ator Chamberlain had been to see him regarding a bill for a minister of mu nitions, but gave no details, and that he had learned from others . of the "surprising proposal" for a war cab inet. The President's letter of yesterday to Senator James follows; "You have been kind enough to tell "The conversation referred to with Senator Chamberlain, to whom the let ter is addressed, was upon the subject of the various difficulties and delays that had been encountered by the War Department as shown by the testi mony before the Senate committee, and the Senator -merely mentioned to me that he had a bill in mind to create a munitions ministry. "Ha gave me no details of the bill he had in mind, and it waa only after wards, when I learned from others of the real character of the proposals, that I felt It my duty to write to the Senator and apprise him of my attitude. "I assumed from what I heard later that that particular proposal had been abandoned,, and I waa referring In my statement of the other day .to the very surprising proposal to create a superior war cabinet of a type un known to our practloe or institutions. "I give you these details merely to reply to your kind inquiry .and let you know all the facta of the caaa aa you desire." Plan Submitted to Baker. "The President's statement that he was not consulted concerning the war cabinet proposal is true," said Senator James. - Senator Chamberlain then stated that last Friday the military affairs committee had delegated Senator Hitchcock to lay the war cabinet plan before Secretary Baker and he be lieved that had been done. "But probably the cabinet had not met up to the time the President made the statement" persisted Senator James. "He Is absolutely right In his statement" Turning to the President's criticism that the Oregon Senator "appeared to be against the entire Administration policy," Senator Chamberlain stepped far up the center aisle, raised his hands and smiling, said: "Et tu, Brutus the most unklndest cut of all." Klrby Speak for President. Senator Klrby celled Senator Cham berlain's speech tha "condemnation of his judgment" and challenged his pro cedure in sarins- what he did In- the New Tork speech. - Senator Kirby maintained that the chairman of the military, eoinmltte i should have reported to the commander-in-chief If he believed the exami nation had disclosed a dangerous sit uation rather than to carry it to the Senate floor first in a speech. Senator Ktrbv. in defending the Ad- ' ministration, admitted there was a j the Garfield order, though I believed it snortage oi military equipment sucn as Snow-white and soul-white, the good fore fathers' ilream. Sky-blue and true-blue with stars to gleam aright, Ths glorious guidon ef the day Is shed right through ths night. Red Tape Age Grown. In his speech at the Republican Club, Senator Chamberlain, referring to the introduction of the War Cabinet bill to morrow, said that "the roll of red tape has grown with the ages, and it can only be destroyed in the satife way that a tank -destroyed the barbed wire in front of the enemy trench. , "We aYe seeking," he continued, "to put the supply department of the Gov ernment under one head, that is, with one man responsible, and when things go wrong the people will be able to put their finger on the place that goes wrong and locate the source of the trouble. We ate going to apply busi ness methods to the administration of Government affairs. America has been groping in the dark for ten months with able hands, but with no head re sponsible for a war programme. We want to put a responsible head there. "Some people say that the investiga tion now going on tends to discredit the Administration. I do not care a hoot for that argument, fon if any thing is wrong, the best friend of the Administration Is he who can show It where inefficiency and weakness ex ist. That such an investigation tends to injure the country In not true. The American people are taxing themselves as never before. They are yielding to the orders of the Commander-in-Chief willingly. The men and women who are making sacrifices ought fo know what is being done In their interests. That's what the c-onimittee ts doing, and, in the name of God and the Amer ican people, we are going to go on doing it, no matter what happens." Second Speech Quoted In Part. The Times account of the appearance of Senator Chamberlain before the Republican Club, following his speech at the luncheon, and of what he said there follows: - "Senator George E. Chamberlain, of Oregon; Congressman Julius Kahn, of California; Governor Walter K. Edge, of New Jersey; Dean Sliailes Muthews, of the University of Chicago, and tha Rev. Dr. Isaac J. Lansing, of Kidge wood, N. J., were the speakers at the regular Saturday luncheon of the Republican Club yesterday. The prin cipal speech was delivered by Senator Chamberlain, his speech being in large part the same as that which he previously delivered at the luncheon of the National Security League. In con nection with the coal crisis he said: "There would have been no need for this coal trouble If a coal programme had been mapped out six months ago. When the discussion on coal came up last Summer, it was brought to the at tention of the whole country when one part of the Administration fixed a price for the product. I voted for sustaining trench mortars, and machine guns, but added preparations were being made to deliver in quantity next month. Ev ery man that has been sent to France has been properly equipped, he said. "There hasn't been enough rifles In the camps recently because they couldn't be manufactured In sufficient quantities," he said. "The War De partment has done well and rifles are In the hands of tha aoldlers now," he said. Concluding his reply to Senator Chamberlain. Senator Klrby deolared that the Milltar;- Department had not fallen down and thnt where deficien cies ooourred they had been remedied by volunteeV boards composed ef th best talent In the country. Aberdeen Couple to Wed. TACOHA. Wash., Jan. 24. (Special.) Haiy Zent and Katherine Pletseh. both of .Aberdeen, obtained a marriage licence here today. Read The Oregonian classified ads. was not wise. I learned that there were 127 ships in the Port of New York that were not carrying supplies to the allies because they had no coal, and I pro posed to place life before property ia this war." Senator Chamberlain paid tribute to President Wilson, whom he called the premier of all the statesmen of the world, leading others In thought as no other one man. He declared that neither the President nor any other one man could take all the Industries necessary to the carrying on of the war and man age them. The President needs respon sible heads under him in ordor to see America safely through the war, h added. "America, If It wants to sav the al lies, must get onto the ground with men, money, and means," urged the speaker. "America must get ready and speed up her programme and she must be ready to fight at the earliest possi ble moment, and It is the duty of ever American to speed up the programme and to play his part in this great war that threatens, not republics or empires, but civilization Itself." Divert Your Dimes, from the path of reckless spending into one of these handy little DIME POCKET BANKS and you'll find the pleasure of saving far more profitable. You'll find these little "Dol-, lar Builders" a most helpful aid to thrift. Get1 one at our Savings Department. 1 LADD&TILTON BANK . j Washington ana Third BTraeB"! L. SYSTEM W0 1)