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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 5, 1918)
TIIE MORNING OREGOXIAN. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1918. ERRORS COLOSSAL, SAYS RITGRGOGK Senate Informed America's System of War Prepara tion Is Obsolete. LATEST CHALLENGER OF WAR DEPARTMENTS CLADI i ACHIEVEMENTS. OF NEBRASKAN LEADS FIGHT KimiotMration iMUcrir .Y.lrd la Irhte Orer Proposed Lf Illa tion Pro .din; Crntrallsrd Dl rcctloa or Army Affairs w'W T - TV y tton mm m llluitntmn of lb toc of Oowrncnnt r-rtlint loo. Administration lc1-r prpard to rMr to lnaior IHlrhrock. vhoM tn rtinJ rr vine iWrt4ry It. k-a I hi tui'mrni anf th 'rridt:t ial known tl opposition to the mili tary rt)rmini pUn for rvorcants- 4 onjtn that murti of a ttc tjk i bmm b-n rriliuMr don, th Netrmka tnttr trvlM4 tbt.t rntrliz4 a net co-trilini- war operation throuch a war ciiurt ni rpntrltic) purchasing tb roust, a rounaivD director ar lm- P" r 1 1 e. H acrtr4 that tha President and Pif-tr J:ar had trlr.i but failed i attain lh- o')-ct and that la Gov nQrr X ;TTT. v t... I.-..I mm I mi in MEN S WEAR -even if it's only a 5c collar button SENATOR C. 51. HITCHCOCK. trnrntnt i rtm was obsolete The rommtttvci lecielatton. be ar- toi, would not rmbarriii or interfere witn the J'residunt direction of the ssra rHtlrlssas Offered. Sharp rrttlrlstn of lnnjr Government War activities waa mad by tha ttena tor In Illustrating hla arcumenta. but .without attacking individuals. "Blunders that kJmont surpass be lief havs occurred In the War Depart Bient. ha mI'L and I tie shipbuilding alt lietton he described aa a rre and almost a crime." lie declared the tran purtallon atatem Baa "broken down' and la a ais-antlc wreefc." tin two million tons of frelrht piled op at New lork without ahipptna fucllittea; that tbe Fuel Administration's orders have paralysed war and other Industry and that food distribution also baa been In efficient. In flatly denying Secretary Baker statement that the (iovernment h plan fur tha war. the Slr aald the military ommittee- was thunderstruck y the nir Secretary a optimlatlc as sert ion. "I am afraid to ko too deeply Into shipping Itaurtfc- ha a'Med. "tor one mitrht b charged with Klvins Infornia tlun to the enemy. All who ar In formed aa to the preaent supply of our ahlpptna were thunderstruck at the ataternents of Secretary Itaker. Ills aanvuina predictions aa to our ability to ship men to Kurope and supply them when there ara eaaggerattona of lb wildest sort. lias Taaaaa Ilea aired. To supply l.sia.oa men In Franc, npposlna we could art them over there, u will requira i.OtfO.srti) tons of nippinc In constant us. Wa all know the total tunnasra now available Is totblns Ilka that amount. W all fear it will not approximate that a year Irom now. "Yet tha Peeretary of War Is so out f tuucti with the htppinK Hoard and shipping autioritlea that ha makes a atatement that Is absolutely prepoa terous. I bava no doubt of bis sin cerity, but this act Indicates aaaln tha client to which one department Is out sf touch with another department. Turnina to Secretary llakir s war plan Senator Hitchcock said: "Secretary liakrr says we hare plana. 1 am sorry to dlaaitrea wltb aim. If there Is on thina more con spicuous by Its absence than any other in the operation of tha various de partments and bureaus in Washington, it has been planntnic for tha future "1 do nut deny that tha various de partments have planned as far as they could In advance, but who has pre pared the master plan which will har anontj all the olbcr plans? Nobody. Aobody could." question at Issue Is rot partisan. Neither Is any principle Involved. The matter at Issue la purely a practical question whether we can sup port the efficiency of war admlnistra tlon by adopting; business methods In buyins; supplies and whether we can Bet order out of confusion and action, Instead of delay, by co-ordlnatinir street (Government bureaus now runniiifr al most Independently and often at cross purposes. rrealdeaf Mkeaed e KIbk. "T asree with Senator Chamberlain that tha President does not know the real situation. He cannot reive two month to an Investiratlon such aa we have done. Like a klnir, surrounded by a court, be bears practically only one side. "The people who complain do not reach the President nor even members of his Cabinet. They come to Senators nd Representatives. -The President and Fecretary of War have evidently realised the defect of the exiKlliiB- system and attempted to chance It without legislation, but with out success. Praisins; FMwsrd Stettlnlus, the War Department a new surveyor of pur chases. Senator Hitchcock said he Is without lea-al authority, like all the other voluntary agencies, and that a leBally-consiiiuttHl munitions director was needed. Senator Hitchcock said Great Britain and France both had been forced to remedy Government weakness by a sys tem similar to the war cabinet and' suctcested that the President under the bill would appoint and direct the war cabinet, and. If he pleases, could ap point SecrcUirlra McAdoo, Baker and Daniels aa the members. . tatrwat tserlared Atsawrd. Referring to the President's oppo. ettoa to the two committee bills, th ntor said It was on the around that the President alone baa responsibility for conduct of lua wsr. addine;: "The mere statement presents an ab surdity. Asserting; that Conrress has a lartre jnure of responsibility. Senator Hitchcock said it would be "moft truus to buld 1'ie President respon sible for tre :.(. toe tons of freittht piled up In New York, for the "break down of tran.portat ion. ... the mud lie and Jim hie of priority ship ments, tha shorteomlnss of the ord nance department and Quartermaster's department, sufferings ot the unneces sarily sl.-k soldier and nine months delay in construction of the Government powder factory." The Senator summarised t'e enor moai burdens on the President, in eluding Ms formulating a forelan pol ley. designing all the legislation (or Congress to pass, dictating the Indus trial and political activities of the country and looking after expendi tures of ljO.toe.we a week. W llsae'e Alt I cade Held) a(aral. The President does not want the fommittee t. report the Cabinet bill, and." be continued, "if press reports ha true, he objects even to a discus. ion of thts lrgi!atton in the Senate. This attitude on the part of the President ts unfortunate but not altuselber uu- ssturaL -In tJie first place te President be longs to the school of political philos ophers who adhere to the belief that all important legislation should orig inate wiia end bo proposed by the ex ecutive. "I cannot subscribe to this scheme ef gocrnmcnt. although It has some bbvtoua advantage ID that It provides leadership, order and programme. "Mnca he became President Mr. Wll eoa has enforced his view upon Con grse to a large degree and generally with, good results. In the main. 1 have been one of thoee who have rollow.d pie leadership and supported his poli cies and I eipect to lo so in the fu ture. Now and thn. however, aa ex ception must be made. "Tfcts Is eee of those es.ee ' Tee DRINK HOT THA FOR A BAD COLD Get a small package of Hamburg Breast Tea. or as the German folks call It. "Hamburger Brust Thee." at any pharmacy. Take a tablespoooful of the tea. pot a rep of boiling water upon It. poar through a sieve and drink a lee. cupful at any time. It la the moat effect ive way to break a cold and cure grip, ae It opens the pore, relieving conges tion. .Jso loosens tbe bowels, taua breaking a cold at once. Il is Inexpensive and entirely ecfe. lavbie Uvaxalaxe lnrTniriii lia Wrtfcsds reetare Obsolete. Tbe War Department's obsolete methods, the Senator said, had brought the expected results, "confusion of au thority, red tape, oireumlocution and Incapacity." and he cited evidence given in the military committees inquiry of clothing, rifle and equipment shortages and sickness and deaths in camps as the result of overcrowding and lack of clothlnsr. e found we must depend on over worked and overstrained France for ntachlne guns for ground use until nearly the end of thia year." he said. adding that the first American-made heavy artillery will not be received un til July and "not much before 191$ can we expect to use In France American heavy artillery In any great quantity." 9 found, he continued, "that only now we are Just beginning work on two great powder plants to cost KC- 'ii.ouO. and cannot get powder from these plants before August. We found that though the medical department asked for hospital ships last July, they havo not yet been ordered. "I do not deny that we also found much that waa rredltobl and satis factory. The task undertaken was a busre ons and much of the work has been ably done. Some War Depart ment officials most severely criticised have worked desperately hard. This comment covers tlie Secretary himself. Tills leads me to hold a defective or ganisation responsible for the short connnrs to a greater degree t?an any Individual or group of individuals." Two ('a arses Pelated (1st. Two courses were open to the com mittee as a result of the Investigation, said Senator Hitchcock to report con ditions, "making a few scapegoata and ignoring the greatest evil of defective machinery." or recommending lcgts!a tion to give tbe President "an up-to date war-making organization." Senatora on both aides gave Sena tor Hitchcock close attention. Senator Kirby. Democrat, asked If the mill tary committee formally had made any findings or whether the speech repre sented the Nebraska Senator s Individ ual views. Senator Hitchcock said the decision to report the two bills waa by mem bers who had attended all of the com mittee's meetings. Senator Klrhy did nut attend the investigation until early In January. Senator Williams, of Mississippi, an Administration spokesman, asked Sen ator Hitchcock for his authority for statement that il.Oon.OO'J pairs of shoes have been ordered. Senator Hitchcock said It came from civilian officiate In high position. "Then It's mere hearsay, after all. Senator Williams replied. The Nebraska Senator added he un derstood i.Ouo.iiCO more pairs had been ordered and he hoped the allies "would lake some ot them off our bands." lafsraaaata Tsasses Refused. When Senator Hitchcock said he was advised that a large quantity of meat on A ship had spoiled by a blunder in turning off the refrigerating plant. Democratic Leader Martin asked tbe authority for the statement. Senator Hitchcock said It was widely published and never denied. Senator Weeks. Ilepublican. of tne military committee, said the Quarter- master-Oeneral had admitted It- Senator Williams demanded that Senator Hitchcock disclose the names of bis Informants In all cases and fcen- ator Hitchcock declined. Senator WlMiams then replied that In accordance with legal practice he would "enter a general denial." "And I shall leave It to the Jur7." rejoined Senator Hitchcock. In support of Senator Hitchcock's statement on ho ordered. Senator McKellar. another Democratic mem ber of the military committee, cited testimony of the Quartermaster-Gen-era!, that from March to December II. 1SIT, orders were given for Sl.llT.OOO pairs. "I am not going to delay the Senate w ith all the proof." said Mr. Hitchcock. "J am merely slating the facts. Secretary Baker had "wildly exagge rated" in predictions of ability to send troops abroad. Senator Penrose asked: "f am curioua to know what Influ enced the Secretary to make such a statement so apart from tha facts. Was it his sanguine and hopeful nature or lack of Information to Justify them?" Replying that he believed Secretary Baker merely lacked information. Sen ator Hitchcock said: "I consider it reckless a terrible mistake to so mislead the country. Of course, the Secretary did not do It In tentionally, but only because he did not bave the Information because there was no co-ordination of the Shipping Board with other Government agen cies." Hoping to get 1.000.000 men to Eu rope without sufficient ships to trans port them waa characterized by Sena tor Hitchcock as "living in a fool paradise. I nless something in done the United States will face the world's greatest disaster, he said. "1 can't believe the secretary In tended it as a gigantic bluff or In tended to deceive the people," said Mr. litchcock. "but ho didn't know; he was out of touch." Aiding F.nemy Charged. In fiery fashion Senator Williams Instantly replied to Senator Hichcock. Ho declared the Nebraska Senator bad made "a very strong Indictment' against tbe executive departments of the Government. deferring to Senator Hitchcock's statement that he did not tell all he knew because he might be charged with giving information to the enemy, the Mississippi Senator declared: "He did tell almost all he knew and he did give Information very valua ble to the enemy." Senator Williams referred to agita tion before the war of legislation to prohibit shipment of munitions to the allies. "That was almost as foolish." he said, "as this war cabinet proposal. That legislation to keep the allies from hav ing American munitions waa the Ger man game tnen. the German game now la muckraking this Administra tion. "If what the Senator from Nebraska says is true, we are out of the war. If bis indictment is true, we are al ready defeated." Historic Cases Cited. The Continental Congress, he added, came very near ruining General Washington, "and all the asses that ever existed came very near ruining Lincoln and Grant in the Civil War." "Congress or a council cannot carry on the war and cannot furnish the braina for anybody else to do it," said he. "If the President hasn't cot brains enough to perform the functions of his great office, he can't be lent brains by a council." "No other people ever turned from peace establishment and within nine months converted themselves so nearly complete into a war machine," Sena tor Williams shouted. "The Senator says the President and Secretary of War don't know the facts, can't find out- In God's name, how is It possi ble for him to know? He Is not supe rior in native ability of brains." Here are 100.o00.0u0 people ready to fight Germany by themselves and can whip her by themselves," shouted Sen ator Williams. "We feel our mettle, we will have the spirit and we have the boys. What's tha use of muckraking the Administration?" The Mississippi Senator said the charges reminded him of the man who went to see a statue and proclaimed the head divine, the breast superb, the legs those of an athlete, but found a small defect on the right heel, and "wrote Sl pages about the defect." "What's the use of It? What's the sense of It?" he declared. "Aren't we all doing our level best to win this war? Isn't every Republican trying to help win the war except a few pac ifists, who have nearly endej their po litical lives?" Senator Williams declared the bill an usurpation of executive power and un constitutional. If he were President, the Senator added, and it were passed, he would veto It, and If it passed again would refuse to obey It on the grounds of being in conflict with the Consti tution. "I do not think we can gain much by challenging the motives of tbe Sen ators who proposed this legislation or those opposed to it," said Senator Reed, of Missouri, following Senator Wil Hams. "It Is getting too much of i habit of men to clinch their argument or lack of argument by Inferring their opponents are friends of the Kaiser. I The appreciation of your business is not gauged by the number of dollars you spend in this store. Some of our finest patrons are numbered among men who make it a point not to buy shirts over $1.50 or a hat for more than $3.00 or a suit or overcoat for more than $20.00 or $25.00 yet we are just as glad to see them come in our door as the man who pays higher prices. Mathis service to the highest degree belongs to you, regardless of the price you pay. Put us to the test: try us sometime even on the small est, lowest price things even if it's only a 5c collar button. . A Corbett Building Corner of Fifth and Morrison well it might be questioned whether they should be trusted further." Senator Reed also contended the war cabinet bill was unconstitutional, be cause it Infringes directly on the Pres ident's powers as commander-in-chief. Senator Knox. Republican, called his attention to the initial provision of the bill that the war cabinet should ex ercise ita duties "through" the Presi dent and only those conferred upon it. "I don't believe the proponents of the bill contemplate the construction placed upon it by the Senator from Missouri," said Senator Knox, declaring himself in favor of limiting a .ar cabinet's power by making It subject to the President's supervision. Tomorrow Senator Wadsworth, of New Tork, Republican, plans to speak In support of the legislation. Senator Thomas, of Colorado, a Democrat, Is to follow In reply, and afterwards Ad ministration leaders hope to limit further debate. SWEDE SHIPS FIRED ON RED GUARD MAKES PRESENCE FELT IX BOTH MA C.l'LF, WHALE 10 BE EATEN Sea Mammal Meat Will Be Tried Out at New York. LUNCHEON TO BE GIVEN Vessels sa Peaceful Mission Suspected of Trsssportlsg Troops and War Munitions, STOCKHOLM, Feb. 4. Swedish steam ers, accomoanied by a cunboat and an ice-breaker, which had crossed the Gulf of Bothnia to take on Swedish subjects desiring to leave Finland on account of tho revolution, were fired upon yes terday by members of the revolutionary Red Guard on the Island of naeiso, near the Finnish port of Myantyuloto. Six shells burst within a short rtis tance of the ice-breaker. Later Rus sian sailors and Red Guards boarded the gunboat and explained they had fired in the belief that the steamships were carrying troops and munitions. LONDON. Feb. 4. King GustaT of Sweden, according to a Stockholm dis patch to the Times, has received a dep utation from the Aland Islands, who nresrnted a petition from the lnhaot tants asking for reunion with Sweden. The Alands. numbering 80, are in the Gulf of Bothnia and have formed part of Finland. The islands were taken from Sweden by Kussia In lsus. 'J ne population of the Islands Is about zo,- vuu, mostly swedes. PAPER MEN ASK TIME COAST FIGl'RES NOT YET IV SHAPE FOR PRESENTATION. Motives Declared Highest. Although opposed to Senator Hitch- cock'e position. Senator Reed said he knew the motives of both tr Nebraska Senator and Senator Chamberlain were unimpeachable. What the investigations have dis closed, the Missouri Senatdr said, can not be termed "flyspecks" or "a slight defect in tha heel of tbe perfect statue." "If 7000 men In the cold Winter leave their homes and are not furnished with sufficient clothing, that la not a fly speck." he continued. "If soldiers are permit ed to die In hospitals because of want of proper medical attention; If their bodiea are allowed to lie on the floor, that is not a speck. If ships have not been bunkered with coal and coal is available, that is not a speck. That Is of vital Importance In carrying on the war. anu those re sponsible for blundering have showed yibMk bcnoXar liitchcock declared titmacivea capable of blundering, and Publishers Charges sf Inequitable Ces- tracts With Newsprint Makers Gives Considerable Attention. WASHINGTON". Feb. 4 Requests by paper manufacturers tor turtner time to present investment and production costs on which the Federal Trade Com mission will fix a price for news print paper called forth from newspaper pub lishers at an open nearing a, protest that they were not prepared to con tinue paying the maximum of S cents a pound under the tentative agreement if the commission was not enabled to complete its work by April 1. Inequities charged by the publishers to exist in contracts for the purchase of paper were the subject of cross-examination of A- G. Mclntyre, expert for the paper committee of the News paper Publishers' Association. isn t tne advance given py tne paper committee intended to control the purchase of paper as much as pos sible?" Henry E. Wise, attorney for the manufacturers, asked. "It is not," Mclntyre replied. KANSAS CITY TO CLEAN UP Officials Ordered by C. S. to move Immoral Conditions. Be- KANSAS CTTT. Mo, Feb. 4. Orders that Kansas City clean up alleged im moral conditions, which the War De partment has had under Investigation for several months, were conveyed to city officials today by Lieutenant E. R. Beckwith. of the sanitary corps, cen tral division. Food Administrator Hoover Invited to Attend Function Announced by President of Museum of National History. NEW TORK. Feb. 4. Whale meat will be the principal article of food at a luncheon to be tendered 30 members of the American Museum of Natural History Friday, planned as a demon stration of the possibilities of whale meat consumption as an offset for scar city of other meats that might be caused by the war. Henry Fairfield Osborne, president of the museum, who has arranged the demonstration today, declared that whale meat is equal in food value to beef and could be marketed In New York City for 124 cents a pound. Food Administrator Hoover is among those invited to attend the luncheon. WASHINGTON, Feb. 4. Food Admin istrator Hoover was asked today to per' mit bakers of unleavened passover bread to get sufficient flour to meet the requirements of Jews. Religions Need Tfrged. The bread, it was pointed out. Is nec essarr in order to enable persons of that faith to observe their religious ob ligations. CHICAGO. Feb. 4. Milk deliveries In Chicago today were cut practically in half and distributors fear that a further decrease in the supply will occur tomor row because of the "passive strike of milk producers in Northern Illinois, Southern Wisconsin and Northern In diana, who decline to accept the price of S3.07 a hundred pounds during the month of February, fixed by the milK commission of the state food adminis tration. OMAHA. Feb. 4. A half million bush els of corn grown by Omaha Indians on the reservation of that tribe along the Missouri River. Is rotting on the ground for the lack of freight cars, a delega tion from the reservation told State Food Administrator Wattles today. In making a plea for transportation facili ties. Total Loss Threatened. Mr. Wattles has telegraphed the Washington food administration and asked for cars. Unless moved within four weeks the corn will be a total loss. CHICAGO, Feb. 4. The stoppage of shipments of non-essentials to facili tate the movement of grain was advo cated today by J. J. Stream, head of tbe coarse grain division of the food ad ministration, who arrived here from New York to confer with Chicago Board of Trade officials. Desperate efforts are being made to move empty cars to Western territory in order to save the corn. was brought on the ground of deser tion. Jlrs. Ream alleged that five days after their marriage in 1911 her hus band was induced to desert her by his father, Norman B. Beam, a prominent steel manufacturer. The action was uncontested. QUEEN SENDS MESSAGE Proof of Sympathy for Sufferinj Belgium of Greatest Comfort. WASHINGTON. Feb. 4. The Queen of the Belgians has cabled Dr. Anna Howard Shaw, chairman of the woman's committee of the Council of National Defense, thanking her for a cablegram expressing the gratitude of American women for the humanitarian cervices rendered by the Queen and women of Belgium to the cause of freedom and civilization. "Such a proof of sympathy for suffer ing Belgium will be of the greatest comfort to those in distress," said the Queen's message. Belgium (Granted Another Loan. WASHINGTON, Feb. 4. Belgium was granted another loan of $3,500,000 by the treasury today, making her total loans from the United States $S9,-900,000. Read The Oresronian classified ads. DIVORCE AND $210,000 WON Connecticut Woman Charges Deser- tion Fire Days After Marriage. PUTNAM. Conn., Feb. 4. A divorce was given Eleanor Davison Ream, wife of Louis M. Ream, today, together with $210,000 alimony and the right to resume her maiden name. The action American Dollar Falls In China, AMOT, China, Feb. 4. The American dollar la quoted here aa worth $1.34 silver In Chinese coin, a decrease of t cents since November 30. The normal rate la about $3.25 silver. Read Tha Oregoiiiaa claeaified ads. NIGHT SCHOOL Second Term -JUST BEGINNING at BUSINESS COLLEGE ENROLL NOW Good position as soon as competent. :.. Q A Prisoner. of War? No- A Wounded Soldier! Read why a cage like this will soon be placed in every American War Hospital. This electric cage is one of the 200 new marvels of science that you will learn all about in the February Popular Science Monthly. All the new inventions the deadly new war machines, the new labor saving devices, money making patents 300 pictures, 200 articles as vivid as the movies, as brief as telegrams that's the February Popular Science Monthly. , To keep up with the times you must read Plugging up a torpedoed ship Making Cannons out of Ice Newest Automobile Accessories Canning the baby at night Golf in your Parlor Canopus, the Mightiest Sun in the Universe A One Wheeled Automobile 8000 Germans Electrocuted in One Attack Coal Made of Paper Get the February Popular Science RumU MONTH UrT ,1872 15 cents on all newsstands t