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 1918 
 Copy 1 
 
 PERSONAL EXPLANATION-WAR CABINET 
 
 SPEECH 
 
 OF 
 
 HON. GEORGE E. CHAMBERLAIN 
 
 OF OREGON 
 
 IN THE 
 
 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
 
 JANUARY 24, 1918 
 
 9r 
 
 a8227— 1814G 
 
 WASHINGTON 
 
 €OVERNMENT PUINTING OFFICE 
 
 1918 
 
 / 
 
SPEECH 
 
 OF 
 
 H0:N'. GEOEGE E. CIIx^MBERLAm. 
 
 The bill (S. S583) to establish a war cabinet and to define the juris- 
 diction and authority thereof was on its second reading. 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. Mr. President, I rise to a question of 
 personal privilege. 
 
 Ml'. President, for 24 years of my life I have served the people 
 of my State in one capacity or another to the best of an ability 
 with which ProVidence saw fit to endow me, and in all that time 
 I have never had my veracity called in question nor my integ- 
 rity impeached, and I am frank to say that I have passed 
 through some campaigns as bitter as have fallen to the lot of 
 any man. It is therefore with some feeling of humiliation, and 
 I may say of sadness, that I rise before this distinguished body 
 to a question of personal privilege when my veracity has for 
 the first time Ueeu called in question — not by an ordinary citizen 
 in the ordinary walks of life — not by one of my colleagues, who 
 stands upon the same level au myself socially and politically, 
 but by a very distinguished gentleman who has the love and 
 admiration of the people of this country, and who through their 
 suffrage now occupies the highest place in the gift of our people, 
 and I may say the highest place of any man on the face of the 
 earth. 
 
 It is, therefore, with a peculiar feeling that I rise to address 
 myself to the attack which has been made upon me, Sir. Presi- 
 dent, and I do it not with any feeling of unkindness, because the 
 personal differences between the distinguished Presid'^nt and 
 myself amount to nothing to the American people, but there are 
 great policies at issue between us and between other people of 
 this country, a proper settlement of which may, IMr. President, 
 involve the very life of the Republic, and possibly the civiliza- 
 tion of the world. 
 
 Some days ago a distinguished body of citizens invited me to 
 deliver an address before the National Security League in New 
 York. I accepted that invitation. On the dais with me were 
 some of the best known men and women in America. The pre- 
 siding officer of that meeting was a gentleman whom our distin- 
 guished President has seen fit to honor, and who has been highly 
 honored by other Executives in the days gone by. I refer to Hon. 
 Elihu Root. 
 
 On my right sat Judge Alton B. Parker, who was once a can- 
 didate of our party for the Presidency. On the left of the pre- 
 siding ofticer was -i very distinguislied Republican friend of 
 mine and a friend of his country, though born in a country that 
 is now at war with America, Hon. .Tuuus Kahn, of California. 
 To his left was a distinguished ex-President of the United States 
 2 38227—18146 
 
 D. of D. 
 FEB 4 1918 
 
\ ^ 
 
 In the person of Col. Roosevelt. The widow of ex-President 
 
 Clevelfind was there, and. Mr. President, I say withont fear of 
 contradieition tliat the 2.000 people there represented every 
 walk of life and a spirit of patriotism that can not he excelled 
 in a like nnmber of people anywhere in the United States. 
 
 In the nniltitude of work that has fallen to my lot it was 
 impossible for me to prepare an address, and I did not even 
 have time to correct the proof or revise it after it was delivered. 
 It was reported in the New York Times in what appeared to be a 
 verbatim report, and I assume the responsibility of the speech as 
 printed in that paper. If there are any inaccuracies of diction 
 or grammar I trust that under the circumstances the Senate 
 will overlook them. Inasmuch as it formo the text of the charge 
 against me of having distorted the truth I am going to ask 
 that the Secretary may be permitted to read it. It is not very 
 long. I dislike to burden the Senate with it, but I want the 
 Senate to have the context of what I said in connection with 
 what the distinguished President of the United States complains 
 of in his public statement. 
 
 The VICE PRESIDENT. Is there objection? The Chair 
 hears none and the Secretary will read. 
 
 The Secretary read as follows: 
 
 " I assure you it is a very great pleasure and privilege to be 
 permitted to be with you to-day, 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 preservation and perpetuation of 
 civilization itself. Let me disclaim, my friends, any credit 
 for what has been accomplished and for what we hope to 
 accomplish in the great task that confronts us in this emer- 
 gency. Let me say to you that I have had the coopei-ation 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 every- 
 thing else, we have had the support of such distinguished 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, Mr. 
 Elihu Root, all of whom are here with us to-day. 
 
 •* In season and out of season these distinguished gentlemen 
 liave gone out among the people and have tried to impress upon 
 them, and they have begun to realize, that America, for the first 
 ■time in its history, is involved in a war which may, my friends, 
 mean its life and its dissolution unless America and her allies 
 bapjien- to be successful in it. 
 
 " Because of the limitation upon my time, and I know you are 
 all glad of it [cries of 'No! No!'] it is absolutely impossible 
 to go into this subject as I would love to go into it wifh you. and 
 to discu.ss the military policy of the United States, or its lack of a 
 militai-y policy, since the earliest Revolutionary time. It has 
 not been the fact that we have had a faulty military policy 
 during all of those years; it has been, my friends, that we have 
 had no military policy that has led us into these iroublo'is times 
 and conditions. We are wont to talk of the magnificont courage 
 of our forefathers, but it has often seemed to me that the most 
 unfortunate thing that ever happened 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 wa» 
 3Sii27— 1S14G 
 
then establishefl what was later to be called the trarlitional policy 
 of the United States against the oi-ganization of a standing army, 
 or. rather, of a trained army to be called into service wlienever 
 the emergency required. 
 
 " BANE OF ' TRADITIOXAL POLICY.' 
 
 " From that day to this the histories of our country have talked 
 about the traditional policies of the United States, and have 
 commended the valor of the Revolutionary troops. I have no 
 disposition to ci'iticize that statement or to question the valor— 
 the individual valor — of the splendid men who fought the bat- 
 tles of the Revolutionary days, but the lack of organization 
 which was decried by the commanding officers then and which 
 has been deci'ied by them since, and has been criticized, are the 
 troubles which confront us to-day; and if their recommenda- 
 tjoiis had been followed we not only would have had a splendid 
 Army now, but that Army would have been organized and raised 
 under a system of universal military training that would have 
 made us absolutely unconquerable. 
 
 " Washington called attention to it, and I have sometimes won- 
 dered how that distinguished connuander 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 Continental Congress and to the States to assist 
 them in organizing an Army that might be successful in accom- 
 plishment of victory. I wish I could go into these matters and 
 discuss the various battles that were fought ; but, incidentally. 
 Jet me tell you that America did not owe the accomplishment of 
 victory in 17S3 to her untrained Army, but she owed it to France 
 and the splendid efforts that France made. 
 
 " With all the pacifists that are abroad in the land denouncing 
 America for sending a few hundred thousand men or a million 
 men to France in this day of rapid transit, it is well to remember 
 that when America, on account of Washington's efforts, ap- 
 pealed to France for assistance, she sent to us under Rocharabeau 
 five or six thousand troops across the water, and instead of taking 
 them five or ten days or two weeks to reach America, they were 
 seventy-seven days from the time they left a French port until 
 they landed at Newport, 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 than to preserve the 
 magnificent French Republic, every drop of blood shed and every 
 dollar of treasure spent would be well spent for this splendid 
 people. 
 
 " I am going to skip through it all, because my time is almost 
 up now. We have got to get out of here at 3 o'clock, mind you. 
 
 "Traditional policy? It seenj« to me that a war policy called 
 for by Washington and advocated by him would sustain a policy 
 now of training young men to do battle for their country. We 
 have departed 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 benefits of citizenship carry 
 with them the responsibility for service whenever that service 
 happens to be needed. 
 
 " VICIOUS VOT.UNTEER STSTEM. 
 
 "The selective draft law which has been mentioned here, put 
 into service every man between 21 and 30 ; and it may be said 
 3S227— 1S146 
 
6 
 
 to the credit of those younp; men who have been drafted that 
 they are reiulei-inj: Just as effective and just as patriotic service 
 as those who liave volunteered. I sometimes regret that volun- 
 teerinj; has ever been pt^rniitted, for the reason that in the U)ss 
 that we sustain in tlie 1)attles wliere there is a volunteer sys- 
 tem, as there was in Great Britain, we have a horizontal 
 loss, takini? the young, red-blooded people that volunteer for 
 service and leaving tliose who ought to have shared the fate 
 of their colleagues at the first sound of war. On the other hand, 
 under thi.s sy.stem we take from the walks of industrial and 
 connnercial 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, evei*y 
 social stratum of life. 
 
 *• Let me tell you that we are going to extend that. We are 
 going to commence 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 
 fi'om from every walk of life. 
 
 " But, say the pacifists, it is unnecessary in the 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 republican France traineii her young 
 men, what would have become of France when the Gei-man forces 
 went down and attacked her on her western front ? Nothing 
 saved her but the universal military training which that splendid 
 Republic had in vogue. Ah. my friends, let us get away from 
 our prejudices. When those who now advocate universal mili- 
 tary 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 has 
 fallen down. There is no use to be optimistic about a thing tlwt 
 does not exist. 
 
 " EVERY DEPARTMENT INEFFICIENT. 
 
 " It has almost stopped functioning, my friends. Why? Be- 
 cause of inefficiency in every bureau and in every department of 
 the Government of the United States. [Applause.] We are 
 trying 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 | Senator Chajmreulain continued], and I 
 liave burned the midnight oil in an effort to do it — we are trying 
 to centralize the power of supplying the Army in one man who 
 can say ' No ' and lias the nerve to say ' No ' when the time 
 comes to say it. We have reported a bill, following tne j'^'pe- 
 rience of Great Britain and France, creating a director ct muni- 
 tions for this pui-pose. We have gone one step further and we 
 have provided a bill for the creation of a cabinet of war, who.-.p 
 duty it shall be (o lay out what we never have had, and have 
 not now — a piogram to carry on this war to a successful conclu- 
 sion. My friends, this is not an Administration nieasui-e ; it is 
 an American measure, and comes from Republicans and Demo- 
 crats alike. 
 
 3S227— 18146 
 
e 
 
 " I want this splendid audience, I want the citizenry of New 
 York, I want you, Mr. Chairman, and all of you. to set behind 
 these proposed laws and see to it that tliey grace the statute 
 books of America, so that America may play her part in the 
 war. Let us, my friends, rally to the flag of our country 
 without regard to party. Let us see to it that ihe Stvirs -lud 
 Stripes are planted upon the plains of France and be there, as 
 it is here, the emblem of freedom, liberiy, and the rights of niau. 
 " Your flas and my flag, and how it flies to-day. 
 In your land and my land, and half the world away, 
 Rose-red and blood-red, the stripes forever gleam, 
 !<now-white and soul-while, the good forefathers' dream, 
 Sky-blue and true-blue with stars that gleam aright 
 A glorious guidon of the day, a shelter through the night. 
 
 "And so, my friends, whether our flag be planted here or in 
 France, or wherever it may be, let us see that it is the emblem 
 •of a better civilization and a better form of government. 1 
 tliank you." 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. Mr. President, that address was de- 
 livered on the 19th of this month. I returned to Washington 
 the next day, and in tlie evening of that day I received from the 
 President of the United States a letter, which I send to the desls 
 and ask the Secretary to read. 
 
 Tlie VICE PRESIDENT. Is there objection? The Chair 
 hears none, and the Secretary will read as requested. 
 
 The Secretary read as follows : 
 
 The White House, 
 Washington, 20 January, lOlS. 
 
 Mr Deaii Sin : You are reported in the New York World of this 
 morning as having said at a luncheon in New York yesterday : 
 
 "The Military Establishment of America has fallen down; there is 
 no use to be optimistic about a thing that does not exist; it has almost 
 stopped functioning. Why? Because of inefficiency in every bureau 
 and in evf.^ry department of the Government of the United States. I 
 speak not as a Democrat, but as an American citizen." 
 
 I would be very much oblised if you would tejl me whether you were 
 correctly quoted. I do not like to comment upon the statements made 
 before learning from you yourself whether you actually made them. 
 Very truly, yours, 
 
 WooDBOw Wilson. 
 
 Hon. Geokgh E. Chamberlain, 
 
 United States Senator. 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. Mr. President, I received that letter 
 too late to attempt to answer it last Sunday evening, but the 
 first thing tlie next morning, and as soon as my office force came 
 down. I dictated a letter to the President, and I ask to have that 
 letter read into the Record. 
 
 The VICE PRESIDENT. Without objection, the secretary 
 will read as requested. 
 
 The Secretary read as follows : 
 
 January 21, 1018. 
 
 My Dear Mr. President : I received last evening your favor of the 
 20th instant, in which you advise me that I was quoted in the New 
 York World of same date with your letter as follows: 
 
 "The Military Establishment of American has fallen down: there 
 is no use to be optimistic about a thing that does not exist ; it has al- 
 most stopped functioning. Why? Because of inefficJencv in every 
 bureau and in every department of the Government of the United 
 States. I speak not as a Democrat, but as an American citizen." 
 
 You desire to know if I am correctly quoted, inasmuch as you do not 
 like to comment upon the statements made before learning from me 
 whether I actually made then). 
 
 In reply permit me to say that the words quoted are substantially 
 those used by me My address on the occasion referred to was extem- 
 poraneous and without notes, but the New York Times of yesterday 
 38227— 1814C 
 
morning purports to give a verbatim report of all the addresses made, 
 and I beliovc the report made is substautiaily correct. In that I am 
 quoted as saying, in part : 
 
 " Now, in conclusion, and I have only touched a few of the high spots, 
 let me say that the Military Establishment of America has fallen down. 
 There is no use to be optimistic about a thing that does not exist. It 
 has almost stopped functioning, my friends. Why? Because of iuef- 
 flciency in every department of the Government of the United States. 
 We are try.ng to woris it out. I speak not as a Democrat, but as an 
 American citizen." 
 
 Vou will note that there is very little difference between the two re- 
 ports, and, in view of the fuller report in the Times, I am inclined to 
 believe it correctly quotes me. 
 
 Rut, Mr President, may f beg that you will do me the honor to 
 read the whole of what 1 said in order that the part quoted may have 
 its proper setting'? I only had '20 minutes allotted me, and in that 
 brief time unrtortooli to show that since the Battle of Bunker llili we 
 had never had a proper military organization or policy and that our 
 troubles now are largely due to that fact. I was only discussing the 
 military policy, or lack of such policy, from the earliest days of the 
 Republic, and immediately following the language last quoted I said : 
 
 " We are trying, my friends, 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 
 experience of Great Britain and France, creating a director of muni- 
 tions for thi purpose. We 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 have not now— a program 
 to carry on this war to a successful conclusion. My friends, this is 
 not an administration measure ; it is an American measure and comes 
 from Kepublicans and Democrats both." 
 
 All present understood the criticism, and you will note that ex- 
 Tresident Roosevelt in his speech shortly following mine made substan- 
 tially the same criticism of conditions during the Spanish-American 
 War, although, as he said. " It wjis waged by an administration of 
 which I was a part and in which I afterwards became even more closely 
 ■connected." 
 
 I have been connected with the Committee on Military Affairs of 
 the Senate ever since I have been a Member of the Senate, and have 
 taken a very deep interest in military legislation, and 1 believe 1 
 know something about the deficiencies in the Military Establishment. 
 Since Congress convened the committee have been diligently at work 
 endeavoring to find out actual conditions and to find some remedy for 
 recognized or proven deficiencies in our military system. The testi- 
 mony of witnesses in and out of the establishment clearly establishes 
 the ifact, Mr. President, that there are inefficiencies in the system that 
 ought to be remedied for a proper prosecution of the war. and, further, 
 that there are and have been inefflcients connected with the admin- 
 istration of a disjointed and uncoordinated establishment. So feeling 
 and so believing. 1 have felt it my duty to speak out. in the hope that 
 defects in the military code may be cured and inefflcients later weeded 
 out. 1 will be glad to .ioin with otiier members of the committee aud 
 go over the situation with you at any time, if you desire it. and re- 
 view the testimcny which, taken in connection with an inherited defi- 
 cient system, led me to the conclusion expressed in my short extem- 
 poraneous address to which you call my attention. 
 
 I have the honor to remain, yours, very sincerely. 
 
 Geo. E. Chamberlain. 
 
 President Woodkow Wil.son, 
 
 The White House. 
 
 Mr, CHAMBERLAIN. Mr. President, to that letter I re- 
 ceived no reply ; I do not know that any reply was necessary ; 
 but on the afternoon of that day — last Monday— there was 
 printed in the evening papers, and generally printed throughout 
 the United States, a statement by our distinguished President, 
 and I assume that that is the answer to the letter. The press was 
 kind enough, small as I am compared with our distinguished 
 President, to print with his statement a very brief statement 
 which I made to them upon reading the President's statement. 
 T ask that both be read, Mr. President. 
 
 The VICE PRESIDENT. Without objection, it is so ordered. 
 38227—18146 
 
8 
 
 The Secretary read as follows : 
 
 DOCUMENTS 1\ CLASH ON POLICY. 
 
 [Washington lieralil, Jan. 122.] 
 
 By WooDROw WiLsox. 
 
 SpDator Chambbi!Lain"s state- 
 ment as to the present inaction 
 and ineffectiveness of the (iovern- 
 ment Is an astonishing antl abso- 
 lutely nnjustiflaljle distortion of 
 the truth. 
 
 As a matter of fact, the War De- 
 
 By Geouge B. Chamberlain. 
 
 M.v ai'gument was directed to 
 the Military Establishment and 
 not to the General Government. 
 Those who heard me know that. 
 
 I had no prepared speech and 
 did not speak from notes. I de- 
 livered an extemporaneous address 
 
 partmcnt has performed a task of to the people there, explaining that 
 unparalleled magnitude and diffl- since ISunker Ilill we had had 
 culty with extraordinary prompt- practically no military organiza- 
 
 ness and efficiency. 
 
 There have been delays and dis- 
 appointments and partial miscar- 
 riages of plans, all of which have 
 leen drawn into the foreground 
 and exaggerated by the investiga- 
 
 tion or policy. I discussed the 
 subject from that viewpoint for 20 
 minutpR. 
 
 I said the Senate Military Com- 
 mittee had tried to correct the 
 evils by the introduction of the 
 
 tions which have been in progress two new bills. One, written by 
 
 since the Congress assembled- 
 vestigations which drew Indispei-s- 
 ahle officials of the department 
 constantly away from their work 
 and afficers from their commands 
 and contiibuted a great deai to 
 Fuch delay and confusion as has 
 inevitably arisen. But by com- 
 
 me. Is the director-of-munltions 
 bill. The other, written by a sub- 
 committee, is the war-cabinet bill. 
 
 I still stand for both. 
 
 Mr. Baker's efforts to better his 
 organization within the Military 
 Establishment itself have been 
 commendable. He has tried to do 
 
 parison with what has been ac- something. Some improvements 
 
 complished. these things, much as have been made in the system in 
 
 they are to be regretted, were in- vogue. 
 
 significant, and no mistake has But in his plan the inherent 
 
 been made which has been repeated. weakness, in the last analysis, is 
 
 Nothing helpful or likely to that there is no one between the 
 
 speed or facilitate the Avar tasks President and the Army able to 
 
 of the Government has come out act. The new system of Mr. Baker 
 
 of such criticism and investiga- 
 tion — 1 have not been consulted 
 about them and have learned of 
 them only at second hand- -but 
 th(>ir proposal came after effective 
 measures of reoi-ganization hyii 
 been thoughtfully and maturely 
 
 comp'ises the clearance board of 
 the War Industries Board and the 
 various purchasing departments. 
 There is the inherent weakness. 
 They can not act. 
 
 The war cabinet and the di- 
 rector of munitions have distinct 
 
 perfected, and inasmuch as these and positive power. One maps the 
 
 measures have been the result of progress for the future, the other 
 
 experience, they are much more furnishes supplies fo:- the Army, 
 
 hkely than any others to be effec- Thev constitute a strong link in a 
 
 tive, if the Congress will but re- chain, which is never stronger 
 
 move a few statutory obstacles of th.in its weakest link 
 
 rigid departmental organization We substitute for voluntary 
 
 whi<'h stand in their way 
 
 The legislative proposals 1 have 
 heard of would inv.uve long aodi- 
 tional delays and ?urn ouv expe- 
 rience into mere los* inofioi. 
 
 My association and constant (<'n- 
 ference with the Secretary of War 
 have taught me to regard him as 
 one of the ablest public ofHoials I 
 have ever known. The country 
 will soon learn whether he or nis 
 critics understand the business in 
 hand. 
 
 To add. as Senator Chamber- 
 lain did, that there is inefficiency 
 In every d< partment and bureau of 
 the (iovernment is to show such 
 Ignorance of actual ''onditions as 
 to make it impossible to actach any 
 importance to his statement. 
 
 I am bound to Infer that that 
 statement sprang out of oppos;rion 
 to the administration's whole 
 policy rather than out of any seri- 
 out Intention to reform Its practice. 
 38227—18140 
 
 bodies a strong organization. 
 
 I regret that the administration 
 is against the plan. But I will 
 proceed with the bills. T feel it 
 my duty as a Senator. The people 
 of the country are entitled to be 
 let into the confidence of the Sen- 
 ate Military Committee and the 
 committee considers that the bilH 
 are necessary in order that the 
 war preparations may be coordi- 
 nated. 
 
Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. Mr. Presklenf, tlie statement- of the 
 Tresident ohnllenges me, of course, to the proof of mv s?-.-temeiit 
 as printed in tlie New Yorl, Times, to wliicli I adiiere, and 
 which I now repeat. Wlietlier my coUoasues or tlie country 
 will tal<e the evidence by its four corners and reach tlie same 
 conclusion ihat I liave reached is an entirely different proposi- 
 tion. They may not see it from tlie same angle that I eo it. 
 Two men may read the same article and draw differenr conclu- 
 sions from it. Two men may hear one witness testi.'v an<l dra.v 
 diffei'enr inferences from what he said. Those are the 'nherent 
 diffei-ences in human nature. But occupying the position at I 
 do. IMr. President, as chairman of this great committee, a .!--o- 
 ciated as I ha\e been with Democrats and Republican^- -.vho-'e 
 single aim and effort has been to develop conditions as they eYi-'t 
 without fear or favor or the hope of reward, I fel<- as an 
 American citizen, and I feel as a Member of this distinguishcil 
 body, that it was my duty to say the thing that was in me. If I 
 succeeded. Mr. President, in malcing a rift in the clouds Mud let- 
 ting the sunlight inio the dark places where ihc Auierlcau 
 people are entitled to go and see, I feel that my efforts and 
 the efforts of my colleagues, for whom I enteriain the highL-si 
 regard and respect, have not been in vain in an endeavor to 
 save our country in the pending crisis. 
 
 The evidence has not yet been printed. That has not been due 
 to any fault on tlie part of the conunittee. but, because of its im- 
 portance, the testimony of each witness has been senr to him in 
 order that he might revise it. and that the country might get the 
 evidence as It came from the lips of the witnesses. I liope it will 
 be finished to-day. so that the Senate may have it. But now, 
 Mr. I'resident. in view of the fact that my "truthfulness has been 
 called in question, I feel it my duty, not to go into detail— be- 
 cause it would take me days to do that — but to say some things 
 here in all kindness, and to tell the country some things that pos- 
 sibly I might not have told under ordinary circum.stances until 
 the investigation now in progress hail been completed. I shall 
 do it as a man who loves his counti-y fii-st of all. a man who would 
 sacrifice not only his own life but the life of every member of hi.s 
 fr.-nily to save it. I shall do it feai'lessly. and as an American citi- 
 zen who wants to help and not hinder the President in this 
 emergency. 
 
 I rather think, Mr. President, that it is not that I have dis- 
 torted the truth, for I have sometimes feared that in the multi- 
 tude of cares and responsibilities that have devolved upon the 
 President of the United States he has not been able to ascer- 
 tain the truth. If lie has relied upon some of those who have 
 come before our committee. IMr. Pi'esident and my fellow Sena- 
 tors, lie does not know the truth, and from the lips of some of 
 those who have testified and wlio are clo.se.st to him he can not 
 find the truth ; not because there has been a disposition to <le- 
 ceive or mislead our distinguished Executive possibly, but simply 
 because they, too, are so situated, in the multitudinous affairs of 
 this great crisis, that they can not ascertain the truth : and even 
 If they could ascertain the truth through the labyrinth of tilings 
 that pass over their desks and through their offices each day, 
 it would be impossible for them to remember it for any pur- 
 pose. So this investigation was started, Mr. President, with a 
 38227—18146 
 
10 
 
 purpose to be critical where criticism was necessary and with 
 the purpose to be constructive as well ; and this committee 
 would not have discharged its duty to the Senate and to the 
 country if it had gone about the work with any other pur- 
 pose in view than to criticize where criticism was just, and to 
 offer suggestions of a constructive nature where that was proper, 
 
 Mr. President, the Secretary of War, in his general state- 
 ment to the country — which was cra'efuUy written and pre- 
 pared—tells us that $3,200,000,000 have been appropriated for 
 the Ordnance Denartment and contract., have been let for 
 $1,677,000,000; all of which is true. But the Secretary fails to 
 tell us, Mr. President, in his statement to the country, and it 
 only comes out in the course cf a cross-examination, that 
 America stands to-day unprepared so far as ordnance is con- 
 cerned. I challenge anybody to read the testimony and come to 
 any other conclusion. Poor, bleeding France, my friends — 
 bled white, not only for her own life and for the liberty of her 
 own citizens but for America as well — is to-day furnishing 
 our troops as they arrive in France the necessary heavy ord- 
 nance and machine guns for aircraft and for ground service. 
 Why, Mr. President, if we I'elied upon the Ordnance Department 
 in this emergency to furnish our troops with the heavy ord- 
 nance — and this is largely a war of artillery to-day — the war 
 would be over before we ever got to the front. 
 
 Why, there is testimony, if I correctly remember it, before the 
 Military Affairs Committee that along some of these fronts the 
 cannon — and heavy cannon, if you please — are located 5 yards 
 apart for a distance of G miles ; and yet America, this great and 
 magnificent country, is dependent upon poor France to deliver 
 the ordnance! Did France agree to deliver it in order to win 
 over reluctant America? Did she agree to furnish it in order 
 to encourage and hearten America? What would happen to 
 France with the debacle in Italy, Senators, where her own 
 troops are and where the troops of her allies are if she is to 
 furnish ordnance to America? What is France to do for them 
 in case of an emergency and a desperate battle for the life of one 
 of her allies? 
 
 I will not go into details. I do not think it would be proper 
 to go into details, but I call to the attention of the Senate the 
 confidential evidence of Gen. Crozier himself as to the amount 
 of contracts which the Secretary speaks of as having been let, 
 and as to the progress of the work. If the administration 
 wanted to be fair with the American people — and they are en- 
 titled to fair treatment, and to know these things — why <..id 
 not the distinguished Secretary, whom I hold in the very 
 highest regard as an able and intellectual gentleman, tell 
 the American people how long it would take to make deliveries 
 under these contracts and let them assist in getting ready for 
 this terrible cataclysm that not only confronts America but con- 
 fronts the world? 
 
 What has the Ordnance Department been doing since 1914? 
 Was there even a half-witted American citizen who at the very 
 outset did not know and realize that there was a chance that 
 America might become involved? There were omens in the sky, 
 my colleagues, that indicated that America would become in- 
 voIve<l, notwithstanding her desire to keep out. She could uot 
 3821:7—18146 
 
u 
 
 keep out. What wns the Ordnance Department doins? Nothing. 
 Here we were fi-oni August. 11)14. until the declaration of war in 
 April, 1917. Willi tlie Orihiance Department ly'inj^ supinely upon 
 its back, making no plans, constructinj; no gauges, manufacturing 
 no dies, doing al)S()lutely nothing to ascertain what were tli6 
 po.ssihilities in raw material and the possihilities of manufacture. 
 It would not have takei\ any time, it would not have cost 
 much, if anything, to liave done tliat. Congress appropriated 
 quite a large sum in two or three appropriation bills for the pur- 
 pose of manufacturing dies, jigs, and gauges to be used in the 
 construction of all of these implements of artillery warfare. 
 That money has not been expended ; and yet every business 
 man and every sensible man in this country knows that for 
 quantity production it is absolutely necessary to have the 
 gauges and the jigs and the dies, so that when ycm are ready 
 to manufacture all you have to do is to send them out. so 
 that guns may be manufactured along those lines. What 
 was tlie Ordnance Department doing? Nothing. 
 
 I am not blaming aTiybody m particular, Mr. President, but 
 I am calling attention to facts and blaming an inefficient system. 
 I liave a very liigh regard for Gen. Crozier. He has made his 
 reputation in the Army, and his life has been spent in the serv- 
 ice of Ids country. We have not been able to do what Great 
 Britain has done and what France has done and what Italy has 
 done and what every one of our allies has been able to do, and 
 that is to retire these gentlemen who liave not proved themselves 
 up to the mark wlien it comes to getting ready for war. We ought 
 not to dismiss them in disgrace, but certainly they ought not to 
 be continued in places wliere they have failed, or be promoted 
 to higlier rank. France has not liesitated to retire tliem to 
 the shades of private life, or to the shades of inactive military 
 life, if you please, into positions of innocuous desuetude. Great 
 Britain has not hesitated to do it at any time. AVhy should 
 America hesitate? 
 
 Senators, it is not a question of the individual or of individu- 
 als. This is not a question between the distinguished President 
 of the United States and myself. It is a question of America; 
 and every man in America ought to forget party, forget individu- 
 als, and forget everything, so that his whole thought and his 
 whole life and his whole purpose may be devoted not only to the 
 protection of the Republic but also to the perpetuation of our 
 own institutions and the institutions of the civiiized world, all 
 of which are involved. 
 
 Oh, my colleagues and friends, I want you to read this testi- 
 mony, and I want you to read it prayerfully and carefully and 
 tearfully, if need be. 
 
 Take the question of machine guns. I am not going into the 
 merits of any particular gun. That his been an old controversy 
 here for years. There are things that can be said on both sides 
 of it. Here was the Lewis gun, that was being manufactured in 
 America for Great Britain. She had 70,000 of them on the battle 
 front, and the testimony of every British soldier that I have seen 
 is as to the excellent character of the gun. There are several 
 kinds of machine guns. America was manufacturing in large 
 numbers and on large contract the Lewis gun for export to (he 
 allies and was prepared to turn them out in large quantities. 
 
 38227—18146 
 
12 
 
 Ami yet. "u-hile we stood alonj? the edge of a seething volcano, we 
 were trifling along through the Ordnance Department, trying to 
 find a macliine gun. With tliis war on, and America in it. we did 
 not even adopt a machine gun until along in May sometime, 
 and it was not finally adopted. I believe, until sometime in 
 June. Then they adopted another gun — not the Lewis gun. that 
 was being used on the battle front in Europe, but a gun that 
 was still a gun on paper, and it is a gun on paper to-day — I do 
 not care what anybody says about it — because it has never been 
 given a field test. It has been developed, Mr. President, that ali 
 of these guns have to be experimented with and developed and 
 changed and modified in one form or another before tliey can 
 finally become an implement of warfare in the proper sense of 
 the word. 
 
 It may be that the Browning gun, the one adopted, is the best 
 gun. It is an automatic rifle. There are two classes of the Lewis 
 gun, one light and one heavy. We are manufacturing the Lewis 
 gun, and manufacturing it for aircraft. If they are good for that, 
 why could we not have adopted the plans then in vogue, and have 
 manufactured the Lewis gun, even if it was not the best ,uun, 
 until final tests had discovered the best? They are the modern 
 implements of war with heavy artillery, ]\Ir. President, and witlj- 
 out them America could not get anywhere. AVe are going to 
 use them on the aircraft. The reply to the criticism of the tardi- 
 ness in adopting a machine gun. is: "Well, we have thirty or 
 forty thousand of them for aircraft, the lighter kind." But, 
 Mr. President, what I complain of is that they were not manu- 
 factured in large quantities in factories that were then manu- 
 facturing them for the British Government and for otlier coun- 
 tries. 
 
 I think the Secretary testified in regard to the contracts for 
 the Browning gun. Contracts are (mt. and the guns are to be de- 
 livered some time at varying dates in the future. I ask you to 
 read Gen. Crozier's testimony. I do not want to go into that. I 
 do not think it would be proper to go into it ; but we are advised 
 that we have got some manufactured. The Secretary testified 
 some time during the middle of January that we had nine guns 
 at that time — nine Browning guns — nine guns to go up against 
 the thousands of the machine guns of Germany. It may be 
 that having nine shows that there is now an opportun"ty for 
 quantity production, because the gauges may be ready; but we 
 have been in the war 30 months, and nothing has been accom- 
 plished in the way of securing these guns. 
 
 I noticed in reading the proceedings of the British Parliament 
 not long ago — and I tlnnk he was right^a member said, 
 "You nee I not be afraid about giving Germany any informa- 
 tion." Germany knows more about America to-day than many 
 men connected with the department; and so far as I am con- 
 cerned, my colleagues. I feel that America would be better off 
 if her representatives would come out in the spot light and let 
 the plain people of this land know what is being done, and then 
 you could rely upon them to rally to the support of the Presi- 
 dent for the successful prosecution of this war. Tliere is not 
 any question about that. 
 
 Let us now consider the question of rifles. 
 38227—18146 
 
13 
 
 We were furn'sliing Lee-Enfield rifles to the British Govern- 
 ment in large numbers. The factories were prepared for thein. 
 It is true that Great Britain was trying to make an iiuprovenient 
 xipon the rilles used by her when she became involved in the 
 war, but when the war came on Great Britain said we will 
 not waste any time improving our rilles, but will get them 
 out just as fast as we can, and they have been manufacturing 
 them ever since. What did America do? With 700,000 ritles in 
 America and in our colonial possessions, a motVey group of dif- 
 ferent kinds of guns. America was seeking, thi-ongh the Ordnance 
 Department, to improve the rifle that Great Britain was manu- 
 facturing hei-e and which we could have put out without any 
 trouble in the factories. We went to work through tlu- Ordnance 
 Department to improve the Enfield rifle. I am frank to say it is 
 a great improvement. I believe it is a better gun than the 
 English gun, but here while the house was burning America was 
 determining through its Ordnance Department what instrumen- 
 talities ought to be adopted to put out the fire. It took weeks 
 and months before they finally got the Lee-Enfiell rifle into 
 condition where the Ordnance Department thought it was all 
 right. And after this was agreed upon there were further de- 
 lays caused by indecis'on. Here were the engineers of these 
 great arms companies, who .got togethei- and finally agreed 
 upon n program for the manufacture of these guns, antl con- 
 cluded that they would manufacture them with seven inter- 
 changeable parts, and they started to manufacture the gauges, 
 the .iigs, and dies, and everything necessary for the manufac- 
 ture' of guns with seven interchangeable parts. After the Ord- 
 nance Department had practically accepted the suggestion, it 
 went to work through a distinguished ordnance officer and 
 changed the plan from 7 to 40 interchangeable parts, and finally 
 raised it to over .50 interchangeable parts, with the result that 
 everything had to be stopped for awhile that additional gauges 
 might be made. This may have resulted in improvement, but 
 why the delay in the midst of the smoke of battle? 
 
 Idr. President, these things were only brought out by this in- 
 vestigation. You do not find them elsewhere. Why should not 
 the American people be informed of them? Senators, there are 
 a lot of people out in the wild and wooly West where I come 
 from who. lying back in their cabins and in their homes, per- 
 fectly content that America has everything she wants, and they 
 are iiot worrying themselves, and they are fathers of boys at 
 the front. If they only knew, these mothers and these fathers, 
 patriotic citizens of the West, the actual conditions, every one 
 of them— every woman and man — would be up and doing and 
 ready to give 'their lives and their all for the purpose of pro- 
 tecting America. 
 
 The casual reader of the Secretary's statement would con- 
 clude that we had everything in the way of ordnance and yet, 
 take the testimony of men on the ground like Gen. Greble — we 
 only called two or three — we did not want to take them away 
 from their duties, and we find the conclusion would not be 
 jusffied. Take Gen. Greble, commanding general at Camp 
 Bowie. He testified that they have not a single trench mortar. 
 They have not machine guus to any appreciable number, not 
 3S2:i7— 18146 
 
14 
 
 enough to train machine-gun men. The testimony of all is that 
 the machine-gun man is not wortli anything unless he has had 
 some practice witii a machine gun. They have not any howit- 
 zers; tliey have not any of the larger caTber guns. Senator^, 
 that is true of Camp Bowie, and it is true of nearly every can- 
 tonment and regular division in the United States. I am not 
 saying it by way of complaining, Mr. President, but I am trying 
 to sliow, and I want the American people to realize, that as to 
 military program and policy America has none and that her 
 military establishment as recently constituted has fallen down. 
 If it had not been for the civilian people of this country, If It 
 had not been for the men who have come here and g'ven their 
 time and their services, we would not have been anywhere. 
 
 I have in what I have said only briefly touched upon the 
 Ordnance Department. Now I come to the Quartermaster's 
 Department. You would conclude from the statements that 
 are printed in the press of the country, that " everything is 
 lovely and the goose hangs high," so far as clothing was con- 
 cerned, but get on the ground and talk with men who are in 
 command of these boys and you will find the conclusion is 
 wrong; that is all there is about it. On a per capita basis it 
 may be. My friend fi-om Utah [Mi*. Smoot] and I on a per 
 capita basis may be worth $100,000. He may have the $100,000, 
 but per capita I am worth just as much as he is, and yet I do 
 not have anything. On the same test of a per capita basis 
 America may have uniforms, but when you come to the proper 
 distribution of uniforms they have not had them and they have 
 not got them yet. 
 
 I realize the great difficulties that have confronted the Quar- 
 termaster General. I am not complaining of him as an indi- 
 vidual. He has done the best he could under a faulty systeitl, 
 and the President is not responsible for the system. He in- 
 herited the system. He has done the best he could. But wje 
 are without the clothing just the same. 
 
 Now, I am going to show by Mr. Baker's testimony that he did 
 not know it, and that is the reason why I am saying that the 
 President, the premier of all the great statesmen of the world, 
 if you please, recognized as the leader of thought in this great 
 iHternational cataclysm, and I say amen to it, did not know tho 
 truth, and I did. I had it fi'om the lips of living witnesses. 
 He must have gotten his facts from his distinguished Secre- 
 tary of War and he in turn got them from somebody else, and 
 if those who furnished the evidence knew the facts, they did 
 not tell the whole truth. If the Secretary represented condi- 
 tions to the President on their statement he could not have 
 given the Pres'dent the whole truth, for he did not know it. 
 
 My statement is challenged, ray integrity is in question. I am 
 going to pass around to the Senate some of the pictures taken 
 ii. one of these cantonments, of'young men drilling in the cold, 
 'in the snow, and working in the trenches and using wooden gutis 
 and 'Other ordnance that tb.ey manufacturecl in the camps. That 
 is all right; I am not complaining of it, but I am showing the 
 facts. If I had a boy going to France to join a machine-gun 
 company or an artillery company, I would want him to luu^ 
 had some practice with something else than a wooden cannon 
 SS^:"!— 18146 
 
15 
 
 or a telephone pole used for a cannon before he went over. I 
 want Senators to see these pictures, I do this, Mr. President, 
 because I feel it a duty that I owe first to my country and sec- 
 ond to my conscience, and no man and no set of men on God's 
 green footstool can keep me from telling the truth and carrying 
 out the dictates of my own conscience. I have no fear of God, 
 man, or devil. My only fear, my colleagues, was that in this 
 discussion in some way or other it miglit have a psychologically 
 bad effect upon my country and its cause, and yet I do not see 
 how it can do otherwise than help. If these conditions exist, 
 they ought to be corrected and corrected quickly. Great Brit- 
 ain found the same conditions and she corrected them pretty 
 quickly as a result of fearless criticism. France found the 
 same conditions and corrected them. America can not get her 
 Army to manufacture these things. I do not care what they 
 gay, the graduates of military institutions stand at the top of 
 their classes it may be, but when :t comes to a young man 
 trained along a particular line of duty uudertakiug to handle 
 great commercial and manufacturing enterprises it is not in 
 him to do it. You must go to the men who have done these 
 things in order to secure results. Great Britain did that and 
 France did it, and why should we not take this matter up and 
 if Congress feels that there are inefficiencies it ought to correct 
 them, though the heavens fall. Congress ought to do it without 
 any fear of anybody, giving due weight and consideration always 
 to the distinguished Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy. 
 
 Now, what has been the result? I want you to read the Sec- 
 retary's statement printed in the hearings about having sub- 
 stantially all these things in the way of equipment. While he 
 was on the stand a few days ago, reiterating again the state- 
 ment that our soldier boys were equipped, I said to him, in 
 substance, as I took my seat at the head of the table with 
 my distinguished colleagues, " Why, Mr. Secretary, I have just 
 talked within the last five minutes with a commanding officer 
 at one of these cantonments, and he tells me that he !s short 
 7,000 coats." In his usual placid way he said, substantially, 
 "That is not true." I said, "He just came from there and is 
 it not true?" He turned around to the Assistant Secretary 
 of War, and said to him, "Telegraph to the Quartermaster Gen- 
 eral and get his report," On the next day, the 14tli of Jan- 
 uary, I got this letter from the Secretary : 
 
 War Depahtment, 
 Washington, January IJ,. lOlS. 
 
 My Dear Senatoh CHAMBEn^AiN : On Paturday morning or;o oi the 
 members ot the committee said that he had just talked with the com- 
 manding officer of Camp Sherman, and that there were, as I recaU it, 
 3,000 men there without uniforms. You will recall that I a:.ked the 
 Assistant Secretary to direct at once that a telegram be Kent to the 
 camp to find out the facts. 
 
 I inclose a telegram which came on Saturday, the same day upon 
 which the statement was made, and which states that the 31, 024 men 
 now at Camp Sherman were at that time all in uniform, and taat a pre- 
 vious shortage of approximately 7,000 coats was at that time D.rvidod 
 for. 
 
 I send this information because, as you will recall, I ventured at the 
 time the statement was made quite definitely to express a dis'iellel in 
 Its accuracy. 
 
 I will say this for the Secretary, wlien he did not know he 
 was very positive. 
 38227—18146 
 
 i 
 
16 
 
 This tologram I think shoulfl be c.nllocl to the attention of the mem- 
 bers of the committee, as it is of the highest importance lo have them 
 know both that this provision has been made and that Ihe informa- 
 tion upon which I have been relying in my testimony to the committee 
 is not inaccurate. 
 
 Cordially, yours, 
 
 Newton D. Bakeu, 
 
 Secretiiri/ of War. 
 Hon. George E. CHAMBEnLArx, 
 
 United States Senate. 
 
 The telegram is as follows. It came from the quartermaster 
 addressed to Geu. Goethals. 
 
 Camp Shehmax, Ohio, January 12, 1918. 
 Goethals. 
 
 Qiiartcrma.itcr General of the Army, Waf>hington, D. C. 
 Retel date, 81.024 men now at this camp all in uniform. Previous 
 shortage of approximately 7,000 coats provided for. 
 
 Case. 
 Camp Quartei-ma.ster. 
 
 That convinced me that the Secretary of War Ivnew wliat he 
 was talking about, and I was glad to have it confirmed, because 
 there were some things I thought he was misinformed about. 
 On the very next day, January 15, lie sent me this letter : 
 
 War Department, 
 Washington, January /.), WfS. 
 My Dear Senator Chamberlain : I send you a telegram which has 
 just been received from Camp Sherman. The information in it differs 
 from that contained in the earlier telegram, which I sent you yesterday 
 and which arrived on Saturday. Apparently the information given to 
 you by Gen. Glenn as to the blouses was accurate. This telegram, how- 
 ever, shows that an adequate supply is in shipment, though not received 
 by the time the telegram was sent. 
 Cordially, yours, 
 
 Newton D. Baker, 
 
 Secretary of War. 
 Hon. George E. Chamberlain, 
 
 United States Senate. 
 
 That is the way it lias been ever since the war commenced. It 
 is on the way, but does not get there. Now, what does the tele- 
 gram say? 
 
 Camp Sherman, Ohio, January 15, 1018. 
 Goethals, per Hardeman, 
 
 Office Quartermaster General, Washington, D. C.: 
 Thirty-one thousand one hundred and four men now in cfrnp. All 
 have overcoats and woolen breeches. Twenty-four thousand two hun- 
 dred and four have complete uniforms. Sixty-nine hundred not yet 
 supplied with coats, supply of which is now in shipment. 
 
 Case. 
 Camp Quartermaster. 
 
 So the distinguished Gen. Glenn, commanding at Camp Sher- 
 man, a man whom I have always found willing to tell the truth, 
 was nearly right. He comes from North Carolina, as whispered 
 to me by the Senator from that State [Mr. Overman], God bless 
 him ; I wish we had more lilve him. Speaking from memory 
 only, he missed it by 100, and I think I shall show by Mr. Baker's 
 own testimony that when he made the statement that all these 
 places were equipped he was mistaken. But that is not all I am 
 going to show you. With all these statements, time and again 
 Iterated and reiterated, that our boys are substantially provided 
 for, this committee asked The Adjutant General of the Arniy^ 
 this was a little after the 1st of January — to wire the canton- 
 ment and other commanding officers to furnish us with infor- 
 mation as to the actual conditions in the cantonments and the 
 conditions as to equipment C. Equipment C is the clothiug out- 
 38:.'::7— 1S146 
 
17 
 
 fit of a private soldier. In due course that information came to 
 us. In the face of this statement that had l)een repeate<lly 
 made, that that equipment was all furnished or was sul)stan- 
 tialiy furnished, made upon the part of the Secretary of War 
 and prohahly by the Quartermaster General, too. on the 12th of 
 January the Secretary sends up to the connnittee (i"^ following: 
 
 War Depaktme.nt, 
 Washington, January 12, 1918. 
 Hon. George R Chamberlain, 
 
 Chairman Committee on Military Affairs, 
 
 United Rtatca Senate. 
 Mr Dear Senator : Pursuant to telephonic request of your commit- 
 tee to The Adjutant General of the Armv that a report be obtained 
 showing in percentages the shortages of articles of equipment C quar- 
 termaster supplies at the different divisional camps as of .January 1, 
 or as near that dpte as possible, a telegram was sent all division 
 commanders, and I now have the honor to sniMnit to vour committee, 
 attached herewith, a tabuhited siieet showing the state of equipment 
 as disclosed by these replies. 
 
 Figures represent shovtages in percentages. Where blank spaces 
 exist, no shortages were reported. 
 Very respectfully 
 
 Newton D. Baker, 
 Secretary of War. 
 That information comes to us through the Secretary of War 
 himself, contradicting over his own signature and in his own 
 letter his previous statement that the equipment was all there. 
 
 I am not going to take time to read the statement of short- 
 ages, hut I am going to ask that it may go into the Record be- 
 cause I want i)eople to see. I want them to see whether or not 
 I am distorting the truth when I say that the Military Establish- 
 ment of America has fallen down. I propose to relieve myself 
 of responsibility if the worst ever comes, so that I may go home 
 to my family and to my friends and to my constituents and say, 
 " I tried to invite the attention of the country to it, but they lis- 
 tened rather to those higher in authority, and my voice was as 
 of one calling in the wilderness." 
 
 This statement contains the list of articles that go to make 
 up the equipment and it shows the shortage.s. I ask thar it 
 may be printed in the Record. 
 
 The VICE PRESIDENT. Without objection it is bC ordered. 
 The matter referred to is as follows: 
 3S227— 18146 2 
 
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20 
 
 Mr, CHAlvrBERLATN. Let rae take one item for instance. I 
 will take one of the important items — woolen coats — olive-drab 
 woolen coats. In the Third Regular Divioion it is 10 per cent 
 short; in the Fourth Regular Division, 54 per cent short; in the 
 Sixth Regular Division. 90 per cent short — woolen coats — while 
 we are in the midst of winter, and this is about the 1st of .Janu- 
 ary. Take Camp Wadsworth, S. C, IS per cent short. Take the 
 Thirtieth at Camp Sevier, S. C., and there is a shortage of 60 per 
 cent of woolen coats. 
 
 Mr. SMITH of Michigan. Where was it that there was a 
 shortage of 90 per cent? 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. That was at a Regular Army division ; 
 I am not sure about where it is situated. 
 
 Take Camp Wheeler. Ga., and I am going to call attention 
 to some of the things in connection with tliese shortages, Mr. 
 President, unpleasant though it may be, in an effort to show 
 the Senate and the country as to the hundreds and thousands 
 of young men who are dying in all of these encampments, that 
 it is due to the inefficiency of the War Department itself; at 
 least that is my conclusion from the testimony. I am not an 
 expert; I do not know; but I charge that I conclude from the 
 testimony that that inefliciency is responsible for it. I am not 
 going to make that statement on my own authority ; I am 
 going to read into the Record the reports of the Surgeon Gen- 
 eral. I am not making these statements, Mr. President, v.'ithout 
 having sat with the committee constantly, never missing a 
 single minute, except a part of one afternoon when I was 
 called to a department. I know what every witness stated. If 
 I had time to go into details, I could open the eyes even of tlie 
 Senate. 
 
 TaUe Camp Doniphan, in Oklahoma, where tliere was a 53 
 per cent shortage of woolen coats. 
 
 Mr. GALLINGER. What was the shortage at Camp Wheeler, 
 I will ask the Senator? 
 
 ]\Tr. CHAMBERLAIN. At Camp Wheeler the shortage was 
 39 per cent of woolen coats. 
 
 Camp MacArthur had a shortage of 21 per cent ; Camp Logan, 
 Tex., had a shortage of 50 per cent ; Camp Cody. N. Mex.. 50 
 per cent; Camp Doniphan, Okla., 53 per cent; Camp Bowie, 
 Tex., 40 per cent; Camp Sheridan, Ala., 59 per cent; and so on 
 down the list. I think the highest shortage in woolen coats 
 was 78 per cent. 
 
 Mr. SMITH of Michigan. Did the Senator state the shortage 
 of such coats at Camp Custer? 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. They are all here. The shortage at 
 Camp Custer was 75 per cent. 
 
 Mr. President, I will not read the whole list of these short- 
 ages, but Senators may take each item, and it will be found that 
 these camps are short all the way, as I say, from 1 per cent to 
 100 per cent. This information comes right from the men on 
 the ground. They know what they are talking about; they do 
 not have to make their estimates on a per capita basis. They 
 make their estimates on the ground, just as Gen. Glenn did 
 when I asked him what the conditions were. 
 
 Mr. President, right in this connection I feel it my duty to the 
 country to let them know, and I am going to call attention to 
 
 38227—18146 
 
21 
 
 tho reports of Gen. Gorgas himself, that nearly all of the 
 deaths and the epidemics at the cantonments could have been 
 avoided if the War Department had been efficient and effective. 
 
 In addition to the testimony of Gen. Gorgas, we have 
 the testimony of men on the ground. We had Gen. Greble 
 come up here. He is a splendid soldier. Whenever you get a 
 soldier who has not any other ambition than an ambition to 
 serve his country, you will invariably get the truth. It is not 
 always so with one of these swivel-chair artists who wants to 
 go higher, and from whom you can not ascertain what the 
 truth is. 
 
 Gen. Greble came up here at our request ; he is one of the 
 men we took away from his post. Gen. Greble is stationed at 
 Camp Bowie. I want you to read his testimony, because he 
 shows the shortage in everything. In September last Gen. 
 Greble began to see what was coming to his body of fine young 
 fellows, and he began to reach out to try to get the things that 
 were necessary to protect them from disease and to try to have 
 those things done that would save them if disease came. He 
 did not appeal to one man only ; he did not appeal through the 
 regular channels only; but he appealed through all channels. 
 They had this body of splendid young men in tents, 12 in a 
 tent, packed together like sardines, when they ought not to 
 have had at any time more than five or six, or, at the outside, 
 not over eight. Gen. Greble telegraphed to the Quartermaster 
 General and stated in substance, " If you do not give us more 
 space for these soldiers we shall have measles and pneumonia 
 and other diseases in camp." He also appealed to Gen. Gorgas, 
 and kept on appealing. Then he was sent to Europe on a mis- 
 sion. Sviien he came back he found the same conditions prac- 
 tically existing. Not until some time in December did he get 
 that for which he asked. Then the epidemic had broken out. 
 As many as 8,000 young men went through the base hospitals 
 and hospitals down tliere at Camp Bowie. Think of that! 
 
 Mr. TOWNREND. How many? 
 
 ]Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. Eight 'thousand. 
 
 Mv. LA FOLLETTE. And how many deaths were there? 
 
 Mv. CHAMBERLAIN. I will give that to the Senator in a 
 minute; I shall be glad to do so. 
 
 So, here was an old officer, who was accustomed to handle 
 soldiers and who knew what was going to happen, as any sensible 
 man knew what would happen. The Surgeon General has al- 
 Avays ac.vised the War Department that there ought to be 50 
 square feet of floor space to every man, and in those little tents 
 they had placed 12 men. He did not get his request c mplied 
 with until the worst had happened, until S,000 men had passed 
 through the hospitals and many of them had died ; and abso- 
 lutely had died without proper nursing because of the inef- 
 ficiencies of the same system ! 
 
 I challenge the Senators to read this testimony; do not take 
 my word for it. You may single out a few witnesses who testify 
 in opposition to what I am now stating, but when you get down 
 to the men who know from actual contact and experience you 
 get the truth as it appears on the ground. 
 
 If there is one man in America who knows what he is talking 
 about when he talks about disease and epidemics, and knows how 
 3821'7— 1S14G 
 
22 
 
 to hnndle them, it is Gen. Gorans. He has not only achieved 
 a national reputation, but he has achieved a world-wide reputa- 
 tion for his splendid work at Panama, and he has made that 
 formerly pestilential re.^ion a gai-den spot in which to live be- 
 cause of the efforts of himself and of his subordinates. 
 
 I am soinj? to ask that all these reports of Gen. Gor.ixas be 
 printed in the Record. All of these cantonments are i-adiating 
 centers from which there goes out to the American people every- 
 thing that is taking place there ; and I hope that every young man 
 will write to his mother and his father and tell of the conditions, 
 not in order to stay the patriotism of America but to stinuilate 
 those in authority to do their duty to protect their lives, if they 
 are to fight the battles of the country. 
 
 Secretai-y Balver says in his printed statement that — 
 The deaths in our forcos in the United States from September to 
 the end of December average 7.5 per thousand a year, slightl.v less 
 than would have been the death rate of men of the same age at home. 
 
 Well, maybe that is true, but Gen. Gorgas says that amongst 
 all the troops there has been a death rate of 8.2 per cent cov- 
 ering a little longer time. It is probable that Secretary Baker's 
 statement is correct for the time he gives, and that Gen. Gorgas's 
 data are correct for the time he covers ; but what does a little 
 thing like 2 per thousand of a million and a lialf men amount 
 to? It does not mean anything, of course; let them die; it is 
 only 2 per thousand; they have saved the balance of them. 
 However, if proper precautions upon the part of the Govern- 
 ment, if an efficient system had saved one young man who was 
 risking his life for America, the American people would liave 
 been glad to have seen the money expended to save that one 
 life. Particularly is that true in the light of the reports of 
 the Surgeon General of the Army, which show that this condi- 
 tion was due to the fact that in most cases the troops vi'ere over- 
 crowded and in some improperly clothed. 
 
 But '^hat is not all. With that distinguished man at the head 
 of the medical service of the Army and an able corps of assist- 
 ants here, he was not even advised with as to the selection of 
 the cantonment sites. Mind you, the men who go to these canips 
 are selected men. 
 
 ^Ir. LA FGLLETTE. How many contonments ar^ th^re? 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. There are 30. Now, think of that! 
 The man at the head of the medical department here in Wash- 
 ington, with a reputation in his line second to none amonfrst the 
 professional men in the world, not even consulted with r'-ferenoe 
 to ihe selection of these sites. 
 
 It may be said that, with the officer of the line who FPlortf^d 
 these camp sites, there went a young doctor. Whether he was 
 from the Medical Corps, or whether he was some post or con- 
 tract surgeon, does not make any difference to me; what I am 
 getting at is that Surg. Gen. Goi-gas was not consulted, 
 and all this time he has insisted morning, noon, and night, in 
 season and out of season, that in order to safeguai'd the health 
 of these young men there must be at least 50 square feet of 
 floor space to the man; and yet I venture to state, Mr. Presi- 
 dent, that there is not a single cantonment in tlie United States 
 that has been built with that idea in view for protecting the 
 young men. 
 
 382127 — 18146 
 
23 
 
 But it mny be said that those youns men had to be called out 
 quickly. AVhat was the use of calling them out until the canlon- 
 ments were ready or at least hospital facilities? They mi^dit 
 have been drafted into the service, and might have been assigned 
 foi- duty at home or allowed to remain somewhere where tiiey 
 would not have been compelled to give up their lives because of a 
 lack of care. 
 
 I will take these camps at random, and, inasmuch as I havo 
 referred to Camp Bowie, I will call attention to that. I will 
 say to my southern friends and colleagues that the same condi- 
 tions prevail down there, as you will know if you will take the 
 trouble to go on the ground. First. I will take Ca.np Sevier, 
 S. C, as a random case. Here is Gen. Gorgas'.s report : 
 
 S.nnitary conditions here are serious. Sixty men h.ive died of 
 pneumonia in the past month. The camp has been expo'icd to a i:n\- 
 cTal epidemic of measles, about 2,000 cases having ocsirred w'thin 
 the last month. During this same period, they have had 17.5 oases 
 of pneumonia and 15 cases of meningitis. The new con^ci'ipts of this 
 command are men who are nonimmune to measles. Th'^y come from 
 the neighboring Southern States where population is scarce, and. thor^- 
 fore, have not had measles in childhootf. Always, with metislcs. a cer. 
 tain number of cases of pneumonia occur. The mortality of pneumonia 
 from any cause is always high. 
 
 Now. note : 
 
 2. The basic unsanitary condition, however. In my opinion. Is over- 
 crowding. In the past, in this camp, the division commander has had 
 to put 11 and lii men in a tent, due to the shortage of tentage. 
 This would give about 20 square feet of space- to each man. At 
 present, he has to put nine men -in a tent, which gives about 28 
 square feet to the man. I urge that the division commander be 
 directed to furnish at least 50 square feet of floor space to the man, 
 which would give about five men to the tent. 
 
 Now, note another item. I am not going to read the whole 
 report, but I will say these statements are given in the face 
 of the inference to be drawn from the statement of the distin- 
 guished Secretary of War that everything is all right in these 
 camps. 
 
 5. There has been a good deal of discomfort and exposure 
 on account of the men having nothing but their summer clothing. 
 
 Mark you, this report was made on the 29th of November — 
 This has been In great part corrected in the last 10 days by the 
 arrival of woolen clothing and overcoats. The O. D. (olive drab)> 
 wool has not yet been issued, but the authorities are informed that it 
 Is on the way. The whole command is still in khaki. 
 
 That statement is along the line of many other statements 
 where it is shown that the men not only do not have olive 
 drab woolen clothing but that they are still in their summer 
 clothing, the Secretary of War to the contrary notwithstanding, 
 because we have this testimony, or some of it, from men on the 
 ground and from such distinguished men as Surg. Gen. Gorgas. 
 
 I will now take as another illustration Camp Bowie 
 
 Mr. TOWNSEND. Where is Camp Bowie? 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. At Fort Worth, Tex. Now, note. I 
 quote again from Gen. Gorgas: 
 
 We have had in this camp duving the past month 41 deaths from 
 pneumonia, with 409 cases admitted. About 2,900 cases of measles in 
 the same length of time. The causes of this condition are much the 
 same as in the other camps reported upon. The great number of cases 
 of measles is due to the fact. 
 
 The general tlien states about the same reason as given In the 
 report.5 from which I have already quoted, as to men coming 
 38227—18146 
 
24 
 
 from sparsely settled States, who have not had measles in 
 childhood. I will not read that, but the general goes on to say 
 in his report : 
 
 1. I recommencl that the division commander be directed to furnish 
 sufflcient accommodations so that each man will be allowed .'50 feet of 
 floor space. This would give not more than five men to a tent. 
 
 2. Measles and other epidemic diseases are Introduced into these 
 camps by cases beins? brought by the Incoming troops. To provide 
 against this an observation camp should be estal)llshed. where all new- 
 comers could be kept under observation for at least 14 days, and no 
 new men should be placed in general camp until it is free from in- 
 fection. I recommend that the division commander be directed to 
 establish such observation camp, and that no fresh men be sent in 
 until he is ready to receive them under the above instructions. 
 
 3. The command, until recently, has had nothing but their summer 
 clothing. 
 
 That report was made on the third day of December last. 
 
 Mr. SMITH of Michigan. Have no observation camps been 
 established? 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. None at all that I know of; the men 
 go right into the camps ; that is the system. Let me say that all 
 these things could not be done at once; it has been a herculean 
 task for the War Department to do these things, but they could 
 have kept these men back — there is not any question about 
 that — until the hospitals were built as well as the cantonments; 
 they could have established obsei'vation camps; that would have 
 been a very easy matter. Now note : 
 
 The command, until recently, has had nothing hut their summer 
 clothing. This lias caused a great deal of discomfort and probably 
 increased the tendency to pneumonia. Most of the command has 
 recently beon issued woolen underclothing, and I am informed that 
 the t'ljck clotMng for the whole command is now In camp, with the 
 exception of overcoats — 
 
 With the exception of overcoats — 
 and are in process of being issued. 
 
 They have been " in process," Mr. President, since this war 
 began. 
 
 I urge expediting the forwarding of overcoats as rapidly as possible. 
 
 Tbe base hospital is in an unfinished condition ; no water in the 
 hospital, no plumbing, or sewer connection. With the large number 
 of patients in this institution this lack of water, plumbing, and sewer 
 connection causes serious inconvenience to the sick, and increases 
 greatly the burden of caring for them. 
 
 Mv. TILLMAN. Mr. President, I Avill ask the Senator what 
 is the date of that report? 
 
 ]\Ir. CHAMBERLAIN. That report is dated December 3. 
 They come down even later, however, and there is practically 
 no difference in these reports. 
 
 I am going to ask that tliese reports be inserted in the 
 Recokd. 
 
 The PRESIDENT pro tempore. AVithout objection, it is so 
 ordered. The Chair hears no objection. 
 • The matter referred to is as follows: 
 
 November 2G, 1917. 
 From : The Surgeon General, United States Army. 
 
 To: The Chief of Staff (through The Adjutant General of the Army). 
 Subject : Report of inspection of Camp Wheeler, Macon, Ga. 
 
 1. In my recent Inspection of Camp Wheeler, at Macon. Ga., 
 I found conditions as had been indicated by reports. There had been 
 a sharp epidemic of measles, some o,000 cases, and as always oc- 
 curs with measles, a certain number of cases of pneumonia. .\t the 
 time of my visit, there were some 300 cases of pneumonia In the 
 38227— 1814G 
 
25 
 
 Si'Jfi'J^fL J^'i"^ t.'ie hospital was crowded, the right of way was 
 given the pneumonia case and they were heinff well (■ared for 
 mo'nia ThP^hPioh^^f l^"""^ '"''T been about 60 deaths from pneu- 
 ?nv« ^o-n Li ^#'m °^^J^'' mraslps epidemic was passed some ten 
 «S^?.,2^S '^r'^ H l''!u*'™*^ °f "y v's't the epidemic was markedly 
 on the decline, but the pneumonia was still on the increase Gon- 
 
 ^«vJ^nf^!!rVS*'°-'\'^,"'^^ °°J develop in a patient until a week" or ten 
 days after the incidence of the measles 
 
 pneumonia!'"' ^^^''^^°^'^' expect a considerable number of deaths from 
 
 T ^I'-'^i'^ti'^^^P '^ '^^" situated and was in generally good condition 
 I think the reason for the measles affecting so severely this partici?ar 
 
 ^^M.?h''n.*''^ ^^'^ f'^'''* "i?" ^^"^ f'-°™ fhe surroundingSothe'^-D Spates 
 vvhich are sparsely settled and therefore the inhabitants do not as 
 a rule, have measles in childhood. ' 
 
 ♦o-?; ^c'*''^*^ proportion of the cases of pneumonia were evidently con- 
 tact cases and I am anxious on this score, fearing that we may be bcin- 
 or,?,entn'c,i?i° ^P*^''""!'^ »« ^^tic pneumonia. We have had I'^fewS 
 
 r whftl"^' ^Ju^"-" '"i^''.*'-'' ?^ ^'■•'"■I'^t f'"^er and some cases of mumps. 
 fliHnnW nil f'h'" ""^ oi-'fe'inal cause of the epidemic and the present con- 
 camo •Thltenr''^''"^ accentuated by the crowded condition of the 
 fn^t^f>.„f ,r tendency to pneumonia has no doubt been Increased by the 
 m^t mLth l'^I\ ^•■'''^ seuerally been exposed to the cold weather of the 
 rh^thin<? it ^'^^' "°„ ^^'^^^ P™tection than their summer clothing! 
 
 men ,l«nnnHo/''?/K'-^ "T'""^ ''^to <'^'"P ^'^'l al^out two-thirds of the 
 men aie supplied with woolen garments. 
 
 have Go'l-ePt"!!'/' Ann™'* ^'^ insisted upon that all men In the camp 
 Rholtov i,P .!„?Li , "^ ^P"*''*" ^^''^' '^°'' to accomplish this such additional 
 
 W. C. GORGAS, ■ 
 
 Surgeon General, United States Army. 
 
 Camp Sevier, Greenville, S. C, 
 
 From : Surgeon General, United States Army. ^-'^"»''^'- 20, 1917. 
 
 Jo: Chief of Staff. United States Army. 
 
 Subject : Camp sanitation. 
 
 1. Sanitary conditions here are serious. Sixty men have died of 
 pneumonia in the past month. The camp has been expose.l to a '■eneral 
 epidemic of measles, about 2,000 cases having occurred within the last 
 niontb During this same period they have had 175 cases olpnJumonfa 
 and 15 cases of meningitis. The new conscripts of this coiiiman are 
 KoTth^^^" ItnMl"""!;'"""" to measles. They come from the neighl>orfn| 
 southern States where population is scarce, and therefore have not ha<? 
 measles in childhood, always with measlJs a certain nmi.Ser of Vasei 
 SlwaysTgh!'' °''"'"' ^^^ °^°'"t'i"fy "f pneumonia from any cause is 
 «...?• i'^^® basic insanitary condition, however. In mv opinion is over- 
 n,t i^{°^'ni^?of'"' P''"-* '° this camp the division coiinnZ" has had to 
 S.lni V ""'^ }- 1"?.V\ '° ^ t*^"^' 'I'^e to the shortage of tenlage. This 
 j\oul(l give about 20 square feet of space to each man. Ar present he 
 has to put 9 men in a tent, which gives about 28 square feet to te 
 man I urge that the division commander be dircctidto furnish at 
 mcn*to*^th^Tent "' "^ ^""^ 'P^'" '" "'*^ "'^"' '"^''^ would give aiout 5 
 3. I also recommend that an observation camp he established where 
 fresh men can be isolated an.l kept under observation for at l.'asT two 
 Infection'' ''""^ ^**''^" ^*^°^''* evidence of being free from 
 
 . '^ivp-^^ division commander tells me that he expects a large increase 
 Id the force at an early date. I urge that no fresh men he sent to 
 l„I.''*i '"P,""*'L*''^'''^''^L°" commander says that he is able to care 
 for them along the lines of this recommendation. 
 
 ,"• 'A'here has been a good deal of discomfort and exposure on account 
 of the men having nothing but their summer clothing. This has l«een 
 In great part corrected in the last 10 days by the arrival of woolen 
 clothing and overcoats. The O. 1). wool has not y.>t be.n issu.'d. but 
 the authorities are informed that it is on the way. The whole command 
 lo sriji II) Kiimki. 
 
 (!. Heat and plumbing are badly needed in the hospital. Both were 
 authorized two weeks aso. I recommend that the matter be pressed 
 381'27— 1814G 
 
26 
 
 and the hospital be equipped in this respect at just as early a date aa 
 is possible. The hospitii! needs badly more transportation. I i-ecom- 
 mend that they be furnished one motor car, one 3-ton trucl;. one l|-toa 
 truck, and one S-ton truck. The hospital at present has 750 patients. 
 
 W. C. GoitGAS. 
 
 Camp Beauregard, La., December 1, 1917. 
 From : The Surgeon (General. United States Army. 
 To : Chief of Staff, War Department. Washington. 
 Subject : Sanitary conditions. Camp Beauregard, Iowa. 
 
 1. During the past mouth this camp has had 38 deaths from pneu- 
 monia and from spinal meningitis. During the same length of time 
 they have had 2,S00 cases of measles, 177 eases of pneumonia, and 11 
 cases of spinal meningitis. The immediate cause of the pneumonia 
 from which the mortality comes is the epidemic of measles. Both the 
 measles and pneumonia are on the decline. The sanitary conditions, 
 however, I consider very serious, and steps should be taken at once, as 
 far as possible, to remedy them. 
 
 The command is at present quartered at the rate of nine men to a 
 tent. This gives about 28 feet of floor space to the man, and, in my 
 estimation, is excessive overcrowding. 
 
 I recommend that the division commander be directed to put up suffi- 
 cient tentage to give each man at least 50 feet of floor space, which 
 would furnish about 5 nun to a tent. 
 
 2. The camp has become infected with measles and meningitis by the 
 transfer of infected troops from other camps. To avoid continued in- 
 fection in this way an observation camp should be erected where new 
 arrivals could be kept under observation for at least two weeks, and for 
 such longer period of lime as necessary while the main camp shows 
 evidence of infection. This same precaution should be taken with regard 
 to men being transferred to other camps. 
 
 3. The base hospital is located 4 miles from town. I recommend 
 that the hospital be furnished at once with one 2-ton truck, one IJ-ton 
 truck, and one J-ton truck, and one motor car, urgently needed for its 
 transportation. 
 
 4. The base hospital is located about 2 miles from camp and con- 
 nected with camp by a very poor road. The road is in such poor con- 
 dition that the transfer of sick from camp to hospital is hard on the 
 
 Eatients. I recommend that the road lietween the hospital and camp 
 e at once macadamized. 
 
 5. The men in general came to this camp In their summer clothing, 
 and have suffered a good deal of discomfort on account of cold. The 
 tendency to pneumonia has been increased by their exposure to the 
 cold in this badly clothed condition. Within the last two weeks the 
 ■whole command has been furnished with Avinter underclothing. About 
 half the men of the command have overcoats, but so far no olive-drab 
 uniforms. The completion of the equipping of the command with 
 •winter clothing should be expedited as much as possil)le. 
 
 G. The division commander informs me that the placing of nine 
 men to a tent was due to orders from Washington. 
 
 W. C. GORGAS. 
 
 December 1. 
 Colonel, Medical Corps. 
 Chief op Staff-, 
 
 War Department, Washington, D. G. 
 During the past month this camp has had 38 deaths from pneumonia 
 and six deaths from spinal meningitis. During the same period 177 
 cases of pneumonia have been admitted to the hospital and 11 cases of 
 spinal meningitis. An epidemic of measles exists, of whii-h disease 
 2.300 cases have come on sick report during the past month. I con- 
 sider sanitary conditions serious, though measles and pneumonia are 
 now on the decline. The camp is much overcrowded, with nine men to 
 the tent. I recommend that the division commander be directed to 
 furnish not less than 50 square feet of floor space for each man. and 
 that an observation section be established for the camp. I recommend 
 that no more men be sent to this camp until the division commander is 
 prepared to care for them along the lines of the above recommendatiolMB. 
 Letter follows. 
 
 Gorgas. 
 38227—18146 
 
27 
 
 MA.TOn CEXBnAL. 
 
 Camp P.owrB, Fort Wop.th, Tex., December S, J917. 
 Chief op Staff, War Drparlmcnt. Washington: 
 
 Sanitary coiuliticns hero more serious than at other ramps visited. 
 In the last monlh 41 deaths from pneumonia with 400 admissions. 
 Cause same as at otiier camps recently reported, primary causes over- 
 crowdin;,'. Recommend that the division commander he directed to 
 allow only five men to a lent and that no more men be sent to this camp 
 until division (ommandcr says he is ready to receive them. Most urgent 
 need in hospital of water, plumbing, and sewers. Urge this be ordered 
 at once. Letter follows. 
 
 GORGAS. 
 
 Camp Bowie, Fort Worth, Tex., December S, 1017. 
 From : The Surgeon (icneral of the Arniv. 
 To: The Chief of Staff. Wa-- Department. Washington. 
 Subject : Condition Thirty-sixth Division, Camp Bowie, Tex. 
 
 1. We have had in tliis camp during the past month 41 deaths 
 from pneumoiia, witli 400 cases admitted. Al)out 2.000 cases of mea- 
 sles in the same length of time The causes of this condition are 
 much the sa ne as in tne other camps reported upon. The great 
 number of casen of measles is due to the fact that the men come 
 from the spa;-:iely settled States of Texas and Oklahoma and have 
 not had measles in cliildhood, hut the basic cause is due to the 
 overcrowding of the camp. We have at present nine men to a tent. 
 I recommend that the division commander be directed to furnish sufli- 
 cient accommo(<ations so ',hat each man will be allowed fifty fleet of 
 floor space. This would give not more than five men to a tent. 
 
 L'. Measles and other epidemic diseases are introduced into these 
 camps by cases being brought by the incoming troops. To provide 
 against this an observation camp should be estal)lished, where all new- 
 comers could be kept under observation for at least fourteen days, 
 and no new men shtuild be placed in general camp until it is free from 
 infection. 1 recommend that the division commander be directed, to 
 establish such observation camp, and that no fresh men be sent in 
 until he is ready to receive them under the above instructions. 
 
 8. The command, until recently, has had nothing hut their summer 
 clothing. This lias caused a great deal of discomfort, and probably 
 increased the tendency to pneumonia. Most of the command has re- 
 cently been issued woolen underclothing, and I am informed that the 
 tliick clothing for the wliole command is now in camp, with the ex- 
 ception of overcoats, and are in process of being issued. I urge expe- 
 diting the forwarding of overcoats .is rapidly as possible. 
 
 4. The base hospital is in an unfinished condition ; no water in the 
 hospital, no plumbing or sewer connection. With the large number of 
 patients in this institution this lack of water, plumbing ad'\ sewer con- 
 nection causes serious inconvenience to the sick and in-jreases gn^ally 
 the burden of caring for them. I recommend that telegraphic instruc- 
 tions be sent to the division commander at once to put in plumbing, 
 Vater and sewer connections. I also recommend that telegraphic In- 
 structions be sent to put in electric cookers in the diet kitchens in all 
 of the wards. 
 
 5. I met by appointment last night the governor of Texas and the 
 health officer of the State. They made several criticism,^ of condi- 
 tions, which I thought were Justified, but they were satisfied. I think, 
 when I pointed out the impossibility of meeting in all respects the con- 
 ditions that have been suddenly forced upon us, and that we were try- 
 ing in every way to correct these conditions. A copy of the re:om- 
 nu-ndations of Gov. Hobby, addressed to the division commander, v/as 
 furnished me at our interview, which is inclosed herewith. 
 
 G. There is a great deal of uneasiness and criticism among the people 
 with regard to conditions here, which are worse from a sanitary point 
 of view than in any of the camps I have visited. 
 
 7. ( think the recommendations I have made will tend io correct tlie 
 existing sanitary erroi's, but I can not urge too strongly that they be 
 put Into effect at once. The camp site and surroundings are all that 
 can be desiied. The troops and general conditions are good, with the 
 exception of such conditiuus as relate to the epidemic diseases at pres- 
 ent prevailing. 
 
 Major General, U. S. Armt. 
 3S227— 18146 
 
28 
 
 The Base Hospitai,, 
 Gamp Pike, Ark., December 5, 1917. 
 Prom : The Surgeon General. 
 To : The Chief of Staff. 
 Subject : Report on conditions at Camp Vike, Ark. 
 
 1. During the iast month we have had at this post 57 deaths from 
 pneumonia, with 241 admissions ; 4 deaths from spinal meningitis, 
 with IG admissions ; 2,100 cases of measles admitted ; 12S cases of 
 scarlet faver. with 11 deaths — the immediate cause of death in these 
 cases being pneumonia, they are included under that heading; 124 
 cases of mumps. These figures indicate a serious condition of affairs 
 at this camp. The principal cause of measles, as has been pointed 
 out in other camps, is that a large number of the troops came from 
 the sparsely settled States and had not had measles before. The 
 16 cases of meningitis occurring within the month, 10 came from 
 Fort Riley. This is an ilustration of the way one camp can infect 
 another by means of cases brought by incoming troops. All these 
 infections have evidently been introduced into the camp by troops corn- 
 ing from other infected camps or by men who had been infected at their 
 homes. An important means of preventing this for the future will be 
 the building of observation camps, where the men can be kept under 
 observation for at least two weeks before they are admitted to the 
 general camp As this camp shows such evidence of severe infection, 
 I think the same observation camp could be established for those 
 goins out. 
 
 2. Crowding in this camp, I do not think exists to any appreciable 
 extent. When the division shall have been filled, we will have about 
 40 square feet per man. As this camp shows such marked evidence 
 of infection. I recommend that this be increased by means of addi- 
 tional biuldings to 50 square feet per man. 
 
 3. The number of cases of measles admitted has been declining 
 rapidly for the past 10 days, and I believe the present epidenic is 
 ovei'. The numlier of cases of pneumonia from measles, as would 
 be expected, is on the increase and we should naturally expect a 
 greater number of deaths from this disease during the next week or 
 10 days. AVithin the last 15 davs 8,000 new men have been introduced 
 into the camp. It is possible that when these 8.000 men begin to 
 show infection, we will go through an epidemic similar to that 
 through which we have just passed. However, as most of these men 
 come from the thickly populated State of Iowa, I do not think it 
 probable that they will have measles as severely as the men who 
 have just been tbrough tlie epidemic, but certainly until this matter 
 is determined and the camp is free from infection, no additional men 
 should be sent here. I recommend that the division commander be 
 directed not to receive more men until he is able to comply with 
 the recommendations above made concerning space and observation 
 camps, and until this camp shows evidence of being free from infection. 
 
 4. One great difficulty here is lack of segregation. In Camp Bowie, 
 for instance, if we get a case of meningitis in a tent of nine men it is 
 a very easy matter to segregate these nine men and determine whether 
 or no they have been infected. Here, with a squad room containing 
 120 men, this is much more difficult. I urge, therefore, that in ex- 
 tending this camp, as above recommended, thnt the quarters to be erected 
 for this purpose and tor the purpose of isolation contain not more than 
 eight men. 
 
 5. The command has been in its summer clothing until recently. 
 During the last month the winter clothing has begun to come in and 
 the men are now pretty well supplied with thick clothing, though there 
 are several commands in the camp that have not yet been fully supplied. 
 This lack of clothing with the exposure to the cold has no doubt been 
 an element causing large pneumonia rate. 
 
 0. The camp is well located and (he camp site good. Cleanliness and 
 order and general sanitary conditions, with the exception of the epi- 
 demics, seem to b(> excellent. 
 
 7. The hospital is nearly completed and is as well supplied as could 
 be expected under the circumstances. At present they have in the 
 hospital 1.251 patients. This somewhat crowds the hospital, as it was 
 built for a thousan<l patients. The overflow is at present being cared 
 for, and I think well cared for, by the use of the galleries. Additional 
 nurses" quarters are needed, additional officers' quarters at the ho>^pital. 
 and a<lditional barrack buildings for hospital attendants are needed. A 
 38227— 1814C 
 
29 
 
 small kitchen in the rear of the wards for contagious diseases and some 
 addition to tlio administration building are needed. The hospital is very 
 short of transportation. I recommend that one touring car and one 
 3-ton truck and one IJ-ton truck be permanently assigned to this 
 hospital. 
 
 Surgeon Gb.vbual. 
 
 Camp Ftinston, Kans., December 7, 1917. 
 Colonel, Medical Corps. 
 Chief op Staff. Washinoton, D. C, 
 
 Strongly recommend that sites for detention, quarantine, observation 
 camps, as selected on this reservation by the commanding general. 
 Camp FunstoD, be approved. Action now being delayed by po.^t com- 
 mander on technical grounds oi local command. Urgent that action be 
 taken at once. 
 
 GORGAS. 
 
 Camp Funston, Kans., December 8, lOn. 
 From : The Surgeon General. 
 To: The Chief of Staff. 
 Subject : Sanitary report, Camp Funston. 
 
 1. During the past month, this command has had 84 deaths. Of 
 these 84 deaths, 54 were from pneumonia, with 180 cases ; 34 deaths 
 from meningitis, with 70 oases ; 131 cases mumps. This indicates a 
 most serious condition of the cantonment, as far as infection from 
 the tAvo serious diseases, meningitis and pneumonia, are concerm d. 
 As emphasized in the draft situation, I call attention to the fact that 
 they had 84 deaths from all causes, when the normal death rate of 
 such a command should be about 12. 
 
 2. The reason for this condition, as we look back, Is very evident. 
 When the drafted troops wore brought in, they came in Ijirge numbers, 
 ail at once. The cantonment was excessively crowded. Ketween 
 October 4 and October 20, 30,000 drafted men were injected into 
 the cantonment. Among these there were many meningitis carriers. 
 
 3. This part of the country is well known to all health ofhcers as 
 having been, for the last few years, the principal endemi:- center in 
 its civil population for meningit's. Granting the conditions above 
 mentioned, no further explanation is needed to explain the present 
 conditions as to meningitis. I would attribute the form of pneumonia 
 existing here principally to the past crowd'ng of the cantonment. It 
 is the same form that occasionally becomes epidemic when large num- 
 bers of men are brought together in a crowded space. The excessive 
 dust, which blows about in blinding storms, has no doubt accentuated 
 the condition, and as it occurred at the other cantonments, the lack 
 of woolen clothing has also been a contributory cause. The cold 
 weather in October, to which the men were exposed 'n summer cloth- 
 ing and without any heat in their barracks, tended in the same 
 direction. 
 
 4. In discussing this matter, I will first treat it as if the condi- 
 tions were new and nothing had been done, and will point out what 
 should be done under such circumstances. As a matter of fact, the 
 epidemic has been excellently handled, and all measures I have to 
 recommend have been put into eflfect as far as possible for the division 
 commander to do so. 
 
 5. Meningitis and other infectious diseases were originally intro- 
 duced from the outside. To meet this condition, observation camps 
 should be established, where all men coming into the camp could be 
 observed for at least two weeks, or such longer period as may be 
 considered necessary. In this way, the men who had been infected 
 could be picked out as they developed those diseases, and the in- 
 coming troops finally gotten out in an uninfected condition. The 
 same process should be observed with troops leaving tb(; camp as 
 long as the camp showed evidence of Infection. Orders should at 
 once be given that no more troops be sent to this cantonment until 
 the division commander states that he is ready to receive them. 
 
 6. The internal arrangement, as regards the isolation and caring 
 for infectious diseases, should conform with those measures that are 
 generally recognized as applying to these conditions, and that are at 
 present 'being carried out most satisfactorily and successfully In the 
 camp. As a matter of fact, all the above recommendations are being 
 carried out at present, as far as lies in the power of the division 
 
 38227—18146 
 
30 
 
 commanrlpr. To cover the question of overcrowfling, I recommend 
 that at least fifty (50) square feet of floor space be allowed to every 
 man. 
 
 7. I t'link, however. It would be wise for orders to ho issued to 
 Washington, directing that in tbe future tbe measures above recom- 
 mended he carried out. My desire to have this done is wit'i t"^p ob- 
 ject of giving the divisional commander the opportunity of asking for 
 such material as he needs for putting up the observation camps he 
 is at present constructing, and also with the idea that it may be an 
 order that will govern all future commanders of this cantonment. I 
 wish to particularly call attention to tl'e telegram sent out regarding 
 t'is matter, relative to ground for a detention camp in the post of 
 Fort Riley. This is very much to be desired. 
 
 8. The camp has been located in the river bottom and Is exces- 
 sively dusty. In my experience, the use of oil on the roads and 
 grounds has been very successful in lessening the dust. The division 
 sureeon tells me that their exoerience here has shown tbat the use of 
 oil for this purpose is very effective. I recommend that they be sup- 
 plied with such amount of oil as they find necessary to meet this very 
 unsanitary condition. 
 
 9. In their observation camp, as at present being erected here, they 
 are using a tent, floored and framed with side walls, that holds five 
 men earh. I think this is an ideal condition. It gives complete 
 segregation and no overcrowding I recommend that as these tents 
 ■wear out they be converted Into permanent buildings by putting on a 
 roof. I recommend that all future construction conform to the plan 
 so wisely adopted in the observation camps, of allowing only five men 
 to the building, which gives 50 square feet of floor space to the man. 
 and segregates in bodies of five. 
 
 10. It is a very important element to get patients from variovis 
 parts of the camp to the hospital promptly. For this purpose here 
 the Ihree motorized ambulance companies are used. Great difficulty 
 is found in getting the motor ambuliinces started during the cold 
 ■weather on Account of the freezing of the water in the radiators. 
 I recommend to obviate this the ambulance sheds be inclosed and 
 heated. 
 
 Major General. U. S. Arjit. 
 
 December 27, 1917. 
 From : The Surgeon General. 
 To : The Chief of Staff. 
 Subject : !-"anitary conditions at Camp Doniphan, Okla. 
 
 1. During the past month Camp Doniphan has had 74 admissions 
 from pneumonia with 11 deaths. .Slfi cases of measles with 1 death, 104 
 admissions from diphtheria w-ith 1 death, and G cases of meningitis 
 ■with 4 deaths. While the number of cases and the number of deaths 
 from the above-mentioned diseases are somewhat less than in other 
 camps visited, the conditions in respect of those diseases is considei-ed 
 serious. The basic cause I consider to be overcrowiling of the camp. 
 At present there are nine men quartered in each tent, which gives a 
 totally inadequate floor space for each man. I recommend that the 
 division commander be directed to furnish sufficient tentage or other 
 accommodations so that each man will be allowed 50 feet of Coor space. 
 This would give no more than five men to a tent. 
 
 2. Measles and meningitis were introduced into these camps by cases 
 being brought by incoming troops. To pi-ovide against this "in the 
 future, it is recommended than an observation camp be established for 
 all newcomers where they may be kept imder oliservation for at least 
 14 days, or as much longer as may be considered necessary by the divi- 
 sion surgeon, and no new men from observation camps should be placed 
 in the general camp until it is free from infection. I recommend that 
 the division commander be diiected to establish such observation camp 
 and that no fresh men be sent in until he is ready to receive them under 
 the above instructions. 
 
 3. To properly control the spread of measles, meningitis, and pneu- 
 monia now confronting Camp Doniphan, it is necessary that tent con- 
 tacts be immediately removed from the general camp upon the appr'ar- 
 ance of the first case of communicable diseases and placed in a separate 
 detention camp for daily observation and treatment during the incuba- 
 tion pei'iod of the disease. It is recommended that such a detention 
 camp be established for such contacts in addition to the observation 
 camp pi-eviously recommended ff^r incomiug men. 
 
 4. The command until recently has had nothing but summer clothing. 
 A great deal of discomfort has resulted and undoubtedly the tendency 
 
 38227—18146 
 
31 
 
 to pneumonfn hns hor^n Inorpasrd. I am Informprt that shlpinonts are 
 now coming in rapidly and that as fast as recpivi'd are boiiif; Issued to 
 the men. From personal observation, however, I ttnd that many men 
 are still wearing their cotton khaki clothing. 
 
 5. The base hospital is in an unfinished condition. Many wards 
 which are required for patients are not yet finished, and thi?; has caused 
 great eml)ari'assment to the hospital authorities. The installation of a 
 sewerage system and necessary plumbing in all buildings was authorized 
 Boveral WvmMjs ago. and while work has been begun, it is now at a stJind- 
 ttill, and the difficulties in caring for patients is greatly increased 
 thereby. It is urgently recommended that the work of indiallation of 
 sewers and plumbing be expedited. 
 
 W. C. GouG,\s, 
 Surr/eon General, United States Army. 
 
 Mr. CHAMBEKLAIN. In order to get this thing before the 
 Seiinte in a concrete form. I asked Geu. Gorgas to malie me a 
 detailed statement of tlie annnal deatli rate per thousand from 
 all causes. It is very short, and I will read it. 
 
 niCATTT RATES ALf, CAUSES. 
 
 Troops in United States September 21, 1017, to January 18, 1913. 
 Annual rate per 1,000. 
 
 All troops. 
 
 Regulars. 
 
 National Guard. 
 
 National Army. 
 
 8.2 
 
 4.71 
 
 10.01 
 
 8.5:5 
 
 The history of this country \.'Al show that wherever tliere has 
 been a record of it kept, tlie men in the llegular Army suffer 
 less from disease than any otlier body of soldiers, because tliey 
 have learned to take care of themselves. They have been in the 
 service long enougli to know how. These young fellows that 
 come from civil life liave not learned that, and that is one of 
 the reasons why it is necessary to take them into these camps 
 for training. 
 
 Number of deaths among Regular troops in United States, 
 
 «cpt. 21. 1917. to .Tan. IS, 1018 350 
 
 Average strength of Regulars for same period 214, 428 
 
 Number of deaths among National Armv troops in United 
 
 States, Sept. 21, 1017.' to .Ian. 18. 1018 1, 2G.1 
 
 Average strength of National Army for same >eriod 427,088 
 
 Number of deaths among National <.'uard iroops In United 
 
 States, Sept. 21. 1017. to .Ian. 18. 1018 1, .'503 
 
 Average strength of National (Juard for same period S75, 354 
 
 Number of deaths all troops iu United States, Sept. 21, 
 
 1017. to .Tan. 18. 1018 2.018 
 
 Average total strength for this period 1. 010. STO 
 
 Tliat gives iu concrete form the number of deaths that have 
 occurred. 
 
 Mv. President, what I contend is that if the authorities had 
 complied witli tlie recommendation that Gen. Gorgas has made 
 nil the time, of giving each of the.se men 50 j^quare feet of floor 
 space, and if in addition to that tliey had put in these observa- 
 tion camps within the cantonments, tlie percentage of deaths 
 would have been very nmcli diminished, and I doubt if there 
 would liave been one-half of the deaths that there have been. 
 
 ]\Ir. GALLINGEU. Mr. President, will it disturb the Senator 
 if I ask Iiim a question? 
 
 ]Mr. CHAIMBEULAIN. I will yield to the Senator this time, 
 but I do liope I may be permitted to proceed without being fur- 
 ther interrupted. 
 
 Mr. GALLINGER. I thank the Senator. Mr. President, I ara 
 particularly interested in this phase of the discussion relating to 
 38227—18146 
 
32 
 
 the health of our soldiers ; and I will ask the Senator if he has 
 inquired as to whether or not the recommendation of Gen. 
 Gorgas that the floor space per soldier should be increased has 
 been, attended to, or whether any attempt has been made to 
 remedy the evil? 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. They are attempting it in some 
 places, but it has not been carried out. Right in this connec- 
 tion I want to suggest that there is no law requiring it to be 
 done ; I do not know whether any is necessary or not ; but the 
 Medical Department, which has been making an effort right 
 along to save the lives of these young men, can not get the things 
 that they want. 
 
 Mr. OWEN. Of course not. They have no standing. 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. They have not the standing with the 
 line that they ought to have. Why, here we had four training 
 schools for the commissioned and enlisted personnel of the Medi- 
 cal Corps and for doctors of the Medical Corps, where they could 
 go and be trained. Two of them were cut out, and two left, 
 and the Surgeon General is trying now to get the two enlarged 
 so that they can train these men. 
 
 Mr. President, I am going to illustrate by two or three cases 
 that the neglect of these young men is shameful. I am not going 
 Into it fully. I get many letters, but I am going to take the 
 liberty of reading one or two, because I want the country to 
 know that I know what I am talking about. I do not want to 
 shock the conscience of America. I want America to know some 
 of the facts, and, if need be, liave them know all of the facts, in 
 order that the mothers and fathers of these lads may write to 
 those in authority, to the President and to the Senatoi-s as well 
 as to the Representatives, and appeal to them, in the name of 
 humanity and in the name of America, to see to it that these boys 
 who are oifering up their lives on the altar of their country may 
 be protected wherever it is humanly possible to do it. 
 
 St. Louis, Mo., December SI, 1917. 
 Mr. Geo. Chamberlain, 
 
 Chairman Investigating Committee, Washington, D. C. 
 
 Deaie Sir : In behalf of a heart-broken family (a father, mother, 
 two sisters and myself) I wish to register a complaint for the manner 
 
 in which the case of my brother , was handled at the 
 
 base hospital, . 
 
 From the meager information my folks received, it appears that 
 brother was stricken with a slight illness on Monday. December 10, 
 
 and on Wednesday, the 12th, he was taken to base hospital at 
 
 with cerebro spinal meningitis, and on Tuesday, December IS, 10.20 
 a. m., he passed away. 
 
 First information my folks received was Friday, December 14. A 
 neighbor lady received a letter from her son, a comrade of my brother, 
 advising he had seen brother fall out of ranks at drill and was carried 
 on a stretcher to hospital. 
 
 My sister wired an officer (a friend of our family) in Company 
 
 ■ , Infantry, at noon Friday, December 14. to spare no expense 
 
 and to wire, collect, details. Saturday morning, December 15, received 
 a reply from the officer to the effect brother sent to base hospital with 
 Bpinal meningitis, but condition favorable for recovery. 
 
 Upon receipt of latter telegram, sister wired a doctor in Company 
 
 ■ Infantry, to wire details collect and to spare no expense. Sister 
 
 also on December 15 Saturday, wrote three special-delivery letters to 
 the officer, doctor, and a comrade, respectively, for particulars, but re- 
 ceived no more information until Tuesday evening. 6 o'clock, a wire 
 from the company officer that brother passed away 10.20 a. m., De- 
 cember 18. This wire was sent from Fort at 3.15 p. m., De- 
 cember 18. 
 
 It doesn't seem that the Company officers should have been 
 
 required to furnish information in "this case and that they only did 
 BO as a matter of respect for a lifetime friend and an appreciative 
 38227— 1814C 
 
33 
 
 family. Can It be possible that the Government hospital of this proud 
 JNatlon of ours is not equipped to advise a father or mother of their 
 son s misfortune in an authentic way. as not any of the information 
 received came from the hospital direct? I notice dailv in the papers 
 that rablegrams are received clear across the ocean, advising condi- 
 tion of troops serving under our flag in France, but right at our door- 
 step our gallant soldiers might die and be buried without the knowledge 
 °L '^'i? lather and mother, who supplied them, if it were not for the 
 affection and thoughtfulness of their comrades. 
 
 My God. my colleagues and friend.'^, if they are suffering 
 here in America, with the blessings and comforts of home, sur- 
 rounded by neighbors and friends, what nuist be the fate of these 
 poor boys if they are sent abroad to meet the dangers and the 
 treacherous and inhuman warfare and conditions that exist 
 abroad? 
 
 For very palpable reasons I am not going to give the names 
 of these people, hut I want to show you that tlie letters breathe 
 the spirit of patriotism. Having given up their sons to their 
 country, they mal^e no complaint, except in the hope that the 
 example in their own family may set a precedent for better con- 
 ditions and better service. 
 
 Now, note the spirit of patriotism that breathes through every 
 line of this letter. 
 
 Brother's body was shipped with our instructions to his home, ^ 
 
 Kans., for burial. I had the casket opened for identification pur- 
 poses and was mortified beyond expression to find that, although 
 brother died for his country, he was not placed in a uniform. He was 
 not even clothed, being wrapped only in cotton and tied up in a sheet. 
 
 Also, discovered that a post-mortem had been held, which I under- 
 stand is permissible only with consent of parents or relatives. The 
 traces of embalming were very scarce and tbe features were gone en- 
 tirely, making it impossible for a local undertaker to put the body in 
 shape for my father and mother and sisters to view. 
 
 My brother is dead and in bis grave and 1 can not e.xpect to heal 
 the wound in my broken heart by filing this complaint, but I am 
 doing it all in a true American spirit and trust it will result in some 
 good to those who may be so unfortunate as to lose their dear ones 
 under similar circumstances. Would you be satisfied if this case 
 applied to your brother? 
 
 Address all correspondence to me. as I do not care for my heart- 
 broken father and mother to know all of the facts. 
 
 Mr. President, if I were to print in the Congressional Record 
 all the letters that I get along this line, it would shock not only 
 Congress itself, but the American conscience as well. I put 
 this in the Record, in order that the country may know that 
 there is inefficiency ; and, God help me, if I can assist in creat- 
 ing efficiency I am going to do it, if it costs me my political and 
 my own life. Somebody, somewhere in this great Republic of 
 ours, must look after these splendid young men who are doing 
 their duty by and for their country. If i can be instrumental 
 in saving one life, or in arousing my country to the necessity of 
 trying to save thousands of lives, I shall feel that my life has" not 
 been illy spent. I, for one, believe in letting the sunlight in. Let 
 but the American mothers and fathers realize that their sons 
 might be better treated than they are, and while, like the 
 parents of this young boy here, they will not ask for their dis- 
 charge from the service, they will insist that the public servant 
 whose duty it is to see to it will either do his duty or retire in 
 disgrace from public life and public service. 
 
 I am tempted to read one more letter into the Kecord, Mr. 
 President. I have tried to keep on an even keel in the discus- 
 sion of this sub.iect. I have great respect for the President, not- 
 Withstanding what he has done to injure me and my reputation 
 38227—18146 3 
 
34 
 
 in this country ; and in order that I njay try to convince him 
 and others that the charge of inefficiency is well founded I am 
 going to put in the Record one more of the numerous letters that 
 have come to Senators on the Military Affaii's Committee. I just 
 want you to see that what I said awhile ago about the Medical 
 Department is absolutely true. They do not give tham com- 
 petent assistants ; they do not assign to them men to be trained, 
 with the result that a blacksmith, or a carpenter, or a lawyer, 
 or anybody else goes into these base hospitals to take care of 
 and nurse these young man. 
 
 It does not make any difference that my own party is in 
 power. If any other party were in power, and I occupied 
 this position, I would show the truth just the same. If these 
 conditions can be corrected and these agencies of the Gov- 
 ernment made more efficient, the men of the Senate and the 
 men of the House who neglect to do it are responsible to a 
 higher tribunal, if you please, for the deaths of young men 
 whose lives might have been saved if the proper authorities had 
 but given this subject the attention that it is receiving at the 
 hands of most of the members of the Military Affairs Committee 
 at this time. 
 
 Why, my colleagues, this is not a new thing. Great Britain 
 went through it. Pick up the paper this morning, and you will 
 find the Secretary of the Admiralty, Dr. McNamara, being inter- 
 rogated by a Member of Parliament to ascertain the truth with 
 reference to the destruction of ships. They are keeping it 
 away now from the British public as far as they can, but they 
 are compelling them either to remain silent or tell the truth 
 with reference to the destruction of human life by submarines. 
 Let us turn the sunlight in on this thing, and we need never fear 
 but that the American people will rally to the standard and 
 follow President Wilson into the thick of the fray wherever 
 their services may be needed. 
 
 I am going to read one more letter. I hope you do not think 
 I am doing this for sensational purposes. I am doing it to 
 illustrate a condition that exists, and a condition that can be 
 remedied if they will only try to do it. There is not any reason 
 why these things can not be remedied or have not been done. 
 
 One of the members of the committee hands me this letter. 
 I might have gone over to my private files and gotten more 
 of them; but this was handed to me, and I thougbt I would 
 just call j^our attention to it. 
 
 Dear Sir and Friend : As you know, I have recently lost a son 
 
 Mr. STONE. Who was that? 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN, One of the members of the Military 
 Affairs Committee. I can show the Senator a great many more, 
 addressed to me, if he wants them. 
 
 Mr. STONE. The Senator did not name the member. 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. Oh, I have no objection to naming 
 him. He is one of the most active and best-informed men on 
 the committee, and he is a Republican, too. I refer to the 
 Senator from New York [Mr. Wadsworth]. It does not make 
 any difference to me in this fight what a man's politics are. 
 
 Having told the Senator's name, I do not know whether I 
 ought to read the letter. 
 
 Mr. WADSWORTH. I have no objection. 
 38227—18146 
 
35 
 
 Mr. CHA^fBERLAIN. The Senator has no objection? AU 
 ng:ht. 1 believe I said that I would not mention the name in 
 connection with the letter, but it was delivered to me, at my 
 request, because it accompanied other letters of the same char- 
 acter that were being read to show the horrors of this situa- 
 tion. 
 
 The Hon. 
 
 Dear Sir and Friend • As you know I have reocntly lost a son 
 
 with spiual meningitis at . I am writing to you as one that I 
 
 know to be greatly ir.terested in the welfare of our soldier boys and 
 ready to do anything in your power for their well being, and because 
 you know me and will know whether to give credit to what I say 
 
 Please know in the very beginning that 1 do nut write to criticise 
 the Government in any sense, nor to lay complaint against any one 
 in authority. I realize that in the stupenduous task before us as a 
 Government, and with the great diversity of interests involved, that 
 it is impossible tliat there should not occur some things that should 
 be corrected. It is with the hope that I may help somewhat with 
 the task before us that 1 lay bare the facts as I found them in 
 connection with my son's sickness at 
 
 Through friends entirely independent of the Army officers, and the 
 medical staff. I learned of my sou's sickness after lie had been in the 
 hospital for six days. With my wife I went immediately to the 
 
 camp, arriving there the morning of . I found mv son 
 
 In the meningitis ward of the base hospital. It was th.> "^i^hth 
 day of his sicl<ness. as I was informed by the attending physician 
 
 His mother and I and , . were permitted to see him' 
 
 through a window at the head of his bed. The small room in which 
 he was lying contained one other bed on which was a patient : a stove 
 in which there appeared to be no fire. The room was not simply un- 
 sanitary, it was filthy, beggaring description. The bed on which my 
 son was lying was even more filthy than the room. I can not describe 
 to you the condition of my sons body. E.xcept to say that n(-it''er 
 his liands nor face had been washed in eight days. (The attendant 
 admitted this to me.) The reason given iior his' being in this con- 
 dition was that he, the attendant, had but one helper in the ward and 
 there was 18 cases there at that time. I asked if I might put a nurse 
 in there to take care of him and the physician said that could not be 
 allowed. I offered to put in a trained nurse and pay all expenses. 
 
 I then asked if I myself might be allowed to go in and clean him up 
 and take care of him. The physician, very kindly 'n manner h'1 of the 
 time, said that it could not be. I thet» asked if I would bring clean 
 clothes for him if they would clean him up and put them on him so that 
 his mother might see him again and not have to remember him in the 
 plight she ha<l .just seen him. They said they would gladly do so. I 
 
 went to and got clean clothes, and when I returned they had 
 
 made some effort to wash his face and hands, although they were still 
 grimy and black. His clothes were changed, his bed straight 'n^d <.ut, 
 and his mother was called to see him again. There was no change 
 made in the condition of the room. Before leaving T again made a i)lea 
 to be permitted to care for him, gladly taking all risk, but the rules were 
 inflexible, I could not be admitted in any way. The attending physician 
 was kind to us and I do not wish to imply that he was in any way to 
 blame. He told us, however, as we were about to leave that we should 
 not return for three or four days. To this order I had no intention of 
 giving heed, neither did I. His mother did not see hiin again. T'^e next 
 
 morning early his father-in-law , of , went to the ward. 
 
 while the mercury was done about zero there was no fire in the room, 
 the bedding was on the floor, the boy lay on the l)ed naked with the 
 exception of a thin night shirt that was up around his neck. 
 
 About 3 o'clock that afternoon I found him in the same c-mdition and 
 the room without fire. The next morning at altout 8 o'clock we found 
 him in practically the same condition. No one knew of our visits to 
 the hospital except two workmen, who were working on the sewer ditch 
 in front of the hospital. To them I made myself known and the pur- 
 pose of my going to the hospital. I refer now. of course, to the visits we 
 made after we were instructed not to visit the hospital. On neither of 
 these visits was there an attendant in the room or Are in t'e stove. A 
 perfectly well man would have become sick in that room. The mercury 
 was around zero all of the time. 
 
 At this time I went direct to the chief of the medical staff and told 
 him the situation and asked to be permitted to go and attend my boy. 
 38227—18146 
 
36 
 
 He immediately gave orders that 1 be admitted and be given every fa- 
 cility for caring for my son. I went at once, but I was too late, as he 
 died about 15 minutes after I got into the ward and before I was per- 
 mitted to do anything for him. 
 
 That you may know something of the fearful handicap that the Gov- 
 ernment works under in the matter of competent help, I give you this 
 one instance 
 
 Now. I want you to note this : 
 
 I requested the attendant to give ray son a drink of water. He went 
 out and brought in a small bowl of water, and tried to get son tO' 
 drink from it, but he could not. He said I guess that I had better 
 get a funnel. (The boy was lying on his back with his mouth open.) 
 He came back in a moment with a funnel made of a piece of news 
 paper, and, putting it in my son's mouth, was in the act of pouring 
 the bowl of water into my son's throat when I stopped him. He said 
 What shall I do? I said get a spoon. The poor fellow had not thought 
 of that. My son died in a few moments. 
 
 I at once hastened to the office of the adjutant, and asked for the- 
 body, and was very courteously treated and assured that I could have- 
 the body that evening. I then hastened back to the ward where my 
 son died to see how the body was prepared for burial, and, as I had: 
 my pass into the building, I did not stop and knock but opened the- 
 door to enter when it struck something that would not let it open 
 further. I looked and saw that it was my son's body lying on the- 
 floor of the hall, and it was his head that I struck with the' door. 
 
 I received every possible courtesy from the officers and medicaU 
 attendants at the base hospital. I am not now filing any complaint: 
 against any man. I have no other purpose in giving you these facts: 
 than to get you to do your utmost to see that these boys of ours who are 
 yet to die at these camps may have the care that every true man wishes-- 
 that they might have There are at least four witn^^sses to most all 
 of tho facts that I have written here who will be willing to testify- 
 to the truth of them if it would be the means of helping the authorities^ 
 to bring about better conditions 
 
 I trust, , that you will believe me when I say that I 
 
 am not in any sense seeking revenge for the death of my son. If Ini 
 his dying he is the means of securing better attention for the many 
 boys that are yet to suffer and die in these camps, I shall feel that 
 his death was not in vain. Wishing for you success in your endeavors, 
 for humanity, 1 am. 
 
 Sincerely, your friend, 
 
 I read this because I want you to see the patriotic spirit in the- 
 hearts of this people, notwithstanding these things exist, which 
 should be remedied. 
 
 Mr. TILLMAN. Who wrote that? 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. I will show it to the Senator con- 
 fidentially. 
 
 Mr. TILLMAN. It ought to be given to the country. 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. Mr. President. I want everyone to 
 know that I am speaking fro- . the record of things and not in- 
 dulging in any camouflage when my country's fate is at stake. I 
 have put these letters in the Rkcord, horrible as they are, simply 
 because I want to arouse the people of this country so that every 
 mother and every father who has sent a son to this Army, whether 
 as a volunteer or as a drafted man, will write to the President 
 of the United States and to Members of Congress from their 
 respective districts in the same patriotic spirit in which these 
 two letters are written, when those sons have died of neglect, 
 not for revenge, not to punish anybody connected with this great 
 Military Establishment in this crisis that confronts us, but in 
 order that the fate of a beloved son or brother or husband, 
 if you please, may arouse the attention of the country to the 
 necessities of the occasion and save the lives of young men who 
 are valuable units for the salvation and protection of America. 
 
 Mr. President, I have talked longer thnn I intended. I could 
 not in one day strike bottom with the evidence we have showing^^ 
 38227—18146 
 
37 
 
 inefficiency, and I am saying this witliout any unkind feeling 
 toward Secretary Baker. Wlien tliese measures come up for 
 consideration, if the Senate wants to go into it more fully, tlie 
 testimony will be printed, and I tliink if Senators want to act 
 on their own judgment rather than because the Commander in 
 Ohief of the Army and Navy wants a thing to be done, I can 
 convince them these laws ought to be passed. 
 
 I realize that we ought not to cripple the hand of the Presi- 
 dent. There is not anybody who wants to do that, but no man's 
 judgment is as good as the concrete judgment of America. I 
 ■do not care who he may be and how great he may be, he can 
 not know as much as the world knows. I know how busy the 
 President is, and I want to help him. God knows I would do 
 anything to help him, notwithstanding the opinion lie has of 
 ane as expressed in his public statement, and I believe I can say 
 Tvithout egotism that no man has tried harder to help him in 
 everything that he has desired for the proper conduct of this 
 "war tlian I. I have not done it because it was his or any man's 
 policy. I have done it because America was at war and tliese 
 things appealed to me as being right, and because I thought the 
 "Country needed them. T voted to sustain the coal order the 
 other day, although I thoaght it was a foolish order made by 
 IMr. Garfield. I "oted for it on the theory that I wanted to lielp 
 .-save the youn^ lives of America and our allies in France. The 
 evidence before the committee shows that at the time the order 
 ^was made there were over 127 vessels in the harbor of Njw York 
 loaded with supplies for the allies, and they could not get coal 
 to send them out. That is the reason why I voted to sustain 
 that order. 
 
 My friends, if there had been any program in this war ; if 
 there liad been any plan laid out for the conduct of this war the 
 coal situation never would have happened, and that is what I am 
 complaining of. That is why our committee proposes in one of 
 its bills to have a war cabinet that can map out a program or 
 policy under the sole direction and authority of the President 
 ior six months, or any length of time, as any business man 
 would do. In this great business establishment of ours, be- 
 cause war is a great business proposition now, why has not 
 :some plan been worked out, and I challenge the production of a 
 plan or a program. There is not anybody connected with the 
 establishment who has time to do it. The distinguished Presi- 
 •dent of the United States could not do it if he tried, because he 
 Ihas more to do now than he can possibly attend to. The war 
 cabinet of Great Britain do not do anything else than is indi- 
 cated in the bill which the committee has prepared. 
 
 I think there was one thing in the statement I made in New 
 Tork to the effect that the Military Establishment had almost 
 ■ceased functioning. That is a pretty broad charge. I repeat 
 the charge, and as evidence of it I call your attention to this 
 fact: There was a Quartermaster General's Department that 
 Ihad $800,000,000 to expend for supplies for the Government. 
 It, practically under the instruction of the distinguished Sec- 
 retary of War, turned the whole thing over to a distinguished 
 retired merchant or manufacturer of worsted goods — I think 
 iiis business was at Cleveland, Ohio — and the Quartermaster 
 •General's Department has simply been a rubber-stamp proposi- 
 tion since war was declared. If turning over the functions of 
 this great office to a civilian merchant was not a ce-^-sation of 
 38227—18146 
 
38 
 
 functioning on the part of tlie Government, wliat in Heaven's 
 name would you call it? This agent made the contracts to be 
 signed by the Quartermaster General, lie prepared for the manu- 
 facture of the commodities, bought the goods, and presented 
 them to the Quartermaster General for distribution, and that is 
 all. I felt sorry for the Quartermaster General. Not only did 
 they do that, but they took the soldiers' overcoats that were 100 
 per cent wool, even then lighter than the British and the French, 
 and reduced the woolen content to 65 per cent wool and 3.5 
 per cent of shoddy or reworked wool, and then they got along so 
 nicely with that they reduced the wool content of soldiers' over- 
 coats to 50 per cent of wool and 50 per cent of shoddy or re- 
 worked goods. 
 
 Mr. THOMAS. What is the name of the man ? 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. Mr. Eisenman. I have no cvitic'sm 
 of Mr. Eisenman. No matter what people may say ab'ut him 
 he has done or tried to do a patriotic work. He may be criti- 
 cized about very many things, but I think he has done fairly 
 well. What I am getting at just now is not what he has done, 
 but the surrender of this function by the Quartermaster Depart- 
 ment to an individual. 
 
 The answer to that was that it Avas to conserve wool. There 
 may be a woolen shortage, but Prance has not found it necessary 
 to conserve wool in that way. If anybody has got to wear 
 shoddy it ought to be the civilian who stays at home, and we 
 should give the soldier the best uniform it is possible to make in 
 America. If there must be a shortage of provisions let the 
 civilian who stays at home go short and hungry, but feed the 
 soldier who is to carry the gun. That may be a wrong con- 
 ception of duty, but that is the way it appeals to me. 
 
 Mr. President, I wish to give another indication of inefficiency, 
 and I want you to understand I am not doing this in any spirit 
 of unfriendliness to the Secretary of War. He has been my 
 personal friend. I am only doing it because I feel it is my duty. 
 As another evidence of inefficiency the woolgrowers of the West 
 came here last April, I think, shortly after the war broke out,, 
 and offered to furnish the Government with the clip of that 
 year. The Government did not take it because they thought 
 the price charged was too high, and possibly the growers were 
 charging a pretty good price. It was a little below or about 
 the current market price, but the authorities would not take it. 
 Later on they came here again and offered it and the authorities 
 would not take it. Later on we made contracts for large quanti- 
 ties of wool, but wool had then gone up to a very high figure. 
 
 Now, Mr. President, anybody would have known, it seems to 
 me, any efficient business man must have known, that to clothe 
 a million and a half men or possibly two million men we would 
 have to buy every pound of wool possible and manufacture it into 
 clothing. Yet it went into the hands of speculators and dealers, 
 and when the Government got ready to buy, it had to buy at a 
 high price. I think all will agree with me that while there has: 
 been great work performed there has been uiuch left undone 
 that might have been done if efficient methods had been im 
 vogue in the War Department. 
 
 Now, we have only investigated two great departments, but 
 we are going to investigate others. Notwithstanding some may 
 object to our making these investigations, we feel that it ought 
 
 to be done. The President says in his statement 
 
 38227—18146 
 
39 
 
 Mr. VARDAMAN. May I ask the Senator a question? 
 
 The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Does the Senator from Oregon 
 yield to the Senator from Mississipj)!? 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. I wouhl very nnicJi rather not yield. 
 
 Mr. VARDAMAN. I merely wish to ask the Senator who fixes 
 the weight of the textiles worn? 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. It has been determined in these cases 
 by Mr. Eisenman in consultation with other members of the 
 Council of National Defense, and the Quartermaster General, 
 and other officers, but his .iudgment has generally been followed. 
 
 Mr. A^ARDAMAN. Is it lighter tlian it was? 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. It is not lighter, but the texture now 
 used is not as warm as wool. 
 
 Mr. VARDAMAN. AVhat was the purpose? 
 
 Mr, CHAMBERLAIN. The conservation of wool. I would 
 rather have more attention paid to the conservation of life, as 
 is done in France and Great Britain. 
 
 A young British officer the other day appeared before our 
 committee dressed in a .splendid uniform, a good deal heavier 
 in ounces than our uniforms. 
 
 Mr. HITCHCOCK. Po.ssibly the answer of the Senator to 
 the question may be misunderstood. I hope he will make it clear 
 that the uniforms for our soldiers are made of material which 
 is 4 ounces per yard lighter than those worn by the British or 
 French soldier. 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. That is correct. I stated it in general 
 terms, but I did not show the exact difference. I am glad the 
 Senator gave it. 
 
 Now, air. President, let me call attention to what the Presi- 
 dent says in his jiublic statement: 
 
 There have been clela.vs and disappointments and partial miscarriages 
 or plans, all of which have been drawn into the foreground and exag- 
 gerated by the investi>;ations which have been in progress since the 
 Congress assembled — investigations which drew indispensable officials 
 of the department constantl.v away from their work and officers from 
 their commands and contributed a great deal to such delay and confu- 
 sion as had inevitably arisen. But, by comparison with what has been 
 accomplished, these things, much as they were to be regretted, were 
 insignificant, and no mistake has been made which has been repeated 
 
 Nothing helpful or likely to speed or facilitate the war tasks of the 
 Government has come out of such criticism and investigation. I under- 
 stand that reorganizations by legislation are to be proposed — I have not 
 been consulted about them and have learned of them only at second 
 hand — but their proposal came after effective measures of reorganiza- 
 tion had been thoughtfully and maturely perfected, and inasmuch as 
 these measures have been the result of experience, they are much more 
 likely than any others to be effective, if the Congress will but remove 
 the few statutory obstacles of rigid departmental organization which 
 stand in their way. 
 
 Now, with all due respect for the President of the United 
 States, he serves notice on Congress that they had no business 
 meddling witli this affair either by investigation or legislation. 
 If the Senate of the United States feels it to be its duty to go 
 into an investigation, it must not do so unless its course meets 
 the smile of Executive favor. Now. I differ radically and e.ssen- 
 tially from that view. We are a great coordinate part of this 
 Government; and I am going to take the liberty of calling the 
 attention of my Democratic friends to a Democrat of days gone 
 by, a leader who dared to protest against Executive interfer- 
 ence with congressional action. Wlien I become a rubber stamp 
 in the discharge of my duty I shall get out of the Senate and 
 out of public 'ife and let some one more subservient take my 
 
 38227—18146 
 
40 
 
 place. You will remember. Senators, that there was on one 
 occasion another Democrat in the Senate, who was appointed 
 the leader of his party, when there was a Democrat in the White 
 House. You remember when the famous AVilson bill was up for 
 consideration it did not meet with Executive favor as it passed 
 this body, and the President wrote a pretty stiff letter while 
 the bill was in conference between the two bodies upbraiding 
 Congress for what it had done. 
 
 That letter was read into the Congressional Record by Mr. 
 Wilson, who was chairman of the Ways and Means Committee 
 of the House, and although he had been in conference according 
 to the Record with his comembers, the first time any of them 
 saw it was when it was printed in the Record or possibly 
 printed in a paper. Now, here is what Senator Arthur Pue 
 Gorman, of Maryland, said about that letter. I have not in- 
 dulged in any such hostile criticism as tliis, both because I have 
 too luuch respect for the great office he holds, and further be- 
 cause I am in perfect sympathy with all the President wants to 
 do in prosecuting this war. I want to help him. There is no 
 anger in my heart and no malice. I want my friends to dis- 
 tinctly understand that. I would go to the White House at any 
 hour of the day or night to help the President win this war 
 and discuss any proposition that might come up, no matter what 
 he thinlis of me. I place my country above all other considera- 
 tions. 
 
 Here is what Mr. Gorman said on the occasion referred to : 
 As I have said, sir, this is a most extraordinary proceeding for a 
 Democrat, elected to the highest place in the Government, and fellow 
 Democrat in another high place, where they have the right to speak 
 and legislate generally, to join with the commune in traducing the 
 Senate of the United States, to blacken the characters of Senators who 
 are as honorable as they are, who are as patriotic as they ever can 
 be, who have done as much to serve their party as the men who are 
 now the beneficiaries of your labor and mine, to taunt and jeer at us 
 before the country as the advocates of trusts and as guilty of dishonor 
 and perfidy. 
 
 Mr. President, it is time to speak. The limit of endurance has been 
 reached. The Senate owes it to itself. Every Senator here who is a 
 part of this Democratic majority owes it to himself. There is no 
 power, no matter how great, in this country, even the President with 
 his patronage, that would keep me silent longer under the charges, under 
 the imputations so freely made from such distinguished quaVters. I 
 hurl back the accusation — 
 
 Says Senator Gorman — 
 and say that this treatment of their lellows is dii^creditab.e. It is 
 destructive to the Government that men in high position shi uld attempt 
 to lower this body, a conservative body, consisting, when full, of 88 
 worthy representatives of States. . 
 
 No man can reach here by devious ways and remain lone. J he 
 Senate is composed of men who represent the best thought of the 
 country men who have stood and battled for tarifE reform when those in 
 higher places dared not show their heads ; men who, when another 
 place was overrun and those in it had not the courage to stand and 
 fight a tyrant, stood here at the risk of health, at the risk of fortune, 
 of all that is dear, and saved the liberties of the country. Then these 
 traducers of the Senate could not be seen. We will not be traduced 
 longer, Mr. President, the facts must come. 
 
 I glory in the spirit that was shown by Senator Goi'man. I 
 o-'cupy a little different position. This charge by our distin- 
 guished President has not been hurled at the Senate; it is 
 hurled at my devoted head. I am only one of 96; I am only 
 a unit in this body ; but above and over it all is a great prin- 
 ciple that the Senate, Democrats and Republicans, and the 
 country at large ought to stand for. It may be me to-day ; it 
 uiay be the Senate to-morrow, or any or some individual Mem- 
 38227—18146 
 
41 
 
 ber; it may come in five years when somebody else is in the 
 Senate; it does not make any difference who that person may 
 be; I insist upon the principle, not because I have been assailed; 
 that this body as a coordinate branch of the Government has 
 a right to speak as it pleases as to conditions. The Senate 'nin 
 investigate any man or any set of men that it sees tit to investi- 
 gate, and do it at its own sweet will without suggestion and 
 without let or hindrance. If the Senate will only assert that 
 right once, then we will not be troubled with th's condition 
 very often in the future. The Senate ought to assert its dignity 
 and its part and parcel in this great governmental machined 
 
 Now, let us go back a little longer and see what other great 
 men in this country thought about Executive interference with 
 legislative business, because, with all due respect to the Presi- 
 dent, that is what the statement quoted means, that we are in- 
 terfering by these investigations and hindering the proper con- 
 duct of the war. 
 
 Here is what Senator Blackburn read into the Record while 
 this discussion was on, and, by the way, let me say that two <lis- 
 tinguished Senators from the South, Senator Vest, of ]\Iissouri, 
 and Senator Jones, of Arkansas, took the .same position. God 
 bless them ! May sweet memories of them long linger around 
 these sacred halls and may their spirits animate the Senate in 
 the discharge of its duty during the whole conduct of this war. 
 
 Senator Blackburn read this into the Record from an old fogy 
 of the days gone by. but he had some part to play and played it 
 gallantly in the early days of the Republic. Mr. Blackburn 
 read this from Washington's Farewell Address: 
 
 It is important, likewise, that the habits of thinking in n free loini- 
 try should ln^^pi^e caution in those intrusted with its administration 
 to confine themselves within their respective constitutional spheres, 
 avoiding in the exercise of the powers of one department to encroach 
 upon another. The spirit of encroachment tends to consolidate the 
 powers of all the departments in one, and thus to create, whatever 
 the form of government, a real despotism. A just estimate of that 
 love of power and pi-oneness to abu.se it. which predominate in the 
 human heart, is sufficient to satisfy us of the truth of this position. 
 
 The necessity of reciprocal checks in the exercise of political power. 
 by dividing and distributing it into different depositories, and constitut- 
 ing each the guardian of the public weal against invasions of the other, 
 has been evinced by experiments, ancient and modern — some of them 
 in our country, and under our own eyes. To preserve them must be as 
 necessary as to institute them. If, in the opinion of the people, the 
 distril)ution or modificatiou of the constitutional powers be in any 
 particular wrong, let it be corrected by an amendment in the way in 
 which the Constitution designates. But let there be no change by 
 usurpation ; for though this in one instance may be the instrument of 
 good, it is the customary weapon by which free governments are de- 
 stroyed. The precedent must always greatly overbalance in p rmanent 
 evil any partial or transient benetit which the use can at any time 
 yield. 
 
 Senators, I am not resenting the intimation contained in the 
 President's statement about these investigations, constituting an 
 interference with the prosecution of the war, but I am simply, 
 calling the attention of the Senate to the condition that may 
 confront them at almost any time. However, is it entirely true 
 that this investigation has done no good? Why, Mr. President, 
 there has been an attempted reorganization of the military sys- 
 tem since we started into it. Of course, it is claimed that the 
 reorganization was commenced l^efore we got busy. For in- 
 siance. with all due deference to my good friend. Gen. Sharpe, 
 who is a splendid man and a patriotic citizen, he was wholly 
 unfitted for that job, and he has gone out of it, and they have 
 38227—18146 
 
42 
 
 put Gen. Goethals in. That is a part of the reorganization. 
 With all due deference to my friend, Gen. Crozier, who has been 
 a gallant soldier and a brilliant man, I think that in these days 
 that move so fast, perhaps, he was not quite the man for the 
 place, and he was practically taken out of the active control of 
 the Ordnance Department, and Gen. Wheeler was put in. 
 
 What else have they done? They have put Mr. Eisenman 
 just where he was with the old regime but under Gen. Goethals. 
 They have put into the Ordnance Department another distin- 
 guished gentleman, Mr. Samuel McRoberts, who is a very able 
 man, and I think will possibly help bring order out of chaos. 
 
 Mr. TILLMAN. Will the Senator answer an inquiry? 
 
 The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Does the Senator from Ore- 
 gon yield to the Senator from South Carolina? 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. Yes. 
 
 Mr. TILLMAN. I want to know wh&t the Military Affairs 
 Committee was doing while all this mismanagement was go- 
 ing on? 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. In time of peace? 
 
 Mr. TILLMAN. Oh. no. The War Department has been 
 reorganized. 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. We are trying now, I will say to the 
 Senator from South Carolina, to help out things. I do not want 
 to mention any names, but I could mention the names of distin- 
 guished Members of the Senate and House who have always 
 stood in opposition to a reorganization that was a reorganization 
 in fact, and they are doing it now. 
 
 Mr. TILLMAN. I have never opposed a reorganization in 
 the War Department, but I do oppose any reorganization of 
 the Navy Depr ment 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. Well, we have not proposed any such 
 reorganization. If the Senator will only take the trouble to 
 read the bill which we have here, he will find that it does not 
 take an iota of power away from the President. It gives hira 
 more. There is no effort being made to create a single organi- 
 zation that the President could not control. 
 
 But, getting back to the point I was making, I desire to say 
 that this investigation has done good ; it has removed some 
 inefficients, and is bringing about some changes in a defective 
 oi'ganization. But the Secretary still retains the Council of 
 National Defense and its subcommittees as a purchasing or 
 some sort of an agency between the President and the Army. 
 It has no power, but is simply an advisory body. It can not 
 nor can its committees enforce its orders. 
 
 Mr. OWEN. With no statutory power? 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. With absolutely none. The Council of 
 National Defense is simply an advisory body, that is all ; it has 
 no executive power. Those are the boards that are to take 
 charge of and handle this new organization. 
 
 I say, instead of having this voluntary organization between 
 the President and the Army, they ought to have one strong man 
 between the President and the Army completely under the Presi- 
 dent's direction and control to handle this whole situation, and 
 to utilize whatever organizations are now or may be created by 
 order of the President. I merely call your attention to the fact 
 that we have done some good. 
 
 Senators, the President says that we have not consulted him 
 about this legislation. I am very sorry the President said that. 
 38227—18146 
 
43 
 
 Now, speaking as a Democrat, and not as an American for a 
 few moments — [laughter in the galleries! 
 
 The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Ohuir wishes to admonish 
 the occupants of the galleries that any signs of api)roval or dis- 
 approval will result in a clearing of the galleries. This is posi- 
 tive, and will be done. 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. The Senator from Nebraslia [Mr. 
 Hitchcock] and I, while these hearings were going on, went 
 to the White House and told the President the way things liad 
 been developing before the committee and that we thought he 
 ought to linow it. We went into it pretty fully. We stayed 
 there an hour. I think the President was surprised at some 
 of the things we told him ; in fact, he expressed surprise. The 
 remedy was the thing that was in our minds. I said that the 
 pi-oposition for a director of munitions had been under consid- 
 eration by me for a long while; that I had been studying tlie 
 British system, and that something like that as a strong in- 
 termediary between the President and the Army ought to be a 
 remedy for the situation. The conversation was not confidential, 
 as I understood. We wei-e simply talking about conditions. I 
 would not even refer to it but for the fact that it is charged as to 
 our committee— a splendid body of men — that none of them had 
 discussed this legislation with the President. The President did 
 not approve or disapprove, but he had the information just tha 
 same. 
 
 Several days afterwards— I do not know how long— the Presi- 
 dent wrote a" letter to me in reference to that Ijill. I would not 
 give that letter to the public but for the fact that I am charged 
 by the President with a distortion of the truth. Now, I am 
 compelled, in defense of my own reputation, as well as in order 
 that the ))osition of this committee n)ay be understood, to put 
 the letter in the Record, and I am going to do so. The letter 
 is as follows : 
 (Personal ) The White House, 
 
 Washingtoti, January 11, 1918. 
 
 My Dear Skxator : When you and Senator Hitchcock were at the 
 White House the other evening we were discussing various su^gf^tu.us 
 of coordination and means of speeding up the military pro^-ramiPe ami 
 among other things you told me that ou had in mind a biU for the 
 creation of a munitions ministry. ^ ,. * i o„„,.c.h„. 
 
 That, of course, set my mind to work on ^.haj: particuja.^ I^^f-'lar ,",; 
 and I fee" - - ■ - - - -- . .^i,-.. 4-i ,., 
 
 my mind. 
 For 01 
 
 a dTs^ocation"of "actTvi\'ies"whTch w"ould 'cause delay whefe Ihei- is none 
 that is avoidable; and in regard to the Army, I think that not.img suiv 
 stantial would be accomplished. Indeed, I believe that delay /ould 
 inevitably be produced by such a measure. ^ , , , „ ,„ ,, *,.„ 
 
 I have had in the last few months a great deal of experience ir. tiy 
 
 conduct of business. . , ... . 
 
 Rather intimate information from the other side of the watei con- 
 vinces me that the munitions ministries which have been ^e<^ up tnere 
 have not fulfilled the expectations of those who advocatt'd them, and 
 the structure of those governments is so utterly difEercnt from our own 
 that we could not, if we would, create any such parity of power and 
 influence between the head of such a bureau and the heads of the perma- 
 nent departments as can be created under such political arrangements 
 
 ^'in sh^orf my'dea^sSor. my judgment is decidedly that we would 
 not only be disappointed in the results, but that to attempt siioh a 
 thing would greatly embarrass the processes of coordination and of 
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 action upon which I have spent a great deal of thought an^l pains, anJ 
 which I believe are more and more rapidly yielding us the results we 
 desire. 
 
 I felt that I ought not to keep you in ignorance of what had been 
 going on in my mind with regard to this important matter. 
 Cordialiy and sincerely yours, 
 
 WoODROw Wilson. 
 Hon. George E. Chamberlain, 
 
 United States Senate. 
 
 Was it quite fair for him to charge that he had not been con- 
 sulted? 
 
 Mr. JAMES. Mr. President 
 
 The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Does the Senator from Ore- 
 gon yield to the Senator from Kentucliy? 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. I yield. 
 
 Mr. JAMES. Is it not true that the President when he stated 
 that he had not been consulted referred to the " superior war 
 cabinet" bill and not to the "munitions ministry" bill? 
 
 'Ir. CHAMBERLAIN. That may be so ; I think it is suscep- 
 tible of that construction. 
 
 Mr. JAMES. I will say to the Senator that, hearing on yes- 
 terday that he was construing the letter of the President, which 
 referred merely to the proposed munitions ministry bill, as a 
 reference to the " superior war cabinet " and tlierefore that he 
 intended to urge that position as rather questioning the Presi- 
 dent's statement, I called up the White House and told the 
 President of my information. He sent me a letter which I am 
 sure the Senator will not have the slightest objection to being 
 read by the Secretary. 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. I will be glad to have it go into the 
 Recoed. 
 
 The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, the Secre- 
 tary will read. 
 
 The Secretary read as follows : 
 
 The White House, 
 Washington, Jayxuary 23, 1918. 
 
 My Dear Senator : You have been kind enough to tell me that 
 you had heard that I had written a letter to the chairman of the 
 Senate Military Affairs Commitee concerning the idea of a munitions 
 minister, and you asked me whether I did write such a letter. I did, 
 and am glad to send you herewith a copy of it. 
 
 The consultation referred to with Senator Chamberlain, to whom 
 the letter is addressed, was upon the subject of the various difficul- 
 ties and delays that had been encountered by the War Department, as 
 shown by the testimony before the Senate committee, and tlie Senator 
 merely mentioned to me that he had a bill in mind to create a muni- 
 tions ministry. He gave me no detail of the bill he had in mind, and 
 it was only when I learned afterwards from others of the real character 
 of the proposals that I felt it my duty to write to the Senator and ap- 
 praise him of my attitude. I assumed from what I heard later that 
 that particular proposal had been abandoned, and I was referring In 
 my statement of the other day to the very surprising proposal to create 
 a superior war cabinet of a type unknown to our practice or insti- 
 tutions. 
 
 I give you these details merely to reply to your kind inquiry and 
 let you know all the facts of the case as you desire. 
 Cordially and sincerely, yours, 
 
 WooDROw Wilson. 
 
 Hon. Ollie M. James, 
 
 United States Senate. 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. I am very glad, indeed, to have tliat 
 go into the Record. The letter practically states the facts. 
 The letter to me states them just as clearly, because it mentions 
 the same proposal for the creation of a director of munitions, 
 
 Mr. JAMES. But it is true, I believe the Senator in perfect 
 fairness to the President would like to say, that the President's 
 38227—18146 
 
45 
 
 statement that he was not consulted about the " superior w.ir 
 cabinet '' bill was true. He was not consulted about that, was 
 he? 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. Well, that is subject to some qualifica- 
 tions. Without questionins the statement of the President, let 
 me tell you what happened. The Military Affairs Committee 
 on Friday appointed the Senator from Nebraska |Mr. Hitch- 
 cock] as a committee of one to go down and confer with the 
 Secretary of War, which he did. Whether the President was 
 infoi-nied about it or not, I do not know. 
 
 Mr. JAMES. Is is quite fair, does the Senator think, to charge 
 the President with having infoi-mation that was given by a 
 Senator to a member of his Cabinet? Probably the Cabinet had 
 not met and the matter had never been discussed. 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. I did not intend to be understood as 
 questioning the veracity of the President in any way ; I am 
 only stating what did happen. 
 
 Mr. .TAIMES. I feel sure the Senator did not; but I believe 
 that, upon second thought, the Senator will realize when he 
 reads the letter the President directed to him, together with 
 the letter directed to me, they make it perfectly clear that the 
 President is absolutely right in his statement that he was not 
 consulted. 
 
 Mr. WILLIAMS. Mr. President, will the Senator yield to 
 me for a moment? 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. I really should like to go on. 
 
 Mr. WILLIAMS. The President said that he had informa- 
 tion about the war-cabinet bill, but that he got it secondhand. 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. Let us not be misunderstood about 
 it. Here is the President's language in his publislied statement: 
 
 I understand that reorganizations by legislation are to be proposed. 
 I have not been consulted about them and have learned of them only 
 at secondhand. 
 
 I do not know whether that is broad enough to include the 
 munitions bill or not; but that is the language used. I am 
 just stating my version of it. It goes to the country just the 
 same that I was trying to " put over " something on the President 
 without letting him know anything about it; that is all. I 
 do not want that impression to go out. I am not questioning the 
 veracity of the President, even if mine has been questioned. 
 
 There is nnich that I might say, but only one thing I want to 
 say in conclusion. The President in his statement says that: 
 
 To add, as Senator Chamberlain did, that there is inefficiency in every 
 department and bureau of the Government is to show such ignorance 
 of actual conditions as to make it impossible to attach any importance 
 to his statement. 
 
 As I undertook to show the President in my letter, I was 
 referring to the Military Establishment only in my impeach- 
 ment, and my audience understood that I was referring to the 
 Military Establishment. I did not want it imderstood that I 
 impeached the efficiency of every department of the Government. 
 The statement was really a little bi'oader in that regard than I 
 would have made it if I had sat down and had written the 
 speech. I would have confined it to the War Department. It 
 was a sweeping statement, impusively and impetuously made, 
 and intended by me to include only the Military Establishment. 
 I think I tried to explain that it was too sweeping, and now in 
 this public manner I state that I did not intend to impeach the 
 
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 efficiency of all the departments of the Government. I was in 
 no position to do tliat. I had uoi investigated as to all, but I 
 intended to impeach, and I do impeach, the efficiency of the 
 Military Establishment, and I think I have shown enough to 
 sustain my charge of inefficiency. 
 
 Now, it is said we have not done any good. Let me tell you 
 that that very statement of inefficiency has done some good, 
 not only as regasxls the War Depa'-tment, as stated by me 
 a while ago, but it has speeded up at least one other department. 
 My good friend Secretary Redfield, very courteously inclosed 
 me this letter. I will not have it read but I will put it in the 
 Record, to show that my statement induced the Secretary to 
 appeal to his whole office force to try to speed up and do better, 
 so that the charge of inefficiency might not rest on them. I 
 admire the spirit in which Secretary Redfield took my sugges- 
 tion. It was a suggestion made to help and not to hurt. I ask 
 that Secretary Redfield's letter be inserted ir the Record at 
 this point. 
 
 The PRESIDENT pro tempore. In the absence of objection, 
 it is so ordered. 
 
 The letter referred to is as follows : 
 
 "Thrive by Thrift, But War Savings Stamps" 
 Department of Commerce, 
 
 Office of the Secretary, 
 Washington, January 23, 1918. 
 My Dear Senator : The letter of which the inclosed is a copy has 
 been handed each member of the department's force in Washington and 
 placed by publication before its force throughout the country. 
 Yours, very truly, 
 
 William C. Rbdf/eld, 
 
 Secretary. 
 Hon. George E. Chamberlain, 
 
 United States Senate, Washington, D. G. 
 
 Department of Commerce, 
 
 Office of the Secretary, 
 Washington, January 21, 1918. 
 To the officers and workers in the Department of Commerce: 
 
 United States Senator George E. Chamberlain, chairman of the Sen- 
 ate Committee on Military Affairs, is reported through the press to have 
 said on the 19th instant, in an address before the National Security 
 League ; 
 
 " The irilitary establishment of America has ■ fallen down * * « 
 it has almost stopped functioning * * * because ot inefficiency 
 IN EVERY BUREAU and IN EVERY DEPARTMENT of the Government 
 of the United States." 
 
 The emphasis is mine. 
 
 We in this department form no part of the military establishment, 
 though in every branch we are in full cooperation with it. We are in- 
 cluded, however, under the charge that inefficiency " in EVERY bureau ' 
 and " in EVERY department " has led to the result said to exist. If it 
 exists it is said to be at least in part our fault. All departments, all 
 bureaus, are sentenced together. Such a statement from such a source 
 must (if we may assume it to be correctly reported), be given weight. 
 It is either true or false as regards ourselves. What lesson • can we 
 learn from it? 
 
 Candidly I had not believed any such sweeping condemnation could 
 be justly made of our mutual service. Tbe words of cordinl praise that 
 comes often unsolicited from many sides about every one of our services, 
 the commendation of the business and industrial world, the noble spirit 
 of self-sacrifice so freely shown by you in many forms, the known and 
 definite results of our common efforts, the constant touch with all our 
 work that you know it is my pleasure and privilege to try to maintain, 
 these and what I had permitted myself to think ,30 years of industrial 
 and executive experience had taught me had led to the belief that in 
 this department, so far as tbe law and the funds at our disi>osal permit, 
 we have on the whole a highly effective organization even when judged 
 by severe standards of industrial practice. Nor, let me say in justice to 
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47 
 
 you, am I aware that any extornal inquiry into the worl? of the de- 
 partment has been made upon which to base a charge to the contrary 
 effect. We are, as you linow, constantly studying our work in all its 
 forms with a view to its improvement. 
 
 But this is beside the mark. Our work, if good, will speak for itself. 
 We have neither duty nor right of solf-prai.se. What I ask you, every 
 one of you, to consider for yourself is whether this charge "is true of 
 you, of your division or bureau, of your part, whatev'er it be, in 
 our common work. For now more than ever must we do our work 
 well. The slacker in work, if such there bo. plays Germany's game. 
 Inefficiency is a sin against your countiy. Red tape, unless required 
 by law, is an offense against patriotism. Let us speak plainly. If 
 inefficiency exists it must cease or the ineffective ones must go. This 
 is no hour for hesitanc.v about persons. 
 
 But having thus in all seriousness said, let me add in conclusion 
 that I fully believe the (irm confidence I hold in you is for sufficient 
 cause and will be more than justified by the high effectiveness of your 
 service. 
 
 Yours, very truly, 
 
 William C. Redpield, 
 
 .SVcretarr/. 
 
 Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. God knows I liave tried my very best 
 to do things iiere to help speed tlie work of preparation for tliis 
 war, not as a Democrat, but because my heart was in it and 
 because I believe it was right to do so. I have frequently done 
 things in opposition to members of my own party and in opposi- 
 tion to many distinguished men on the Republican side, but 
 together we have tried to improve the Military Establishment. 
 
 The last suggestion of the President in liis cliarge against 
 me isf 
 
 I am bound to infer that that statement sprang out of opposition 
 to the administration's whole policy rather than out of any serious 
 Intention to reform its practice. 
 
 Et tu, Brute ! That is " the unkindest cut of all." My col- 
 leagues, I have stood here in season and out of season to get 
 through nearly every piece of military legislation that has been 
 put on the statute books in the past three years and that my 
 friend Baker uow boasts of and that the President is proud of, 
 with what success I leave to the Senate and to the country to 
 judge. I have taken charge of other measures here. I do not 
 claim any credit for that ; I give my colleagues equal credit for 
 these things ; but I happened to represent the committees on 
 the floor, and I worked most assiduously all the time. I will 
 say this, however, that I have not stood for any measure be- 
 cause it was any man's measure; I have stood for it because it 
 was for America, to assist her in this crisis that now confronts 
 her. That is why I have done it. 
 
 I am not opposed to the President's policies. I was born in a 
 country where Democrats were indigenous to the soil. I took 
 my politics west with me 42 years ago, to a State which wa§ 
 Republican when I first went there and has been ever since. I 
 have been a Democrat all the time, and I am a Democrat now ; 
 but I have some convictions about these matters and other pub- 
 lic questions. When I have supported all these measures I have 
 done it because I thought they were right and not because I 
 got orders from anywhere. 
 
 I have differed from the President on a number of ocrrt«ions, 
 and I have not hesitated to do so. I differed from the Presi- 
 dent when the Panama tolls question was under consideration ; 
 I differed very radically from him and did all in the world I 
 could to keep the measure for the repeal of the Panama free- 
 tolls act of 1912, advocated by him, off the statute books not 
 only because it was contrary to our platform of 1912 but 
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 because I did not consider it right. I have differed with our 
 distinguished Executive on a number of nominations which 
 he has sent here; but nearly all of the policies he advocates are 
 Democratic, and nearly all the policies that he has ./roDosed I 
 have stood for. I think you will find that in very few ins^-ince.s 
 have I separated from Democratic colleagues; and when I have 
 done so it has been because I felt I was right. I will say that 
 frequently I have followed my colleagues and followed the Presi- 
 dent on matters of policy when I thought they were all wroL'g; 
 bur I did it just the same. However, whenever it ■.•oines to a 
 question wliere a principle is involved and my conscience is 
 enlisted. I follow no man ; I follow my conscience. I an doing 
 that to-day, my colleagues, when I am undertaking lo call the 
 attention of the country to the dangers that confront Ani'^'Hca. 
 
 In God's name, are we going to get over to France? Within 
 10 months after the war broke out Canada had her gallant sons 
 in the trenches assisting in some of the most desperate battles 
 of the war. With her sparse settlements, with her lack of 
 wealth as compared to that of the United States, she got her 
 brave boys — and they are practically Americans, my friends — 
 over there; but America can not get there. Where is the 
 trouble? Mr. President, if we do not get there, and get there 
 quickly, it may be too late to go, and, as my good friend the 
 Senator from Iowa [Mr. Kenyon] said here the other day, it 
 would be better for a man to lose his life and to see his -family 
 die than to see the Teiaton invade America. 
 
 You Senators know that there are soldiers along the Atlantic 
 seaboard who ought to have gone to France six weeks or two 
 months ago. They do not go. Why is it? At Mineola there 
 were a lot of Oregon and other brave boys who went from a 
 southern encampment to that bleak and barren place, and where 
 some of them were kept for over a month in extremely cold 
 weather, not sufficiently clad, and without the comforts that 
 camp life ought to have furnished them, waiting to get over. 
 There must be something wrong somewhere. 
 
 If America is going to play any part in this war, she will have 
 to get at it pretty soon. France is expecting us and the other 
 allies are expecting us, and it seems to me, Mr. President, that 
 the only way to speed up our preparations, the only way to get 
 "over there," is to arouse America to the necessity of the time 
 and the danger of the crisis. When once aroused I have no fear 
 but that America will rise in her might and furnish an example 
 of sacrifice, of courage, and of patriotism that will make the 
 brightest pages of our history pale into insignificance as com- 
 pared with the fighting of our boys on foreign soil. 
 
 Mr. President and Senators. I apologize for having taken up 
 so much of your time. You can realize that my reputation is 
 ' all I have, and the love that my family and my friends have for 
 me at home. With that reputation destroyed and that love 
 gone, life would have no attraction for me ; with my reputation 
 assailed, with my country in danger, I know that you will ex- 
 cuse me for having trespassed so long on your time and pa- 
 tience ; and believe me when I tell you that there is no man 
 here to-day and there is no man in America who would go to 
 the relief of President Wilson more quickly than I in our coun- 
 try's crisis, although I feel I have been so grossly maligned by 
 him. I thank the Senate. 
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