ARMY REORGANIZATION 
 
 Accomplishments, 1917-1918, Quartermaster Corps 
 MAJ. GEN. HENRY G. SHARPE 
 
 HEARINGS 
 
 BBFOBB THE! 
 
 COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AFFAIRS 
 
 HOUSE OF EEPRESENTATIVES 
 
 ^ SIXTY-SIXTH CONGRESS 
 
 (t FIRST SESSION 
 
 •3^ ON 
 
 L 
 
 H. R. 8287 
 
 A BILL TO REORGANIZE AND INCREASE THE EFFICIENCY OF 
 THE UNITED STATES ARMY, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
 
 H. R. 8068 
 
 A BILL TO PROVIDE FOR UNIVERSAL MILITARY, NAVAL, AND 
 
 VOCATIONAL TRAINING, AND FOR MOBILIZATION OF 
 
 THE MANHOOD OF THE NATION IN A 
 
 NATIONAL EMERGENCY 
 
 H. R. 7925 
 
 A BILL TO ESTABLISH THE DEPARTMENT OF AERONAUTICS, 
 AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
 
 H. R. 8870 
 
 A BILL TO AMEND AN ACT ENTITLED "AN ACT FOR MAKING 
 
 FURTHER AND MORE EFFECTUAL PROVISION FOR THE 
 
 NATIONAL DEFENSE, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES" 
 
 <t 
 
 J, 
 
 a) PART 14 
 
 WASHINGTON 
 
 GOVERNMENT PRINTING QPFICE 
 
 1»19 
 
The original of this book is in 
 the Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924030746527 
 
ARMY REORGANIZATION 
 
 Accomplishments, 1917-1918, Quartermaster Corps 
 MAJ. GEN. HENRY G. SHARPE 
 
 HEARINGS 
 
 BBFOEE THE 
 
 COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AFFAIRS 
 
 HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES 
 
 SIXTY-SIXTH CONGRESS 
 FIRST SESSION 
 
 ON 
 
 H. R. 8287 
 
 A BILL TO REORGANIZE AND INCREASE THE EFFICIENCY OP 
 THE UNITED STATES ARMY, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
 
 H. R. 8068 
 
 A BILL TO PROVIDE FOR UNIVERSAL MILITARY, NAVAL, AND 
 
 VOCATIONAL TRAINING, AND FOR MOBILIZATION OF 
 
 THE MANHOOD OF THE NATION IN A 
 
 NATIONAL EMERGENCY 
 
 H. R. 7925 
 
 A BILL TO ESTABLISH THE DEPARTMENT OF AERONAUTICS, 
 AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
 
 H. R. 8870 
 
 A BILL TO AMEND AN ACT ENTITLED "AN ACT FOR MAKING 
 
 FURTHER AND MORE EFFECTUAL PROVISION FOR THE 
 
 NATIONAL DEFENSE, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES" 
 
 PART 14 
 
 WASHINGTON 
 
 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
 
 1919 
 

 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 
 Committee on Militaby Affaibs. 
 
 SIXTT-SIXTII CONGRESS. 
 
 JULIUS KAHN, 
 DANIEL K. ANTHONY, Jr., Kansas. 
 
 JOHN c. Mckenzie, luinois. 
 
 FRANK L. GEBENE, Termont. 
 JOHN M. MOEIN, Pennsylvania. 
 THOMAS S. CBAGO, Pennsylvania. 
 HABET B. HULL, Iowa. 
 ROLUN B. SANFOBD, New Yort. 
 W. FEANK JAMES, Michigan. 
 CHAELES C. KEABNS, Ohio. 
 ALVAN T. FULLBB, Massachusetts. 
 FIOBELLO H. LaGUARDIA, New York. 
 JOI-IX F. MILLER, Washington. 
 
 Wm. le LaU. 
 
 IT 
 
 California. Chairman. 
 
 S. HUBERT DENT, Jr., Alabama. 
 WILLIAM J. FIELDS, Kentucky. 
 PERCY B. QUIN, Mississippi. 
 CHAS. POPE CALDWELL, New York. 
 JAMBS W. WISE, Georgia. 
 RICHARD OLNBY, Massachusetts. 
 THOMAS W. HARRISON, Virginia. 
 HUBERT F. FISHBE, Tennessee. 
 
 Andeeson. Clerk. 
 
 259853B 
 
 X 
 
ARMY REORGANIZATION 
 
 Committee on Military Affaiks, 
 House of Ebpresentatives, 
 
 Thursday, October d, 1919. 
 The committee this day met, Hon. Julius Kahn (chairman) pre- 
 siding. 
 
 The Chairman. The committee will please come to order. 
 Gen. Sharpe, the committee would be very glad to have you make 
 a statement in your own way in connection with the Quartermaster 
 Department, of which you were the head for quite a number of years, 
 and we would like to hear any suggestions that you may wish to 
 make as to the efficiency of that department and the organization of 
 new divisions to handle the work that was formerly handled by you 
 and the officers under you. 
 
 STATEMENT OF MAJ. GEN. HENRY G. SHARPE. 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. I graduated from the Military Academy in 1880, 
 was assigned to the Infantry, and in 1883 I was appointed captain 
 and commissary. I remained in the Subsistence Department until 
 1905, when I was made Commissary General. 
 
 I think it is well to state at this time that after a study of the Com- 
 missary Department and other supply departments I came to the con- 
 clusion that we should have one supply department in the Army, and 
 I advocated that for twenty-odd years without getting very much 
 encouragement in connection with that idea. In 1911 a proposition 
 to consolidate three departments — the Quartermaster, Commissary, 
 and Pay Department — into the Supply Department was made, and 
 I entered upon that proposition very enthusiastically. 
 
 I think it is well to state, Mr. Chairman, that in order that my 
 position should be fully known in the matter, I let it be understood 
 that I was rieither; an applicant nor an aspirant for the head of the 
 corps, and I think that you gentlemen who were then members of 
 the committee were inclined to give greater weight to anything that 
 I said because you saw there was no ulterior motive. I was the senior 
 of the three officers who would be affected by the consolidation. 
 
 Discussion continued until 1912, and then it was put through, but 
 unfortunately, I think, at the very last moment, just before the bill 
 went into passage, the name of the department was changed from 
 "Supply Corps" to ''Quartermaster Department.'' The bill, I think 
 it is well to state, did not cover all that I thought should be included 
 in the Supply Department, but I urged the acceptance of it because 
 
 647 
 
048 AUJIY UEOUGAMZATION. 
 
 it was a step in the right direction, but I honestly think the change 
 in the designation of the department has been detrimental to it, be- 
 cause it gave the impression that instead of a supply department we 
 were having an aggrandized quartermaster department. 
 
 The Chairman. I remember the circiimstances very well. I re- 
 member how earnestly you advocated the passage of the legislation 
 as a supply department. 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Now, Mr. Chairman, I think it may be well to 
 state that in 1907 I made a trip abroad, investigating the supply 
 departments of the foreign armies — Germany, England, and France 
 — and as a result of that trip I submitted a proposition when I 
 returned, for a supply department. It differed very largely from 
 the bill that went through, because it took in the Ordnance De- 
 partment and also the Medical Department, my purpose being to 
 get at all of the supply departments. I don't know that I would 
 submit the bill along that line now, but I think a modification of 
 that along the line where we would provide in this supply depart- 
 ment articles which were in common use in other departments is the 
 proper way for the settlement of that problem. 
 
 The Chairman. General, right along that line, the Quartermas- 
 ter Corps and the Subsistence Department and the Pay Department 
 were all consolidated ? 
 
 Gen. Shaepb. All consolidated ; yes. 
 
 The Chairman. And the officers in those three departments, and 
 who were specialists in their own particular liile, went into the 
 consolidated department ? 
 
 Gen. Shakpe. Yes, sir. 
 
 The Chairman. And of course the work that they performed was 
 primarily along their special lines ? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Certainly ; yes sir. 
 
 The Chairman. And so I imagine what you contemplated with 
 regard to the Quartermaster and Medical Departments was the ap- 
 pointment of specialists from those departments to make the pur- 
 chases for their respective departments ? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. That was my idea; and I also contemplated form- 
 ing in the same Avay that Secretary Root, when he made his propo- 
 sition in 1902 for the consolidation, provided for a "transportation 
 department" with a general officer at the head of it, all in this 
 combined corps. 
 
 The Chairman. We changed the designation from "Quarter- 
 master Department" back to "Quartermaster Corps'' finally? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes, sir. The only change made was — it was first 
 called the Supply Department ; then it was called the Quartermaster 
 Corps afterwards. That was the change made but it made it ap- 
 pear, as I say, that it was an aggrandized Quartermaster Department 
 rather than a consolidation. 
 
 The Chairman. How long has there been a Quartermaster Corps 
 in the American Army? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Since 1775, practically. 
 
 Col. Dalv. Not corps. General. 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. No ; but there has been a Quartermaster General. 
 
 The Chairman. But there has been a department, a Quartermaster 
 Department, in the Army from the formation of our Constitution up 
 to the present time? 
 
ARMY KEOUGAXIZATION. 641) 
 
 Gen. SnAupE. Yes, sir. 
 
 Mr. GuEBNE. It had one of its principal tests at \'alley Forge. 
 
 The Chairman. That was in the Continental Army days. 
 
 Mr. Greene. Yes ; he referred to 1775. 
 
 The Chairman. Yes, I know. 
 
 Gen. Shaui'k. Now the consolidation took effect in 1912. After 
 1912 I remained one of the brigadier generals in the Quartermaster 
 Corps, and the on Gen. Aleshire's retirement in 1916 I was ap- 
 pointed Quartermaster General, and I served in that capacity, per- 
 forming the duties of the office, until the 26th of December, 1917, 
 when I was detailed a member of the War Council. I still remained 
 Quartermaster General until the 13th of July, 1918, when I was 
 appointed a major general of the line. At the time of my appoint- 
 ment I was stationed in command of the Southeastern Department, 
 and remained there until May of this year, and then I went abroad, 
 and have just recently returned. 
 
 The department or the corps was organized under the laws exist- 
 ing, relating to that corps, having relation to the duties which they 
 had to perform. The office itself was organized for the purpose of 
 carrying out the laws. After a very thorough study by a very com- 
 petent firm of business experts in New York who made a report on 
 the matter — and I would like to state in explanation of that in 1917, 
 just after March 5, when it became very evident that we were going 
 to engage in hostilities, we prepared to make purchases for the 
 Army and for a largely increased force to be added to the Army, 
 and at that time I requested the Secretary of War to ask the Council 
 of National Defense, or the advisory commission of the Council of 
 National Defense rather, to request the Chamber of Commerce of 
 the United States to designate committees of retired business men 
 in the various cities who would sit with the officers on duty in those 
 cities in an advisory capacity, not of course being able to function 
 in the way of making awards, but to represent the public. 
 
 There were some six members of those committees in the various 
 stations that we had. I asked particularly that they should be re- 
 tired business men of great experience so that they would not be 
 interested in any of the transactions of the department. A great 
 many of the gentlemen on those committees came on to the office 
 to see me and we had very lengthy talks about the work, and some 
 of them, in some of the stations like New York, employed or engaged 
 for themselves the services of some efficiency expert to go over the 
 organization and methods of administration and arrangement of the 
 offices; and I would like to say, as far as the New York office is 
 concerned, which I think may be considered typical of any one of 
 our depots, that this committee reported that they had no comment 
 or criticism to make on the organization, administration or any fea- 
 ture of the office work, except that down on the pier — I think it is 
 No. 12 East Kiver, we did not quite make as much use of that pier 
 as we might, because we had our office on the floor which took up 
 some of the dock space ; whereas, by building a mezzanine floor there, 
 we could increase the capacity of the pier. That is the only com- 
 ment they made of that depot, and I think that is typical of the 
 other depots Ave have had organized in the same way. 
 
 Now, I would like to call the attention of the committee to the fact 
 that the various bureaus of the War Department' function under 
 
650 
 
 ARMY RBOEGANIZATION. 
 
 laws which prescribe their duties. Through the development of years 
 it has been deemed advisable to assign certain duties to the Quarter- 
 master Corps, and heretofore no other department was allowed to 
 function along the same lines. For instance, the Quartermaster De- 
 partment provided clothing and subsistence, transportation, and con- 
 structed buildings ; but in the bills which were passed at the outbreak 
 of the war — I think they were deficiency bills — a nvimber of the other 
 departments of the Government were allowed to function exactly 
 along those same lines, and necessarily confusion was created. There 
 were several traffic departments operating. The law of 1885 required 
 the Quartermaster Department to act as the shipping agent for all of 
 the executive departments of the Government and they had so func- 
 tioned. I think it was an oversight at the time, the passage of these 
 laws, for it did create embarrassment and did create congestion in 
 various places because they had various people functioning on the 
 matter of transportation. 
 
 When it became evident that we were going to engage in the war, 
 the one important feature that we had to look for was the organiza- 
 tion of our office force. For many years I had always had in my office 
 safe a memorandum prescribing what should be done in case of an 
 emergency. 
 
 The Chairman. General, would you object to saying when it be- 
 came evident that we would get into the war? About what time? 
 
 Gen. Shaepb. About the 1st of March, sir. 
 
 The Chairman. 1917? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. 1917. On the 5th of March I bought supplies for 
 the Army for the next year when there was no appropriation and I 
 continued buying tliem after that. 
 
 This plan that I refer to was predicated on the assumption that it 
 would be very, very difficult to get increased office room, and the 
 difficulty which would occur by the attempt to move the office records, 
 disturbing in that way the availability of reference while we were 
 making the move; so we divided the office force into two and three 
 shifts, and plans were laid out as to how they should function. The 
 difficulty always came in having officers for those shifts. That was 
 met by the national defense act of June 3, 1916, which made it pos- 
 sible to appoint the reserve officers. 
 
 I asked for the appointment on the 12th of April of a number of the 
 men in the office who were qualified as clerks, and for their assign- 
 ment to duty in the office. The request was not approved, and we 
 Avere thus prohibited from putting very valuable men right into places 
 where they could be of use to us. They were appointed but were 
 ordered away from Washington for duty, and their services were lost 
 to the department at a very critical time, because most of these were 
 men who were tlie best informed men that we had in the office on all 
 precedents and conditions in matters relating to that work. I would 
 like to add that after I was relieved nearly all of the men were at 
 once ordered back to Washington and assigned to duty in the office; 
 and most of them are still here. 
 
 The Chairman. Who disapproved your recommendation? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. The Chief of Staff. 
 
 The Chairman. Who was the Chief of Staff at that time? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Gen. Bliss was the Chief of Staff. The request was 
 renewed three different times and was disapproved each time. 
 
ARMY REORGANIZATIOX. 651 
 
 The Chairman. ^Vas any reason given? 
 
 Gen. SiiARi'E. The only reason given, sir, which did not seem to 
 me a good reason, was that it would create a scandal. I asked 
 how it could create a scandal, and he said, "Why, two clerks work- 
 ing alongside of each other, one of whom had passed the examina- 
 tion and was on duty in your office and would get the pay of a 
 captain and allowances for quarters and fuel and light; and his 
 next-door neighbor couldn't get it." I said, "He could get it if he 
 passed the examination, but of course he couldn't get it unless he 
 could pass the examination." 
 
 The Chairman. In other words, none of your civilian employees 
 were commissioned unless they were able to pass the examination 
 provided by the War Department? 
 
 Gen. Shaepe. Yes, sir. There were boards appointed in every 
 one of our depots examining these men and in some cases — I will 
 explain how those boards operated. They gave a very exhaustive 
 examination as far as they could; they took a great deal of their 
 time, and some men who applied for positions as captains, the boards 
 themselves recommended that those men should be made majors, 
 showing their worth. But they were all sent to other stations when 
 they were called. The same thing was true of all our other stations. 
 
 For instance, the men at Front Eoyal, Fort Keough, Fort Reno, 
 our three remount depots at that time, who had been in the finance 
 branch there, and were known to the officers on duty in those sta- 
 tions, were commissioned, but they could not be left on duty there 
 in those places, and the man at Front Royal had to be moved to 
 Keough, the man from Keough had to be moved to Reno, and the 
 man from Reno had to be moved back to Front Royal. The same 
 way with the man in the office at New York, he could not be com- 
 missioned and stationed there because they had to move him to. 
 Chicago, and the man from Chicago was brought back to New York, 
 and the man in Jeffersonville, who had been appointed because of 
 his finance knowledge and because he would be useful in charge of 
 the office there, could not be stationed in Jeffersonville, but was 
 sent to St. Louis, where they didn't need that kind of a man. 
 
 The Chairman. Did they give any reason for shifting them about 
 in that way? 
 
 Gen. Shaepe. Well, I had to shift them in order to make use of 
 their services. It cost a good deal of money to make the shiftings, 
 to pay the transportation, which could have been avoided. 
 
 The Chairman. What made it necessary for you to shift them? 
 
 Gen. Shaepe. Because of that decision that officers would not be 
 appointed and assigned to duty in the station where they had been 
 employed. 
 
 The Chairman. Employed as citizens ? 
 
 Gen. Shaepe. Yes, sir. 
 
 The Chairman. Was that a General Staff order? 
 
 Gen. Shaepe. The matter came to me through The Adjutant Gen- 
 eral. I have the paper here. Under date of April 12 I made the 
 request, and I was informed under date of May 24 that under the 
 policy adopted by the AA'ar Department these reserve officers could 
 not be assigned to duty in Washington. That is signed by The Ad- 
 jutant General by direction of the Secretary of War. 
 
''>52 AU.MV UKOIKJAXIZ.VTIOX. 
 
 The OM-uuma.x. Do .you think thai behiud that I'uling there might 
 have been some feeling that these gentlemen had been acting as civil- 
 ian employees and therefore they ought not to mingle with the ofiicers 
 of the Army as officers ? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Oh, no; I don't think so. You couldn't meet those 
 men and have that opinion, Mr. Kahn. 
 
 The Chairman. I know the men and I have a very high opinion 
 of them, as you know. I have dealt with them for many years. 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. I think it is just simply an idea that there might be 
 criticism because of the appointments here ; but when you can explain 
 what you are doing, the criticism doesn't amount to anything. 
 
 Mr. James. How much time elapsed between your first and third 
 requests of Gen. Bliss? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. I don't remember. 
 
 Mr. James. Was it very many months, or were they close together? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. They were close together. Now, it became necessary 
 at the same time to increase our enlisted force of the department, 
 and on May 26 — I think I should probably change my account a lit- 
 tle by saying that when we were first about to go into the war we had 
 269 officers in our department and 8,346 men. On the 1st of July, 
 1917, we had 363 officers allowed to our department, but there were 
 79 vacancies that had not yet been detailed from the line. It became 
 urgent that we should increase the enlisted force in the Quarter- 
 master Corps of the Army, in order to provide the organizations 
 which we knew had to be shipped to the other side, and on May 2(5 
 I made application for authority to enlist 45,000 men, from which 
 it was proposed to form numerous motor -truck companies, wagon 
 companies, pack companies, and miscellaneous personnel. This re- 
 quest was disapproved under date of June 16, 1917. The Adjutant 
 General's number of that paper is 2606798, which also directed 
 that no further enlistments be made in the enlisted Eeserve Corps 
 except to the extent already authorized to be called into active serv- 
 ice, which was 15,993. 
 
 Under date of June 21 and June 23 I again urged the authoriza- 
 tion of 45,000 men, as requested under date of May 26. Under date 
 of July 2 The Adjutant General of the Army informed the office that 
 in lieu of the authority for a total of 45,000 men, as recommended by 
 the Quartermaster General, whenever conditions indicated the neces- 
 sity for other organizations in the Quartermaster Corps, request 
 should be submitted showing the necessity and the strength of or- 
 ganizations in order that they might be authorized under section 2 
 of the act approved May 2, 1917. 
 
 Under date of August 17, 1917, authority was again requested to 
 organize, including division supply trains, 434 motor-truck com- 
 panies, 78 headquarters of motor-supply trains, 34 wagon companies, 
 and 20,682 miscellaneous personnel. The number then authorized of 
 enlisted Eeserve Corps, 15,993 to be absorbed therein, of which only 
 six motor-supply trains, 32 motor-truck companies, and 20,680 mis- 
 cellaneous personnel was authorized by General Order 120, War 
 Department, 1917, it being stated that authorization for 34 division 
 supply trains was covered by tables of organization. Eealizing the 
 insufficiency of the authorization for motor-supply trains and motor- 
 truck companies, exclusive of divisions, request was again made 
 
ARMY 111'](JROAXIZATIOX. 653 
 
 iiudei- date ol SepU'iuber 18, 1!»17, for aulliority t(i organize SI motor- 
 supply trains and T^•2 motor-truck companies. 
 
 Also upon receipt of paragrapli 2, cable ICfi, from tlie commanding 
 general, American Expeditionary Forces, requesting that 1,000 men 
 for motor transports be sent with least practicable delay; that 500 
 be sent monthly thereafter until further notification, memorandum 
 was sent to the Chief of Staff, urging that the organizations requested 
 in memorandum dated September 18, 1917, be granted as soon as 
 possible. 
 
 Authorizations for 23 motor supply trains, 58 separate motor- 
 truck companies, 8 motor-car companies, 2 motor-cycle companies, 4 
 wagon companies, and 23 pack-train companies were finally given 
 under date of November 19, 1917. 
 
 It will be seen that in spite of continued efforts to secure authori- 
 zations for enlisted personnel of the Quartermaster Corps that for 
 miscellaneous personnel was not granted until September 15, 1917, 
 and that for motor organizations not until November 19, 1917. 
 
 Mr. James. What that the same Chief of Staff? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes, sir. I should also like to call attention in this 
 connection to the fact that on November 19, 1917, a telegram was 
 received from the Chief of Staff, who was then abroad, to which this 
 office memorandum was made in reply : 
 
 XOVEMBEB 21, 1917. 
 
 Memorandum for the Chief of Staff. 
 
 Subject : Enlisted personnel, Quartermaster Corps, for duty with American 
 
 Expeditionary Forces. 
 
 1. With reference to so much of paragraph 3, cablegram No. 7, for Acting- 
 Chief of Staff, signed "Bliss," received at the War Department November 19, 
 1917, reading as follows : 
 
 "Ascertain from Quartermaster General what Quartermaster Corps personnel 
 of all kinds has recently left port of embarkation and what can be expected 
 to be sent within the next 60 days. Transportation problem in France at the 
 present time is serious." 
 
 Before reading the rest of my memorandum, ]\Ir. Chairman, I 
 should like to say that when that paper was received there was con- 
 siderable feeling in the department, as, after numerous requests had 
 been made to obtain the authorizations for the personnel to form the 
 units which Gen. Pershing had called for, that telegram should be 
 sent from abroad, practically charging the Quartermaster Depart- 
 ment with the delay; and a very severe memorandum was prepared 
 for me to sign in reply to that, which I declined to do, as I was 
 unwilling to bring dissention in the War Department when we wei-e 
 engaged in a war with a most subtle and powerful enemy. 
 
 The Chairman. When you speak of "the department," and fric- 
 tion having been created in the department, you refer to the Quarter- 
 master Department ? 
 
 Gen. SHAErE. The Quartermaster Department; yes, sir. Not 
 friction, sir; it was not friction. I thinlc they all felt — and rather 
 justly — rather incensed that after an effort had been made to secure 
 this approval the department was charged with failure for a thing 
 which could not be done without such approval. 
 
 The Chairman. Was any reason given whatever when your vari- 
 ous requests for these organizations were disapproved by the Chief 
 of Staff? 
 
654 ARJIY REOUGAXIZATION. 
 
 Gen. SiiAEi'K. Mr. Chairman, I went down personally and saw the 
 Chief of Staff myself on various occasions, and pointed out to him 
 that the Quartermaster Department of the British Army did not 
 begin to have the number of activities that we had, and yet one 
 branch of the Quartermaster Department of the British Army, the 
 Army Service Corps, had when the war commenced 435 officers and 
 between 10,000 and 12,000 men; and that at the time I am speaking 
 of they had 10,000 officers and between 200,000 and 300,000 men. I 
 was asked how many more men there were in the British Army than 
 there were in ours. I said that had nothing to do with it as long as 
 we had greater activities, that when our entire force of officers and 
 men equalled what they had in one branch, then it might be thought 
 that we were getting enough officers and men. 
 
 Now, I would like to show in that connection right now we were 
 allowed 363 officers, 79 of whom had not been appointed on the 1st 
 of July, 1917, and we had 8,346 men. Accoi'ding to the report of 
 the Acting Quartermaster General, July 1, 1918, leaving out at that 
 time the transportation men and motor transport men; they had 
 authorizations for 10,491 officers, of which they had appointed 
 8,200, and they had also appointed and had in service in the Quarter- 
 master Department alone, leaving out transportation and motor cars, 
 191,038 men. 
 
 The Chairman. That was very largely, of course, in excess of 
 the number that you had asked for originally. 
 
 Gen. Sharpb. Yes, sir; but not largely in excess; oh, yes; of the 
 45,000 that we had asked for, but at the time I asked for them I said 
 I would soon be in again with a request for 45,000 more. 
 
 The Chairman. So that you were able to anticipate the wants of 
 the War Department? 
 
 Gen. Sharpb. I am sure we had. 
 
 The Chairman. And your recommendation was turned down by 
 the Chief of Staff. 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Now, Mr. Chairman, this telegram was received 
 and this memorandum that I referred to was prepared for me to 
 sign, which criticized rather severely the fact that after having 
 been refused we then should be blamed with having failed to send 
 the organizations. I said I would not sign the memorandum; that 
 we were then engaged in a war with one of the most subtle enemies 
 on the face of the earth, and I did not propose to bring in a war 
 into the War Department. 
 
 The Chairman. Who prepared that memorandum? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. It was prepared by some of the officers in my office. 
 I don't know who it was. I said, "I want a memorandum prepared 
 stating that on such and such a date I asked for authority for so 
 many men; it was refused on such and such a date; renewed on 
 such and such a date; declined on such and such a date." That is 
 the memorandum I have here, sir. I will read it to you. The first 
 part of it simply relates to the shipment of those men : 
 
 NOVEMBEB 21, 1917. 
 
 Memorandum for the Chief of Staff : 
 
 Subject : Enlisted personnel, Quartermaster Corps, for dvity with American 
 
 Expeditionary Forces. 
 
 ]. With reference to so much of paragraph 3, cablegram No. 7, for Acting 
 Chief of Staff, signed "Bliss," received at the War Department November 19, 
 1917, reading as follows : 
 
ARMY liEOlUJANIZATIOX. 655 
 
 "Ascertain from Quartermaster General what Quartermaster Corps per- 
 sonnel of all kinds has recently left port of embarkation and what can be 
 expected to be sent within the next 60 days. Transportation problem in France 
 at the present time is serious." 
 
 the following Quartermaster Corps units and miscellaneous personnel, Quar- 
 termaster Corps, have been shipped oversea or are now under orders or to be 
 furnished within the next 60 days. With reference to that shown as "Shipped 
 overseas or now under orders" this office is not in possession of information 
 as to whether or not personnel has left port of embarkation. 
 
 Mr. McKenzie. I would like to ask a question right there. The 
 same oflficer that turned down your request for these additional enlisted 
 men and officers sent you the telegram apparently criticizing you for 
 not having them over ? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes, sir. 
 
 Mr. Kbarns. Who was that officer ? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Gen. Bliss. [Beading:] 
 
 With reference to that shown as "shipped oversea or now under orders," 
 this office is not in possession of information as to whether or not personnel 
 has left port of embarkation. 
 
 I think it is well to explain about that, that when we had any 
 shipments of either personnel or property to make overseas we simply 
 got a "release" from the Embarkation Service, and then the per- 
 sonnel or the property was sent to the port of embarkation, and we 
 didn't know when they were shipped. So that once having had the 
 authority to ship them there, we were to assume that they had gone 
 within a reasonable period. 
 
 The Chairman. Why was this? Had there been new branches of 
 the department created — now divisions created? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes, sir. 
 
 The Chairman. Outside of the Quartermaster Department? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes, sir. 
 
 The Chairman. And they, of course, did not coordinate with you 
 and keep you informed ? 
 
 Gen. Sharps. Only the Embarkation Service — known as the Em- 
 barkation Service, sir. It was under the Chief of Staff. 
 
 The Chairman. So that your duty in those days simply warranted 
 you in furnishing what was required at the port of embarkation ? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. After we got the "release" for it; after we got per- 
 mission to ship it. 
 
 Mr. Kbarns. I would like to get clear on this, General, just for my 
 own information. As I understand it, you had asked for 45,000 en- 
 listed men in the Quartermaster Corps at that date? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. May 26, yes, sir; and November 19, when this cable- 
 gram came, was the final date when it was approved. 
 
 Mr. Kearns. And then again you asked for the same number of 
 men? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. No, sir; I got the final authorization on November 
 19, after that telegram came from the other side, and undoubtedly 
 because of my drawing attention to it. 
 
 Mr. Kearns. Whom did you ask? Did you ask Gen. Bliss for the 
 additional 45,000? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes, sir; I had to apply to the Chief of Staff for 
 Ihat. He was the Chief of Staff. 
 
 Mr. Kearns. So you asked him for it ? 
 
 Gen, Sharpe. Yes, sir, 
 
<).j(i AUMY ItEORGANlZATION. 
 
 Mr. Kearns. And at the later date did lie criticize you for not 
 having them? 
 
 Gen. Sharpb. Yes, sir. 
 
 Mr. Kearns. What excuse did he offer for criticizing you for service 
 til at you had already asked for and he had refused you? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. I don't know, sir. He didn't give me any expla- 
 nation. 
 
 Mr. Kearns. Well, vs'hy? 
 
 The Chairman. As a matter of fact. Gen. Bliss when he sent that 
 cablegram was on the other side? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Oh, yes. 
 
 The Chairman. And he was not in a position to give you any per- 
 sonal explanation at all ? 
 
 Mr. Kearns. What explanation has he given you since for it ? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. I have never had any explanation. 
 
 The Chairman. You have never seen him since, have you? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes, sir ; but not concerning this matter. 
 
 The Chairman. He has been on the other side all the time. 
 
 Mr. Kearns. What explanation did he offer for upbraiding an officer 
 for failure to do a thing that the officer wanted to do ? 
 
 The Chairman. I don't know. 
 
 Mr. McKenzib. It was simply a case where some one had to get 
 ovit from under, wasn't it, and that was one way of getting out ? 
 
 Mr. Kearns. I may not have sized up this situation, but it seems 
 to me that there had been a mistake made and Gen. Bliss had later 
 recognized it, and there had to be a goat, and he thought that be- 
 tween two goats, between you and him, he would rather you would 
 be the goat than for himself to be the goat? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. I don't like to express opinions, sir. I would just like 
 to call attention to the facts. 
 
 Mr. McKenzie. You would not have any objection, General, then, 
 to my question ? 
 
 Mr. Kearns. What was that? 
 
 Mr. McKenzie. I will ask the reporter to read the question. 
 
 (The reporter read the question, as follows :) 
 
 Mr. McKenzie. It was simply a case where some one had to get out from 
 under, wasn't it, and that was one way of getting out? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. I wouldn't say so, Mr. McKenzie. I wouldn't say I 
 think it was a case — I think undoubtedly Gen. Bliss, when he got to 
 the other side, his attention was brought to the lack of these organi- 
 zations over there, and probably he sent the telegram without any 
 reference to his action while here. 
 
 Mr. Kearns. Had he forgotten his action, do you think? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. I don't know. I am offering that as an explanation. 
 
 The Chairman. General, I think you stated — that is probably 
 what impelled Mr. Kearns to ask you about the last time you made 
 that request for 45,000 men — that you had made that request three 
 times between the 3d of March and the 16th of May? 
 
 Gen. Sharpk. \o, sir; not that. 
 
 The Chairman. I thought you said (hat. 
 
 Gen. Sharj'e. I commenced the request for these 45,000 men on the 
 2(ith of May and the flnal autliorization for the whole thing was not 
 given until the lOtli of November. 
 
AUiSIY UEOKGAXIZATIOX. 
 
 057 
 
 The Chairman. Did you make a request after the 2()th of May? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes, sir. 
 
 The Chairman. When? 
 
 Gen. SHAiirB. In connection with the transportation problem in 
 France this office anticipated the need of personnel for motor trans- 
 portation as well as that lor other purposes, and under date of May 
 26, 1917, requested authority to recruit the quartermaster section, 
 enlisted reserve corps, to 45,000 men, from which to form motor truck 
 companies, wagon companies, pack companies, etc. This request was 
 disapproved under date of June 16, 1917, and also directed that no 
 further enlistments be made in the enlisted reserve corps except to 
 the extent already authorized to be called to active service, 15,993. 
 This is the memorandum which I signed. 
 
 The Chairman. Will you put that memorandum into the hearings ? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes, sir. 
 
 (The paper referred to follows:) 
 
 November 21, 1917. 
 
 Memorandum for the Chief of Staff. 
 
 Subject: Enlisted personnel, Quartermaster Corps, for duty with American 
 
 Expeditionary Forces. 
 
 1. With reference to so much of paragraph 3, cablegram No. 7, for Acting 
 Chief of Staff, signed "Bliss," received at the War Department November 19, 
 1917, reading as follows : 
 
 "Ascertain from Quartermaster General what Quartermaster Corps personnel 
 of all kinds has recently left port of embarkation and what can be expected to 
 be sent within the next 60 days. Transportation problem in France at the present 
 time is serious" — 
 
 the following Quartermaster Corps vinits and miscellaneous personnel, Quar- 
 termaster Corps, have been shipped oversea or are now under orders, or to be 
 furnished within the next 60 days. With reference to that shown as "Shipped 
 oversea or now under orders" this office is not in possession of information 
 as to whether or not personnel has left port of embarkation. 
 
 Date of 
 request 
 
 for 
 orders. 
 1917. 
 
 Organization. 
 
 En- 
 listed 
 men. 
 
 Date of 
 request 
 
 for 
 orders, 
 
 1917. 
 
 Organization. 
 
 En- 
 listed 
 mfln. 
 
 Oct. 1 9 
 
 SHIPPED OVKItSEA OR NOW 
 UNDER ORDERS. 
 
 1 motor supply train (No. 402) . . 
 1 motor supply train (No. 40(5) . . 
 1 motor supply train (No, 401) . . 
 G machine sliop truck units 
 (civilian personnel ) 
 
 4G4 
 464 
 464 
 
 46 
 
 11 
 
 250 
 
 2,439 
 
 4.000 
 
 464 
 
 4(i4 
 
 500 
 
 7fi 
 
 300 
 
 1.000 
 
 
 TO BE FURNISHED DUUING NEXT 
 60 DAYS. 
 
 3 motor supply trains (Nos. 
 
 
 Nov. 1 
 
 4 mach:n6-shop trucks 
 
 3 stevedore regiments (Nos. 
 
 100 
 
 
 1 motor supply train for First 
 
 
 
 
 
 Oct 13 
 
 
 
 1,000 
 
 
 1 stevedore regiment (No. 301). 
 16 labor companies (Nos. 301-16) 
 1 motor supply train (No. 407) . . 
 1 motor supply train (No. 408) . . 
 
 
 
 Oct 3 
 
 
 100 
 
 Oct I'i 
 
 
 300 
 
 12 
 Oct, 2 2 
 
 i supply companies (Nos. 305- 
 308) base and advance animal 
 
 
 Nov. 3 
 
 
 96 
 
 
 
 
 
 Oct. 31 
 
 4 supply companies (Nos. 3 01- 
 
 11,779 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 10,941 
 
 
 The above covers all personnel called for in cablegrams from the commanding 
 general, American Expeditionary Forces, to date. Personnel called for in project 
 is being made ready for oversea service as rapidly as authorizations are given 
 and men can be had by voluntary enlistment or from the draft. 
 
(558 AUMY UKOKGANIZATIOX. 
 
 The supply of personnel listed under heading "To be furnished during next 
 60 days" is dependent upon transportation being available. 
 
 2. In connection, with the transportation problem in France, this office antici- 
 pated the need of personnel for motor transportation as well as that for other 
 purposes and under date of May 26, 1917, requested avithority to recruit the 
 Quartermaster Section, Enlisted Reserve Corps, to 45,000 men, from which to 
 form motor-truck companies, wagon companies, pack companies, etc. This 
 request was disapproved under date of June 16, 1917 (2606798 A. G. O.) and also 
 directed that no further enlistments he made in the Enlisted Reserve Corps 
 except to the extent already authorized to be called into active service (1.5,993). 
 Under date of June 21, 1917, and June 23, 1917, this office again urged the 
 authorization of the 45,000 men requested under date of May 26, 1917. Under 
 date of July 2, 1917, The Adjutant General of the Army informed this office 
 that in lieu of the authority for a total of 45,000 men as recommended by the 
 Quartermaster General whenever conditions indicate necessity for other organ- 
 izations of the Quartermaster Corps, requests should be submitted showing the 
 necessity and strength of organizations in order that they may be authorized 
 under section 2 of the act approved May 18, 1917. Under date of August 17, 
 1917, this office requested authority to organize 78 motor supply trains, 122 
 motor truck companies, and 24 pack companies, of which only 6 motor supply 
 trains and 32 truck companies were authorized (G. O., 120, W. D., 1917). 
 Under date of September 18, 1917, this office requested authority to organize 81 
 motor supply trains and 52 motor truck companies in addition to those authoi'- 
 ized at that time Authorization for 23 motor supply trains and 58 separate 
 motor truck companies, among other units, was given under date of November 
 19, 1917. Steps have already been taken to organize motor supply trains and 
 motor-truck companies under the last-mentioned authorization. 
 
 Henkt G. Shakpe, 
 Quartermaster General. 
 
 The Chairman. Now, I got it in my mind, just as Mr. Kearns did, 
 tliat you renewed that request for 45,000 men. 
 
 Gen. Shakpe. I did, sir. I was going to read that. 
 
 The Chairman. Please give us that. 
 
 Gen. Sharpb. Under date of June 21, 1917, and June 23, 1917, this 
 office again urged the authority for 45,()00 men requested under date 
 of May 26. 
 
 The Chairman. Xow, we have got all the dates. 
 
 Mr. Kearns. Then you certainly did not understand my question 
 when I asked you a while ago when was the second time, and you 
 said you only requested it once. 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Oh, I did not understand you. The request was made 
 three or four or five times. 
 
 The Chairman. I understood you to say you had made it three 
 times, but we did not get the dates. Now, we have the dates in the 
 hearing. 
 
 Gen. Sharps. Now, I would like to have the committee fully in- 
 formed on these matters, and I request that the committee call Col. 
 Ezra Davis. 
 
 The Chairman. Is that Col. Davis that appeared here this morn- 
 ing? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. No, sir; he is stationed over in New York, as execu- 
 tive officer in the port and zone transportation office, 45 Broadway. 
 
 The Chairman. Wc will try to have him sent for. 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. And I would like to have the committee call Maj. 
 Hahn, who is in The Adjutant (Jeneral's Office. 
 
 Col. Daly. He is at Boston. 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. I saw liim the other day in The Adjutant General's 
 Office. 
 
AIJMY KEOUGAiXIZATlOX. G5fl 
 
 The CuAiuMAx. 'We will try to get him, General. Do yuu know 
 his initials ? 
 
 Gen. SiiAiu'E. No, sir ; I do not. 
 
 Col. Daly. It is George Hahn. 
 
 The Chairman. We will try to get him. 
 
 Gen. SiiAUi'E. And Col. Coleman could tell yon. He is also here. 
 
 The Chaikman. Do you know his initials? 
 
 Gen. SnARrB. F. W. Coleman. I think that it would be very use- 
 ful for the committee to hear Col. A. E. Saxton, too, who, I believe, 
 is down in Texas; also Col. Dallam and Col. Clopton. 
 
 The Chairman. Do you know their initials, General? 
 
 Gen. Sharpb. No. We had authority to organize various Quarter- 
 master Corps units, among them being motor-repair organizations. 
 Authority for the authorization of three of them had been obtained, 
 about 1,200 men in each unit, and in August, on my approval, re- 
 quest was put in for 48,000 men to be formed into those units. Col. 
 Furlow can give you the data about this. There were Only 3,C00 
 authorized for three units, authorized to be formed; but I under- 
 stand that Gen. Pershing for the 1st of July, 1918, showed that they 
 needed on hand over there for the motor repair shops 45,400, but 
 Col. Furlow can give you the exact information. He is on duty here 
 in the Motor Transport Corps. 
 
 The Chairman. Your request that you speak of was disapproved? 
 
 Gen. Si-iARPE. We only got three units, 3, COO men, instead of 48,000. 
 
 The Chairman. What excuse was made for not getting the total 
 number you asked for? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. I don't know. After signing the letter. Col. Fur- 
 low took it down to the War College, and he can give the informa- 
 tion about it. 1 only Imow the results. We got three new units. 
 
 The Chairman. That was in August ? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes, sir; August, 11)17. I would ask that Col. Fur- 
 low be called because he can give full information. 
 
 The Chairman. We will try to get Col. Furlow here. 
 
 Gen. Si-iARi'E. In connection with providing the personnel, the 
 officers' personnel, we had formed throughout the country boards at 
 the different depots for the examination of candidates who came 
 before it. When they started the training camps it was thought it 
 would be much more desirable to endeavor to secure some of these 
 officers from the camps, so we requested that 300 men should be as- 
 signed us from each one of the training camps, men who were not 
 selected for the line. 
 
 On June 8 we made an application to have a school established in 
 which the officers and men who were to go into the department were 
 to be trained. The men were to graduate from the school on the 15th 
 of August. 
 
 The Chairman. That school was organized at Jacksonville, Fla. ? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes, sir. 
 
 The Chairjian. Was your recommendation in that regard accepted 
 by the department ? * 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Not until the end of August. That is, it was ac- 
 cepted, approved, and then when it went down, about the location, 
 there was a long delay in connection with that. Then when the 
 question of the location was decided, there was a delay for some 
 time about the awarding of the contract. So that the school, in- 
 
0()0 
 
 AUMY UEOltGAXlZATlOX. 
 
 stead of being ready to receive tlie men wlio were to go to it about 
 tlie 1st of September, was only beginning to l)e constructed at that 
 time. 
 
 Mr. McKenzie. At that time the construction in the Army had 
 been taken away from the Quartermaster Corps ? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes, sir ; it was under the control of the cantonment 
 division. That was formed on the 18th day of May, 1917. 
 
 The CH2VIEMAN. Because the cantonments were constructed soon 
 after the draft law was passed. 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes, sir. 
 
 Mr. McKenzie. Did you have anything to say about the selection 
 of the site for that camp ? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes, sir; we sent down and examined that site and 
 also one up at Manassas. We preferred the one at Manassas, but 
 the other site down there was partially available because there had 
 been a Government range there. We would have had to rent the 
 land up here. We preferred the Manassas tract, because it was 
 nearer Washington and could be visited and seen from frequently 
 than at Jacksonville, but the site was selected at Jacksonville, partly 
 because we could have the entire year's training down there, and also 
 because part of the property belonged to the Government there. 
 
 Mr. McKenzie. If you had had control of construction at that time, 
 as you did in the olden days, there would have been no delay about 
 the construction, as I take it? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Well, if we had obtained the approval of the origi- 
 nal request. My recollection is — I don't recall it fully — but my recol- 
 lection is that it took very nearly a month before our original request 
 was acted on — I mean approved, and then when- there was a question 
 about the location, there was a long delay about the selection of the 
 same. There was a long delay then. 
 
 The Chairman. Let me get that location proposition straight. 
 Did the Quartermaster General make a recommendation as to the 
 location ? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes, sir; we recommended that it should be at 
 Manassas. 
 
 The Chairman. Who selected Jacksonville? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. It was decided by the Chief of Staff and the Secre- 
 tary of War. We sent an oflBcer down to look at that site on the 
 request — we said it Avould be acceptable, but we would rather have 
 the other one. 
 
 The Chairman. Well, now, would you have had to rent land or 
 buy land at Manassas ? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Oh, yes. 
 
 The Chairman. The Government had no land there of its own? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. No ; it would have cost us more money, I think, Mr. 
 Kahn, at Manassas than it did at Jacksonville, but it was nearer to 
 us. But at the same tii^e the other camp was more available for 
 service during the winter. 
 
 Mr. McKenzie. What caused the delay after the site had been 
 selected, in so far as construction was concerned, do you know? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. About the award of the contract? 
 
 Mr. McKenzie. What was the difficulty? Were you waiting for 
 the contractor to get through with another job ? 
 
ARSrV KI'XJUCiANIZATIOX. 
 
 601 
 
 (Jen. SHAurn. TJic coutraci was awarded to sdiiie one wlio liad 
 built one of the camps, and I think they desired to have it given 1o 
 a local contractor down at Jacksonville. 
 
 Mr. McKknzii:. Did the local man get it? 
 
 Gen. SiiARPE. Xo, sir. 
 
 The Chairman. Was it built on the cost plus basis? 
 
 Gen. Shaepb. I think so, Mr. Kahn ; I don't know. 
 
 Col. Daly. It was built on the cost plus basis. 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Here is a letter, sir, of June 8, 1917, to the Adjutant 
 General of the Army on the subject "Mobilization and training 
 camp, Quartermaster Corps, personnel." Shall I read the letter? 
 
 The Chairman. Yes. 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. It is quite long. [Reading:] 
 
 Wak Department, 
 Office of the Quartermaster General of the Army, 
 
 Washington, June 8, 1017. 
 
 No. 354.1.P. 
 
 From : Quartermaster General. 
 
 To : The Adjutant General of the Army. 
 
 Subject : Mobilization and training camp, Quartermaster Corps personnel. 
 
 1. In the near future the Quartermaster Corps will be confronted with the 
 problem of supplying various organizations and Individuals of the Quarter- 
 master Corps to divisions and other formations ordered for duty abroad or to 
 be established abroad, such as division supply and ammunition trains, remount 
 depots, supply depots, transport workers' battalions, bakery companies, wagon 
 companies, pack companies, repair shops for clothing, shoes, harness, wood and 
 metal articles of equipment, laundry and cleaning establishments, supply com- 
 panies, QusBrtermaster Corps, labor and salvage companies, and possibly various 
 other units. 
 
 2. Authority has been obtained to enlist approximately 16,000 enlisted men, 
 Quartermaster Enlisted Reserve Corps, and additional authority was requested 
 on May 26, to increase this number to 45,000 enlisted men. It is anticipated 
 that this last number will have to be doubled within eight months. 
 
 3. In order to have these men undergo training and to have a definite place 
 of mobilization, keeping in mind the desirability of a mild climate and nearness 
 to the eastern seaboard, it is believed a Quartermaster Corps training and 
 mobilization camp should be established on a large scale in the southern part of 
 the Eastern Department, preferably in the vicinity of Richmond or Newport 
 News, Va., where various Quartermaster Corps organizations could be mobilized 
 as rapidly as enlisted, and given such preliminary training as possible before 
 their services are needed at division camps in this country, or with foi-mations 
 sent or created abroad. 
 
 4. It is understood that camps similar to the above have been authorized 
 for the Medical Department, Signal Corps, and Engineer Corps. 
 
 5. Such a camp should be in addition to the division camps and should be 
 large enough to accommodate an average daily strength passing through the 
 camp varying from 10,000 to 20,000 enlisted men and approximately 300 ofiScers 
 in charge of the camp and in command of the reserve organizations therein. 
 
 6. It is believed one such Quartermaster mobilization and training camp will 
 be more economical, more efficient for the purpose in view, and in every other 
 way more desirable than Quartermaster camps as separate adjunet.s to the 16 
 division area training camps. Only such personnel and equipment as would 
 be required to handle the routine affairs of the latter camps and enable the 
 divisions passing through them to be trained as a complete unit would probably 
 be furnished such camps. 
 
 7. The prompt establishment of such camp is considered necessary now in 
 order to organize properly a system of replacements and of furnishing in the 
 first instance trained Quartermaster Corps units to the various divisions, as 
 the latter are made ready and ordered for duty abroad, as well as to furnish 
 numerous special and technical units for the service of the rear abroad. 
 
 8. It is estimated the acreage required for such a camp would be approxi- 
 mately 2,000 acres, and practically the same conditions as were laid down for 
 
 140432— 19— PT 14 2 
 
6G2 . ARMY REORGANIZATION. 
 
 the cantonment camps for the IG training divisions should govern the location 
 of this camp in respect to transportation facilities, water, and nature of soil. 
 It is estimated the cost would be about .i;4,000,000, and it would be desirable 
 to lease the site for at least three years with an option to purchase same at any 
 time before the expiration of the lease, should later events show complete 
 ownership to be desirable. No tentage is available. 
 
 9. Authority is therefore requested for this oflSce to submit a special estimate 
 for the necessary funds required to cover the lease, the camp site, and to 
 erect the necessary buildings, roads, and structures thereon to carry out the 
 above plan. 
 
 10. In compliance with (W. C. D. 6277-166) instructions from The Adjutant 
 General's Office, dated June 3, 1917, the above plan has been considered after 
 informal conference by an officer of this office with Maj. Kingham, War College 
 Division of the General Stafe. 
 
 Henry G. Shabpe, 
 Quartermaster General, United States Army. 
 
 My copy does not show the action on it, but it can be ascertained. 
 
 The Chairman. Can you tell the committee what action was 
 taken ? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes, sir ; as I tell you, it took them almost a month 
 to decide that we should have it. 
 
 Mr. Miller. I would like to know to whom that letter was ad- 
 dressed. 
 
 Gen. Shari'e. To The Adjutant General. Then the paper went 
 down, and when we asked for this location at Manassas my recol- 
 lection is if was very nearly a month before it was decided that it 
 should be down at Jacksonville. Then we were kept almost a month 
 in deciding about a contractor. So, as I said at the beginmng, when 
 we expected to have these men graduate from the training camps on 
 the 15th of August and then take them immediately into this school 
 for quartermaster training, the school had only been commenced to 
 be constructed. 
 
 It is an important matter to remember, because in all of our sub- 
 sequent requests for officers, special officers, to be obtained for the 
 motor service for every one of the activities that we had in that 
 \\ay, they constantly asked us whether we could make use of those 
 3,045 officers that we secured from the camps ; and we could not make 
 use of them, as we had not trained them. 
 
 The Chairman. For the sake of getting the record right, the 
 3,045 officers that you now speak of, were those young men who went 
 to the officers' training camps and who were recommended for ap- 
 pointment, not with the combat troops but in the Quartermaster 
 Corps? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. We asked for 200 from each camp. 
 
 The Chairman. And they gave you those? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes, sir; and we constantly were asked later why 
 we could not use these men from the 3,000. Now as an illustration 
 of that — and I would like to ask the committee to call Col. Goetz in 
 regard to the testimony given this morning by !Maj. Byron. 
 
 The Chairman. Do you know his initials? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. No, sir; he is here in the office. He was appointed 
 a captain in the corps and was stationed out at Jeffersonville, Ind., 
 inspecting harness. The only inspectors that we could get were some 
 of the civilian inspectors from the civil service, and Capt. Goetz, now 
 colonel, reported that in his inspections he had seen some of those 
 inspectors pass traces which had no filling in them. Therefore, 
 
ARMY RE()U(!AN1ZAT]()N. C63 
 
 uiuler (late of Xovember 10, I made 1liis memoraiiduni for the CliieJ: 
 of Staff. 
 
 November 10, 1017. 
 Memoi'iuulum for the Cliief of Sf iUC : 
 
 1. In view of the fact that this office will l)e required to inspect 289,285 
 sets of harness during the remainder of the fiscal j'ear 1918, and an estimated 
 quantity of 738,350 sets of harness, also a large number of halters, bridles, 
 and saddles during the fiscal year 1919, the necessity of commissioning a 
 number of experts for the inspection of leather equipment in the present 
 emergency has proved imperative. Repeated experiments with civilian in- 
 spectors and officers already commissioned in the Quartermaster Corps in the 
 last five. months have been a failure and have demonstrated the impossibility 
 of properly safeguarding the interests of the Government by the use of such 
 inspecting personnel. The men procurable at the authorized salaries of ,$1,500 
 a year for civilian inspectors are generally inefficient and lacking in charac- 
 ter and experience, and of the officers already commissioned in the Quarter- 
 master Corps who were considered qualified for this work according to the 
 records, only 5, of over 50 who have been tried, are capable of iDerforming 
 this work. 
 
 2. The depot quartermaster at Jeffersonville, Ind., has asked, therefore, 
 that certain leather equipment inspectors, who are willing to serve the Gov- 
 ernment from patriotic motives, be commissioned for this purpose, and it is 
 recommended that authority be granted to commission in the Quartermaster 
 Corps, National Army, 17 captains, 17 first lieutenants, and 17 second lieu- 
 tenants without examination except as to physical fitness, for the performance 
 of this work. 
 
 3. Before recommending them for commission, the qualifications of those 
 who volunteer for this duty will be fully established by competent officers of 
 this corps. 
 
 4. More than 50 leather equipment experts of high business standing and 
 experience, with established reputations for integrity, have offered their 
 services to the Government. 
 
 5. It is considered necessary that those commissioned be called to active 
 duty without delay and assigned to the depot quartermaster, Jeffersonville, 
 Iiul., as his assistants. 
 
 Very respectfully, 
 
 Henrt G. Shabpe, 
 Quartermaster Ocncral. 
 
 The Chairman. What action wa.s taken on that General? 
 
 Gen. S'HARPB. It was disapproved. 
 
 The Chairman. By whom, the Chief of Staff? 
 
 Gen. Shaepe. By the Acting Chief of Staff. 
 
 The Chairman. Who was acting at that time? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Gen. Biddle. 
 
 Mr. Jambs. What was the date that Senator Chamberlain made 
 his speech in which he said that the bureaus of the War Department 
 had ceased to function? 
 
 The Chairman. That was January 30, 1918. 
 
 Mr. James. Was the Quartermaster's Department one of those to 
 whom he referred ? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. When was that, January 3? 
 
 The Chairman. January 30. 
 
 Mr. James. I should judge from your testimony that if your de- 
 partment had not exactly ceased to function but had not functioned 
 the way it should, it was because practically all the recommendations 
 that you made to the Chief of Staff had been turned down ? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. I think so, sir. But we were never asked those ques- 
 tions before any committee that we ever went before. 
 
 Mr. James. Then the blame, so far as your department is concerned, 
 did not lie at your door but at the door of somebody else? 
 
on4 
 
 Aimv IJEOUGANl/ATIOX. 
 
 Ueii. SiiAui'E. I llijiik so. 
 
 The OhaikjiaiN'. AVell, lliis fonunittet', the Committee on Military 
 Affairs of the House, never took up these matters during the war. 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. No, sir. 
 
 The Chairman. And therefore there was no opportunity for you 
 to explain the matter. 
 
 Gen. S'HARPE. No, sir. 
 
 The Chairman. And this, of course, is really the first chance you 
 have had to give an explanation of the workings of the Quartermas- 
 ter's Department before you were finally out of it? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes, sir ; exactly, Mr. Chairman. 
 
 The Chairman. Well, we are glad that you had the opportunity, 
 and we are very much interested in the testimony you are giving. 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Mr. Chairman, I am not bringing this up with any 
 personal motives at all. How this affects me does not matter, but I 
 imagine the committee Avants to get some facts to aid them in new 
 legislation, because it has been stated that this new legislation is 
 predicated on the assumption that some of the departments had 
 failed. Now, I think that it is just as well for the committee to know 
 the facts and to judge whether they failed; that is the only reason 
 I am giving you these facts, as I have never before been asked the 
 questions which would lead up to the facts. The questions I was 
 asked before the committee were simply about shortage of some 
 clothing, or the weight of the cloth. 
 
 The Chairman. Well, we are very glad to get all the facts. Gen- 
 eral. 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Now I can finish the account relating to the appoint- 
 ment of leather inspectors, if you would like. 
 
 The Chairman. We would like to have it. 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. It was disapproved by the Acting Chief of Staff, 
 and I explained to him that I did not require his authority to employ 
 civilians. As I expressed it in a rather exaggerated way, I said: 
 "I can employ 125,000,000 civilians if I want to." That was the 
 amount of money that was to be expended. I said: "I can employ 
 125,000,000 if I want to without your authority, but they are inef- 
 ficient, as shown by Capt. Goetz's report ; and furthermore I can't get 
 any of these inspecting organizations to do anything more than to 
 give me a receipt for the money which I pay them for services which 
 have no value, as they have no experts to put on the work and they 
 don't even employ a detective to see that the men that they do assign 
 to the work are honest and competent. They only give you a cer- 
 tificate that they have inspected this property, and there is no finan- 
 cial responsibility about it." But what I wanted was a trace which 
 when it was out on the firing line or taking supplies up to the firing 
 line would not break, and the only way I could get it was by having 
 men that I knew would see that it was properly made. 
 
 Later on while I was on the War Council I received a memoran- 
 dum from the Secretary in which he said that a Member of Congress 
 had called on him and had seen Capt. Goetz — Mr. Goetz, as he said — 
 and said that he desired to commission a number of men for leather 
 inspectors, and he asked me why approval had not been given of the 
 request which I made for the appointment of these men. I made a 
 memorandum to the Secretary and explained to him why, and he then 
 sent it to the War Council, and the War Council passed it at once 
 
AUMV lilOOnOANI/ATIOX. 
 
 GG5 
 
 and the authorily lo commission 51 officers as leatlier inspectors was 
 gi"anted. 
 
 The Chairman. And was your statement to the Secretary of War 
 put into writing? 
 
 Gen. Sharpb. Oh, yes; but I haven't it here. These are just data, 
 just memorandum which I made. 
 
 The Chairman. Would you object to putting them into the 
 hearing ? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Mr. Kahn, those memoranda are usually held to be 
 confidential, and I could not insert them. I made a statement to 
 the Secretary of what was done, and he asked me why the appoint- 
 ments had not been made from the 3,000 officers, and I explained to 
 him ; then he sent the matter to the War Council, and the War Coun- 
 cil at once recommended the appointment of the officers. But those 
 memoranda to the Secretary are usually considered confidential. 
 
 Now, I would like, Mr. Chairman, to simply make a comparison. 
 On the 23d day of January this memorandum was sent by the Acting 
 Quartermaster General to the Chief of Staff. 
 
 The Chairman. The 23d of January, 1918? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes, sir. [Reading:] 
 
 Wak Department, 
 Office of the Quaeteemastee General, 
 
 Washington, January 23, 1018. 
 Memorandum : 
 0. Q. M. G. to the Chief of Staff. 
 
 1. The oiBce of the depot quartermaster, JefEersonviUe, Ind., will be re- 
 quired to inspect approximately 120,000 escort wagons, 20,000 ration carts, 
 20,000 water carts, 5,000 medical carts, 2.5,000 limbered combat wagons, and 
 the necessary spare parts for these vehicles. Repeated experiences with 
 civilian Inspectors and officers already commissioned in the Quartermaster 
 Corps have been unsuccessful and have demonstrated the impossibility of prop- 
 erly safeguarding the interests of the Government by the inspecting personnel 
 now availahle. 
 
 2. The depot quartermaster at Jeffersonville, Ind., has asked, therefore, tliat 
 certain vehicle experts, who are willing to serve the Government from patri- 
 otic motives, be commissioned for this purpose, and it is recommended that the 
 necessary authority be granted to commission in the Quartermaster Corps, 
 National Army, 1 major, 10 captains, 10 first lieutenants, and 10 second lieu- 
 tenants without examination except as to physical fitness for the performance 
 of this work. 
 
 3. Before recommending them for commission, the qualifications of those who 
 volunteer for this duty will be fully established by comi)etent ofiicers of this corps. 
 
 4. It is considered necessary that those commissioned be called to active duty 
 without delay, and assigned to the depot quartermaster, Jeffersonville, Ind., as 
 his assistants. 
 
 Geo. W. Goethals, 
 Acting Quartermaster General. 
 Januaey 26, 1918. 
 Approved. 
 By order of the Secretary of War : 
 
 Wm. S. Geaves, 
 Colonel, General Staff. 
 Assistant to Acting Chief of Staff. 
 
 That is dated January 23. On the 26th it was approved by order 
 of the Secretary of War, signed by William S. Graves, colonel, Gen- 
 eral Staff, assistant to Acting Chief of Staff. 
 
 I would like also to call attention to the fact, Mr. Chairman, about 
 the same matter of personnel; we were instructed that we could not 
 
tiOG 
 
 ARMY REORGANIZATION. 
 
 assign any more officers to duty in the office. The work, as I tell you, 
 \\'as cro-^vding ; Me were working two shifts ; we had broken down in 
 health Ave of the officers. You can't work on administrative work 
 from 9 o'clock in the morning until 12 o'clock at night, day after 
 day, and if you are going to have the officers simply come in and 
 sign the mails, they are nothing but rubber stamps. Therefore I 
 tried to get those men appointed who were familiar with the work, 
 to assign them to duty in the office. I also tried to All as many as I 
 could of the places of those who had gone abroad. There was one 
 officer, now Col. Logan, and then major, who was abroad, and when 
 I put in an application to have an officer detailed there, my attention 
 was called to the fact that I was exceeding the number that I was 
 authorized to have in the office, and I replied that Maj. Logan, while 
 he was carried on duty in my office, was really in France, and had 
 been there since the commencement of the war. Finally I got some 
 one else in Maj. Logan's place. 
 
 The Chairman. How long did you have to wait? 
 
 Gen. SHARrE. Well, it took all the time necessary for that corre- 
 spondence, sir. I don't remember. It took considerable time; but 
 the action indicates the restrictions under which the Quartermaster's 
 Department labored at a critical time. 
 
 There was considerable difficulty in getting authority to establish 
 our remount system, and I ask the committee to call Col. Fair — John 
 S. Fair — who can give full information on the subject. I hope that 
 you gentlemen will appreciate this fact: I am not trying myself 
 to avoid telling you what I know; I only want to explain that I 
 would rather you get the matter in detail from first hand. I was 
 handling a business which I think was greater than any man has 
 handled in the country before. It amounted to over |4,000,000,000, 
 and it is impossible for any man to know all the details of such 
 business. If he does, he don't last long — I mean physically — and he 
 only can give Avhat attention he is able to and then be guided by 
 those men in whom he has confidence to report to him the facts, and 
 I think it is well worth while for the committee to call Col. Fair. 
 
 The Chairman. Can you give, in a brief outline, what the delays 
 were or the difficulties were with regard to the remount stations? 
 Then we could get the details from Col. Fair. 
 
 Gen. Sharpb. We submitted our original proposition. On the 
 26th of August the administrative personnel was recommended by 
 the Quartermaster General and approved by a committee of the 
 General Staff. This, however, was disapproved by the Secretary of 
 War until experience showed the necessity for the appointment of 
 these officers. After repeated requests by this office and a committee 
 of the Council of National Defense, this personnel was appointed on 
 October 12, 1917. 
 
 The Chairman. Two months after you had made the recommenda- 
 tion ? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes, sir; and we were having to buy horses all the 
 time. Until this personnel was appointed, no officers were available 
 for inspection trips to the remount depots, purchasing offices, and 
 so forth. Owing to the delay in the apj)ointment of this personnel, 
 great difficulty was experienced in the operating details of the re- 
 mount depots. 
 
AEMV KEOKGAXIZATION. 607 
 
 The application for the appointment of 17 captains, 17 flrst lieu- 
 tenants, and 17 second lieutenants for inspectors of leather was dis- 
 approved. I just gave you an account of that, Mr. Chairman. 
 
 Now, I would like to speak about another subject. It has some- 
 times been stated that we did not liave the motors on the other side. 
 I would like to say that that is no fault of the Quartermaster De- 
 partment. At the time the first expedition sailed there were to have 
 been shipped 184 motors with them. They sliipped a little over 100. 
 There were eighty-odd trucks left behind. We never had, all the 
 time I was in charge of the office, less than 84 ready for shipment, and 
 sometimes as high as 4,000. Gen. Drake and Col. Furlow can gi\e 
 you all of the data on that subject. 
 
 The Chaieman. General, when were you promoted to the organiza- 
 tion upstairs? 
 
 Gen. Sharpb. As Quartermaster General? 
 
 The Chairman. No; I mean the new organization that was formed, 
 the War Council. 
 
 Gen. SiiARPE. That Avas on December 20, and Gen. Goethals re- 
 lieved me on the 26th of December. 
 
 Mr. Dent. 1017? 
 
 Gen. Sharpb. Yes, sir. 
 
 The Chairman. Now, was there any statement made at the time 
 you were named as a member of the War Council as to why the pro- 
 motion, alleged, was made? 
 
 Gen. Si-iARPE. Yes, sir; I think it was not only alleged, but it was 
 intended, I think, as a very high compliment, if the matter had been 
 carried out in the way that the Secretary conceived it. I have got 
 the orders that were published about it. 
 
 The Chairman. You can put them in the hearing. 
 
 Gen. Shaepb. I think that you won't want them all, Mr. Kahn. 
 I can just answer your question in just a moment. I want to call 
 attention to this in General Order 160, December 20, 1917: 
 
 It shall be the duty of the War f'ovmcil to oversee and coordinate all matters 
 of supply of our field armies and the military relations between the armies in 
 the field and the War Department ; to initiate for consideration plans for the 
 more effective use of the military power of the Nation and to consider and make 
 recommendations concerning all matters referred to it by the Secretary of 
 War, or in his name by the Chief of Staff. 
 
 The order in full is as follows : 
 
 General Orders, ] War DEPARTitEXT, 
 
 No. 180 I Wasnington, December 20, 1!)1~. 
 
 1. There is hereby created a War Council within the War Department to 
 consist of the Chief of Staff; Maj. Gen. Henry G. Sharpe, the Quartermaster 
 General ; Maj. Gen. William Crozier, the Chief of Ordnance ; Maj. Gen. Erasmus 
 M. Weaver, the Chief of Coast Artillery ; Maj. Gen. Enoch H. Crowder, the 
 Judge Advocate General, and such other general officers as shall from time to 
 time be designated by the Secretary of War, all designations to said council 
 being subject to change from time to time. 
 
 2. It shall be the duty of the War Council to oversee and coordinate all 
 matters of supply of our field armies and tlie military relations between the 
 armies in the tield and the War Department ; to initiate for consideration plans 
 for the more effective use of the military power of the Nation and to consider 
 and make recommendations concerning all matters referred to it by the Secre- 
 tary of War, or in his name by the Chief of Staff. 
 
 3. At the instance of the War Council and upon orders and direction of the 
 Chief of Staff, the General Staff Corps, and all bureaus, corps, and departments 
 of the War Department and any and all officel-s therein shall make such studies, 
 
6G8 AUMY UEORGANIZATIOX. 
 
 investigations, and reports, prepare such plans, and perform such duties as may 
 be enjoined upon them by existing law. All requests for cooperation will be 
 communicated by the Chief of Staff. The deliberations of the council will be 
 formulated into recommendations to be submitted to the Secretary of War 
 through the Chief of Staff where matters of policy are involved. Where matters 
 of policy are not involved the Chief of Staff will direct the execution of such 
 recommendations of the council as he approves. 
 
 4. Members of the War Council shall devote their entire time to the work 
 devolving upon the council, except that the Judge Advocate General shall con- 
 tinue to exercise a supervisory relation to his present duty until it is shown 
 that this work as a member of the council requires modification of this excep- 
 tion. 
 
 5. The Secretary of War and the Assistant Secretary of War shall be mem- 
 bers ex officio of the War Council and shall preside at meeting of the council 
 when they are present. In the absence of both the Secretary and the Assistant 
 Secretary the Chief of Staff shall preside. 
 
 6. The War Council shall at once prepare for the approval of the Secretary 
 of War rules for its own action, providing stipulated meetings, the form of its 
 records and other details as shall be necessary in the premises. 
 
 7. Suitable accommodations will be provided for the War Council, and the 
 clerical assistance necessary to keep records of its proceedings will be fur- 
 nished. 
 
 8. Except as herein provided, while any bureau chief or officer otherwise 
 having specific duties is serving upon the War Council, his administrative 
 duties will be delegated to such acting chief or acting subordinate as the Sec- 
 retary of War shall designate ; and during such time, the entire administrative 
 power and responsibility of the bureau or subdepartment shall vest in such 
 acting chief. 
 
 (334, 8, A. G. O.) 
 
 By order of the Secretary of War : 
 
 John Biddle, 
 Major General, Acting Chief of Staff. 
 Ofiicial : 
 
 H. P. McCain, 
 
 The Adjutant General. 
 
 Mr. McKenzie. That certainly is a ponderous sounding name, 
 but what I am interested in is whether or not that council ever 
 functioned. 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. I think it did, sir. 
 
 The Chairman. How many members were there? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. There were about eight members; and once each 
 week, Mr. Schwab, Mr. Hurley, Mr. Baruch, Mr. Rietz, and the 
 Ship Control Committee, consisting of Mr. Franklin, Mr. Eaymond, 
 and Sir Cunnop Guthrie, met with the War Council 
 
 The Chairman (interposing). Did you have meetings daily? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Every day; yes, sir. 
 
 The Chairman. Were the recommendations of the council carried 
 into effect? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Usually; yes, sir. I think, Mr. Chairman, that Mr. 
 Day, Charles Day of Philadelphia, could give you a better idea 
 of the work of the council than anyone. He was a civilian member. 
 A member of the Shipping Board was also a member of the council. 
 The council did many very valuable things during the war, in my 
 opinion, sir. 
 
 The Chairman. Were the recommendations of the council gen- 
 erally approved by the Secretary of War and the Chief of Staff? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes, sir; they were at first. 
 
 The CiiAiRjiAX. They were at first? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. They Avere; yes, sir; the recommendations were, 
 
AUMi' KEOKOANIZATIOX. G69 
 
 Mr. McKenzie. Did that continue to function until the close of 
 the war? 
 
 Gen. Si-iARPE. No, sir; I wouldn't say that it did. The council 
 was discontinued, I think, some time in June or July of .1918. 
 
 The Ohaiuman. And what other organization in the War Depart- 
 ment began to take it over? 
 
 Gen. Sharpk. A branch of the General staff took it over. 
 
 The Chairman. By that time Gen. March had become Chief of 
 Staff? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Just a little before that. 
 
 The Chairman. He came over in February, as I recall it. 
 
 Gen. Sfiarpe. Yes, sir. 
 
 Mr. McKenzib. How were the officers disposed of then, General, 
 that were members of this council, after it dissolved? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. You see. Gen. Weaver had been retired. 
 
 The Chairman. He was Chief of Coast Artillery? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. He was Chief of Coast Artillery, so that his place 
 was not filled, and I told the Secretary — I requested other duties, 
 because in my opinion the council should be reorganized. In my 
 opinion the council had done and could do good work, and I be- 
 lieved that it should be reorganized and that it should consist of 
 civilians. 
 
 Mr. Jambs. What date was that? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. About the latter part of May, I think, sir, 1918. 
 Then I was assigned to duty at Charleston. 
 
 Mr. McKbnzie. Gen. Crozier was a member of that council, also ? 
 
 Gen. Sharps. Yes, sir. 
 
 Mr. McKenzie. Where was he assigned? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe, He was assigned to the command of the Northeast- 
 ern Department at Boston. He was retired in December. 
 
 Mr. McKenzie. General, I haven't been here all the time when 
 you have been testifying. Have you said whether or not you be- 
 lieved in this new plan of organization as set out in the proposed 
 bill? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. No, sir; I haven't touched on that. 
 
 Mr. McKenzie. Do you believe that it would be for the good of 
 the Army to consolidate all of the purchasing power in the Quar- 
 termaster Corps, with the exception of technical and special articles 
 for the various departments? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. I am a believer in a Supply Corps, Mr. McKenzie. 
 I believe in one supply department which purchases everything which 
 is used by more than one department. 
 
 Mr. McKenzie. In other words, you would create a new organiza- 
 tion to be known as the "Supply Corps"? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes, sir; I Avorked for that for a great many years. 
 And when the consolidation was made the '"Quartermaster Corps" 
 was created, which was nothing more than one aggrandized 
 Quartermaster Department. I think they lost sight of the very 
 purpose of the bill when the name was changed. It was done be- 
 cause they thought that it was a military designation. I don't think 
 it is necessary for a man to have a military title in order to function 
 properly in business concerning the Army. 
 
 Mr. ;McKenzie. Now, let me understand you, General. Would 
 you change the national defense act, which now provides for the 
 
C70 ARMY UEOKGAXIZATION. 
 
 different organizations in tlie Military Establishment by the creation 
 of a new one to be known as the Supply Corps ? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. I would, sir ; yes. I think a great deal of prejudice 
 against the Quartermaster Corps — and I believe there is prejudice — 
 is because it is regarded as an aggrandized Quartermaster Depart- 
 ment. 
 
 Mr. Dent. What sort of a department? 
 
 Gen. Shari'e. An aggrandized Quartermaster Department. 
 
 Mr. Kearns. Didn't a whole lot of trouble come about by the 
 fact that everything, practically, had been put into the Quarter- 
 master Department in the way of the business part of the Army, 
 and it had become so great that no one man could oversee it all? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. I think, Mr. Kearns, that the trouble came originally 
 because we had in the Quartermaster Corps a rank which they did 
 not have in the other departments. I think that was the real cause 
 of it. But that rank was given because of the responsibilities Avhich 
 were imposed. 
 
 Mr. Greene. When you say you would call it the "Supply Corps," 
 General, does that mean something with authority and foundation 
 separate and distinct from the Quartermaster Corps, or do you 
 mean you would obliterate the Quartermaster Corps? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. I would merge the Quartermaster Corps. I would 
 change the title and give it the duties of supply. 
 
 Mr. Greene. There wouldn't be two departments? 
 
 Gen. Sharps. No. 
 
 Mr. McKenzie. In other words, you would strike out the word 
 ''quartermaster" and insert the word "supply"? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes, sir; and then I would strike out in every one 
 of the appropriation bills the authority of other departments to buy 
 those things wliich were in common use by the two departments. 
 
 Mr. McKenzie. You would give them power to do that ? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. No, sir ; I would not. I would make the Quartermaster 
 Corps or the Supply Corps buy everything which is in common use by 
 two or more departments. 
 
 Mr. McKenzie. That is what I mean. 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. I would make a real supply department of it. 
 
 Mr. Miller. You spoke of going to Europe to investigate the sys- 
 tems of the British, German, and French armies, I think, in 1907? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes, sir. 
 
 Mr. Miller. Now, is the suggestion of yours, that you have made 
 just now, governed in any respect by your researches on that trip? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes, sir. There is no army in the world which does 
 not have practically that sort of an organization, and all those armies 
 are organized to maintain the national existence. 
 
 Mr. McKenzie. General, did you feel at any time that the Quar- 
 termaster Department had fallen down during the war? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. No, sir. 
 
 The Chairman. You feel that you did everything you could to 
 build up the organization to a war strength, or approximate war 
 strength, and the only thing that hindered you from accomplishing 
 your purpose in that direction was the fact that your recommenda- 
 tions were repeatedly turned by the Chief of Staff? 
 
 Gen. SiiAiM'K. Yes, sir; and we could not get the data about the 
 strength of the Army. And as an illustration, on September 11, 
 
ARMY KEOUGANIZATION. 671 
 
 1!)17, ii AViir ('Ollt'jio iiieinoriuulniii \v;is received in Avhicli it slmwed 
 that the strength of the Army in 1!)1S was to consist of 30 divisions, 
 and for I'JIS), 60 divisions, or ;>, 000,000. We made our estimates for 
 3,000,000 men. The estimates went in and they were very large. I 
 think the Quartermaster Corps alone amounted to over $5,000,000,000. 
 The Chief of Staff had .just returned from Europe about that time, 
 and we got a memorandum from the Secretary to submit new esti- 
 mates. The memorandum read : 
 
 The Secretary of War desires that you submit modified estimates based on 
 the assumption of l,-")00,000 men to be maintained in tlie Military Establishment 
 for 1919. 
 
 The Chairman. "What was the date of that? 
 
 Gen. Shaepe. October 10, 1917. 
 
 On October 22 another memorandum was received : 
 
 Referring to the memorandum dated October 19, the number of men called 
 for by the program of the Aviation Section, Signal Corps, in France is 11,941 
 officers and 112,24."! men. These should be in addition to the 1,500,000 men re- 
 ferred to in the memorandum of October 19. 
 
 That made our estimates then for 1,612,245 men, and at that time 
 there were more men under call than that, 1,640,000 odd. 
 
 The Chairman. That had already been called for? 
 
 Gen. S'haei'e. Yes, sir. I went down and explained that in addi- 
 tion to that fact there were some of these supplies that we could not 
 get, and we then got permission to make estimates for such supplies 
 as would take from three to six months to procure for 3,000,000 
 men — I think Mr. Dent will recall — the question came up as to why 
 we were estimating in that way, and the committee authorized Gen. 
 Goethals — ^I appeared before the committee and explained the esti- 
 mates, and Gen. Geothals requested authority to put in supplemental 
 estimates, so as to bring it up to 3,000,000. 
 
 Mr. Dent. They kept changing them all the time. 
 
 Gen. SHAErE. Yes, sir. Now I don't think, sir, that when anyone 
 would look into the facts they could say that the Quartermaster 
 Department had failed, and I think that is the thing you gentlemen 
 want to know when you come to legislate. 
 
 The Chairman. Y'^es. 
 
 Mr. McKenzib. One more question, General. At any time Avas 
 there a failure on the part of the Quartermaster Corps to have the 
 necessary supplies for the equipment of the troops that we had on 
 hand? What I mean by that is. General, the number that had been 
 really authorized, or the number that you had expected would be 
 called into the field under the law and under the call up to that time? 
 There has been some discussion and some charges have been made 
 that the Quartermaster Department fell down on having the sup- 
 plies to meet the occasion. 
 
 Gen. Shaepe. Well, Mr. McKenzie • 
 
 Mr. McKenzib (interposing). I had not felt that way about it, I 
 will say. 
 
 Gen. Sharpb. We were asked on March 13 what we could do, and 
 we told them we could take care of 1,000,000 men by December 31, 
 1917. It was decided later that they would call the men earlier, and 
 it was further understood that when they did call the men they 
 would send them to camp and drill them in civilian clothes. That 
 they never did. 
 
'>"- AinrY REonoAXizATroN. 
 
 Mr. De.nt. They did with some of them, didii'l they? 
 
 Gen. Shakpb. No. Ju fact, they made it impossible to do it, be- 
 cause I understand the Provost ^Marshal's instructions to the men 
 was not to take civilian clothes to camp with them. 
 
 The Chairman. They took their clothes with them, but they di- 
 vested themselves of their civilian clothes and somebody took charge 
 of them, as I recall it. 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. I understand they were told not to take them with 
 them. 
 
 The Chairman. They were probably told not to take them away 
 from the camp, but I saw a great many coming into the camps, and 
 they had their regular civilian clothes on. 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Because the outer clothing — they have to have that 
 on. I think the instructions of the Provost Marshal were that they 
 should take a very limited quantity. 
 
 The Chairman. Yes; that is very true. 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Well, if we were told to put them in camp with the 
 idea of drilling them, and that they would drill them in civilian 
 clothes, that throws a burden upon the department that we did not 
 expect, when they tell them not to take anything except for tem- 
 porary use. In consequence of that, as I say, we expected to have 
 them ready on the 31st of December. We would have had them 
 ready but for several other causes before that. There were 130,000 
 and odd men brought into the service over and above the number 
 that we were told to equip, and they couldn't see how calling a 
 man ahead of time affected our ability to supply on a given date. 
 
 The Chairman. You had made your contracts for delivery on cer- 
 tain dates; between the day when you made the contracts and the 
 olst of December, when the final deliveries were to be made? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes, sir. But there was another thing. Supposing 
 they were to call men for the 1st of September; why, any man you 
 call on the 1st of April has got to be clothed and has got to be shod, 
 and he is going to wear that clothing out before the 1st of Sep- 
 tember. Instead of providing one suit and one pair of shoes for 
 that man, the Government has got to have two or three. So it is 
 like asking a man to dinner; if you provide for dinner and then 
 ask him in to lunch also, you are going to be short. 
 
 The Chairman. Didn't this thing also occur? Take the First 
 Division; I think it went over in the end of June and got over in 
 London to parade on the 4th of July, as I remember it. Now, when 
 you send your divisions overseas they have a full field equipment; 
 every man had his one or two suits of clothing? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. And six months' reserve in addition. 
 
 The Chairman. Of course, you did not expect, as I remember, to 
 have those divisions sent over so early, and,, therefore, when you 
 fitted them out completely you took away from the clothing supply 
 that was intended for the men that were called to the cantonments? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Later on; yes, sir. Now, furthermore, Mr. Kahn, 
 it was understood that only one division was going over, until March 
 of 1918. There was only one division to go over, but as it was they 
 commenced shipping them all the time, and that took five or six 
 months' reserve for each one of those divisions. You can see how 
 it ate into the reserves when we were trying to accumulate and to 
 equip men called to camps. 
 
ARMY REOKGAXIZATIO.V. 673 
 
 The CiiAiRMAx. To equip the million odd men that yon were ex- 
 pecting ? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Then, you must remember, 130,000 men is not a 
 small number' to equip in addition to the number you have already. 
 
 Mr. Greene. What you are now testifying about, General, was 
 included in your testimony before the Senate committee during the 
 progress of the war, was it not? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes, sir. 
 
 Mr. Greene. It is there amplified and given more in detail. 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes, sir; and all of my recommendations are there 
 included. I made three or four or five reports to the Chief of Staff 
 as to the time that we could get these troops ready. 
 
 Mr. Greene. I suggest that for record purposes, because appar- 
 ently it is not the intent now to go over the same ground in such de- 
 tail, if you want to include reference to that particular testimony 
 when you come to review your own remarks here to-day, it will help 
 us if you supplement your evidence in that way. 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes; I will. 
 
 References : 
 
 Army appropriation bill, 1919 : Hearings before the Committee on Military 
 Affairs, House of Representatives, Sixty-iiftli Congress, second session, Decem- 
 ber 7, 1917, to February 8, 1918, volume 1, pages 631 to 764, inclusive. 
 
 Investigation of the War Department : Hearings before the Committee on 
 Military Affairs, United States Senate, Sixty-fifth Congress, second session, 
 December 18-29, 1917, part 2, pages 467 to 586 particularly, and pages 587 to 
 669, inclusive. 
 
 Another thing, Mr. Kahn, that I would like to mention, where I 
 think the Quartermaster Department is a little ahead of the game. 
 In August, 1917, the committee- of supply called me up and said 
 they were making negotiations for the purchase of cloth from a large 
 cloth manufacturer, and he wanted to know if he must limit de- 
 liveries up to the 30th of June, 1918. I said, "Can you get better 
 figures and better deliveries if you extend the time?" He said, 
 ''Yes; just a slight extension beyond that." "Well," I said, "you 
 can make the contract up to the 31st of December, 1918." He said, 
 "You haven't authority, have you?" I said, "No; I have not. It 
 is going way over into another fiscal year. We are buying them for 
 a year and a half. I haven't any authority, but I will let you do it 
 on this one contract. You just go ahead with that one contract and 
 I will submit the matter to the Secretary and tell you whether it will 
 apply to others." 
 
 I submitted the matter to the Secretary and he approved it, and we 
 bought all the clothing and everything up to the 31st of December, 
 1918. 
 
 Mr. Dent. As a matter of fact, on several occasions you antici- 
 pated authority from Congress in order to keep up with your work. 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Yes, sir. 
 
 Mr. Dent. I remember your talking with me about it at the time. 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Mr. Dent, you may recall that Ave had a deficiency 
 in 1916 amounting to |34,000,000, and the general deficiency bill 
 failed. We didn't get the urgent deficiency bill, and the general 
 deficiency bill also failed of passage on the 4th of March, 1917, but 
 we borrowed money from the appropriations for pay of the Army, 
 and paid for these supplies, with the consent of the Secretary — 
 totally in violation of the law and we might go to jail for it, but I 
 
(^"^i ARJfY REORGANIZAllON. 
 
 got 113,500,000 for that. Then when this bill did not pass I needed 
 that money to pay the men who were going to be mustered out of the 
 service. I went down one vSunday morning and I said to the Secre- 
 tary that 1 was in a hole; that we didn't have the money and couldn't 
 get it to make the transfer on tlie books, and he said, "You made a 
 memorandum to me about that. General." I said, "Yes, sir." 
 '■Well," he said, "I think I fully understood it." I said, "I hope 
 so, Mr. Secretary. When I asked you to let me violate the law I 
 hope I fully explained it." He said, "You fully explained it to me. 
 We were to borrow from the pay of Army and use it to pay for 
 supplies?" I said, "Yes, sir; it amounts to |13,000,000." He said, "I 
 signed two memoranda." I said, ''Y'es, sir." He said, "Where are 
 those?" I said, "Upstairs; and as soon as I finish this conversation 
 1 am going to destroy them." He said, "Why?" I said, "Because 
 I don't propose you be made the scapegoat." He said, "Xo, sir; I 
 approved that. It is my responsibility and I will not let you destroy 
 those memoranda." He then came up to the Capitol — I met him 
 here and several members of the Cabinet. 
 
 Several Senators spoke to me about it, showing that he had 
 spoken to them, and you gentlemen very kindly made the appro- 
 priations later. Then I went back and asked him to violate the 
 regulations so that we could get the money back, and we got it 
 back. The Secretary granted authority to us to issue voucliers so 
 that the public creditor could take and negotiate them at a bank 
 for a loan. It is not a duebill, but simply taking this voucher; 
 the law prohibits the issue of a duebill; but we did get some mil- 
 lions of dollars out in that way, and we got back the $13,500,000. 
 
 While we were talking about that Mr. Fitzgerald came into the 
 office on the 2d of April and wanted to know how much we owed 
 on that date. I said, ".134,000,000." He said, "I know all about 
 that. How much else?" I said, "Mr. Fitzgerald, up to the close 
 of business last night, for clothing alone we owed |235,000,000." 
 Well, he grabbed his hat and went out of the room, and I said, 
 "Hold on; I haven't told you all the story yet. I will get that 
 pretty close up to a billion before you get out of the office." 
 
 We had bought all sorts of things. Among other things we pro- 
 vided was the purchase of wool, and we bought wool in Boston 
 through a committee wdiich Ave had established there, and then we 
 negotiated to purchase from the English Government — I think it 
 amounted to about 70,000,000 pounds of wool — seventy or a hun- 
 dred, I have forgotten what it was, but a large purchase, and it 
 took a long time. The wool never got here while I was in charge 
 of the office, but we negotiated that purchase, and that saved a vei*y 
 critical situation with the shortage. We were running short in this 
 country because of the drain which had been made upon us by the 
 people abroad for their clothing. 
 
 Mr. McKbnzie. Is that all now. General? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. I would like to speak of one thing, Mr. McKenzie, 
 AA'hich I think this war has demonstrated, that you can not conduct 
 a department like the Quartermaster Department or Supply De- 
 partment, whatever you call it, on the detail system. It can't be 
 done, sir. As an illustration of -why it can't be done, in addition 
 to the difficulty of getting officers that I tell you about, we had 66 
 officers taken away from us in one night, and I never shall forget 
 
AUaiy REORGANIZATION. 675 
 
 the impression made upon me by Col. Dancy, of the British Army, 
 who came over here with Gen. Bridges's mission. He was one of 
 the officers connected with their intelligence bureau, and he re- 
 mained here on duty at the AVar College for some months, giving 
 instructions to our officers here. At a lunch which the Secretary 
 gave to Gen. Bridges and his officers I sat next to Col. Dancy at 
 the Army and Navy Club, and he asked me how our supply depart- 
 ments were recruited so far as personnel officers were concerned. 
 I told him of our detail system. That man is one of the cleverest 
 men that I ever met in my life, one of the best-informed men and 
 one of the brightest men I think I have ever seen. 
 
 The Chairman. He was over here with the British commission? 
 
 Gen. Sharpb. Yes, sir. He turned to me and looked in perfect 
 amazement, and said to me, "General, you Americans are said to 
 be the most eminently practical people on the face of the earth, 
 and don't you realize that this is a Avar of specialists and tech- 
 nicians?" I said, ''Don't blame us. Colonel, because we are not 
 responsible for this detail system, but that is the way the matter 
 is established." 
 
 Mr. Dent. Are you in favor of a permanent personnel clear down to 
 the bottom ? Where would you stop ? 
 
 Gen. Shaepe. Mr. Dent, I would stop^ — I would organize the de- 
 partment into two branches according to the way in which they have 
 to operate; one of procurement and the other of distribution and 
 issue. The procurement men should be men who would be in the 
 depots at all times; they should rank from colonels down to majors. 
 The distribution men should be detailed from the line of the Army, 
 and should take the supplies procured or manufactured by the other 
 branch and distribute or issue them. Now, in order to get the men 
 who are competent I would take them by competitive examinations, 
 officers who had served a detail from the line, and I would attract 
 them by giving them more rapid promotions than they do in the line. 
 1 would see to it that they were experts, by sending them to the dif- 
 ferent schools where they could obtain the best of technical training 
 and instruction. 
 
 What is the use of training a man at a textile school if you are 
 going to lose him in four years under the detail system? 
 
 We might have made use of Col. Hannay, who is an expert on 
 shoes and also on textiles, but we could not do it because he was 
 relieved from duty with the corps. 
 
 In the old Subsistence Department we had a course to which we 
 sent all of the permanent officers. They came here to Washington 
 and went to Dr. Wiley's bureau for a course in analysis of food. We 
 did not go into the quantitative analysis, but we did go into the 
 qualitative. I did not care how much of a foreign substance was in 
 some food material. If any was there it would be the basis of the 
 rejection of the proposal for the delivery of that kind of foods. 
 They also had training in the use of the microscope and the saccha- 
 rimeter. 
 
 Prom there we sent them out to Chicago where they learned the 
 meat business, and then to New York where they learned the large 
 purchasing business. Then they went through the school for bakers 
 and cooks, and that took about four years. 
 
676 ARMY KEORGANIZATION. 
 
 Now with the detail system we did not think it would be treating 
 the Government fairly to send a man through that training, and 
 furthermore we did not have the men available. But we did give 
 them training which sent them back to the line more qualified officers 
 than they were before, by sending them to the schools for bakers and 
 cooks, where they at least got enough knowledge to instruct their 
 own cooks and how to handle their own organization. 
 
 I believe that corps should be divided into two branches, one where 
 the officers are permanent, the other where they are detailed; and 
 the permanent men coming from competitive examination of the 
 detailed men. 
 
 There is no purchasing department of any army in the world that 
 has a detail system. None. They do not have it in France, they do 
 not have it in Germany, they do not have it in England to-day. 
 
 The Chairman. Would you recommend a short detail to the line 
 of the Army for the permanent officers in the corps just to become 
 familiar with the operations of the line? 
 
 Gen. Shaepe. Well, it might be nice as a vacation for them, Mr. 
 Kahn, but it is not much use to the man who has got; to buy textiles. 
 He can get all that from the man who is coming in from the detail as 
 to whether that particular cloth is a suitable one to be purchased. 
 1 really think you are wasting the time of a valuable trained man 
 in sending him off on work like that. I would rather send him to 
 another school to take another course in some textile work, or some- 
 thing like that. 
 
 The Chairman. Some factory perhaps? 
 
 Gen. Shaepe. Yes; and I believe in a corps like that you would 
 soon find that people on the outside were looking to our men as being 
 the experts. There is not any reason why you should not have men 
 in the Army who would be referred to on textile and leather if 
 you give them the same opportunity to get fairly rapid promotion or 
 to compensate them for the loss of the more favorable opportunities 
 they may have in civil life. They will stay if you give them some 
 reasonable ■ chance for promotion with the prospects for retirement 
 which they have, and things of that kind, which are a very great con- 
 sideration when you take them all together, as an offset to the greater 
 advantages which they have in civil life. 
 
 The Chairman. General, we are very much obliged to you, indeed. 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Gentlemen, I thank you. 
 
 Monday, October 13, 1919. 
 
 The Chairman. (len. Sharpe, I understand you desire to make a 
 further statement to the committee? 
 
 Gen. Sharpe. Mr. Chairman, I desire to amplify a question which 
 was asked me by Mr. McKenzie when I was before the committee 
 the other day, and I thought possibly there might be a desire to 
 ask some questions in connection with it. Mr. McKenzie's question 
 was whether I was of the opinion that the Quartermaster's Depart- 
 ment had failed. I \\'ould like to submit this in reply: 
 
 I maintain there was no evidence of failure of effective administra- 
 tion shown in the investigation of matters relating to pay, clothing, 
 transportation, construction of training camps and cantonments (for 
 
AKMY ItEOUGAXlZATlOX. 077 
 
 you must remember that at that time the Cantonment Division was 
 a part of the Quartermaster General's Office, and he had to submit 
 and explain the estimates), the supply of animals, harness, wagons 
 (to procure the necessary wood, to build which it Avas necessary to 
 have a force of men to cut the trees, and to have the wood seasoned 
 ill kilns built specially for the purpose) ; the supply of automobiles 
 and motor trucks, the latter subject involving the development of 
 the standard truck, which all qualified to speak of have declared to 
 be one of the most important achievements of the war ; and attention 
 is invited to the fact that the present organization of the Motor 
 Transport Corps follows practically lines which effort was made to 
 accomplish, and is now administered by the very offlcers who were 
 charged with those duties while in the Quartermaster's Corps; the 
 establishment of the qiiartermaster training school at Jacksonville, 
 which provided the offlcers and personnel to be sent abroad (several 
 thousand offlcers and over 70,000 men passed through that school) ; 
 the organization of the remount service together with the establish- 
 ment of (at that time) 22 remount depots; the organization of the 
 ice-plant companies erected abroad; the graves registration service 
 units for abroad ; the mechanical shop truck units ; the immense 
 quartermaster's mechanical repair shops, which made possible the 
 work of salvage and reclamation of the enormous amount of material 
 in France (there are three of these shops in this country — at Balti- 
 more, Atlanta, and San Antonio — a visit to one would show the 
 immense plant installed) ; the stevedore regiments; the labor com- 
 panies; the motor truck companies; the motor car companies; the 
 wagon companies; the pack train companies; the motor supply 
 companies; the supply companies; over 100 bakery companies with 
 their personnel and complete equipment, which companies produced 
 the bread so well received in Prance ; the establishment of 27 schools 
 for bakers and cooks, which provided the bakers needed in this 
 country and in France, Russia, and Italy, as well as the mess ser- 
 geants and trained cooks for the new organizations created in the 
 National Army; and it made it possible to handle the drafts, sub- 
 sequent to the first, by using the personnel then in the service; and 
 the arrangements for providing cooks and supplying hot meals to 
 the first draft upon reporting at the cantonments. 
 
 The foregoing organizations and activities were hardly touched 
 upon in the preliminary investigation, but reports from those who 
 have been abroad show that they were in successful operation over 
 there, and the records of the War Department will show that the 
 foundations for them were laid here in this country, and it is a fact 
 that many of these foundations were planned in the offlce of the 
 Quartermaster General, based upon study of the war in France, 
 many months before our coiintry declared war; and a further fact 
 that all the foundations referred to were constructed within six 
 months after we entered the war; foundations upon which all the 
 building was erected. 
 
 I believe it has been stated to the committee that the Quartermaster 
 General's Department had certain functions transferred from it. 
 That was done by orders at various times. About the 16th of Sep- 
 tember, 1917, the Chief of Stafl: submitted to me a memorandum of 
 a proposed form of an order, drawn by Gen. Bliss, which was to 
 140432— 19— PT 14 3 
 
078 
 
 ARMY KEOUGANIZATION. 
 
 effect another innovation in tlie Quartermaster General's Depart- 
 ment, and imder date of September 17, 1917, I submitted the follow- 
 ing memorandum for the Chief of Staff : 
 
 Septembee 17, 1917. 
 Memoraiidnm for the Chief of Staff : 
 
 The other day a memorandum prepared by Gen. Bliss and addressed to the 
 Chief of Staff, together with copy of suggested order, was shown to the Quar- 
 termaster General by the Chief of Staff. 
 
 The memorandum of Gen. Bliss suggested the advisability of establishing a 
 division in the Quartermaster General's Office known as the Storage Division, 
 which was to have charge of matters relating to storage and other features, 
 and recommended that Capt. Daly should be placed in charge of the division. 
 
 I desire to invite attention to the fact that the following instructions relating 
 to this department have been issvied at various times upon the recommendation 
 of Gen. Bliss : 
 
 First, The Cantonment Division was created and the officers and clerks re- 
 moved from this office ; 
 
 Second. The Division of Embarkation Service, and appointing an officer 
 from this corps in charge as an assistant chief of the division ; and 
 
 Third. Just recently, on instructions for the Acting Chief of Staff, the Secre- 
 tary of War directed a branch be established in this office for the purpose of 
 handling the distribution of stores to be shipped to the camps and tracing same, 
 and Col. Horton was placed in charge of this branch. 
 
 Now, the present memorandum contemplates establishing another division 
 and selects an officer to be placed in charge of it. I most earnestly protest 
 against the tendency to interfere with my responsibility by directing matters 
 of organization and administration in this office and assigning officers to 
 duties in my office. I feel particularly insistent upon this matter, as the rec- 
 ommendation is not made tiy an officer who is expert on the matters relating 
 to this office, or problems of supply, or matters of organization and administra- 
 tion, and fiirthermore, I will be held responsible for any deficiencies in the 
 work of this office dvie to interference by selecting officers and establishing 
 Branches and divisions in this office. 
 
 I desire to invite attention to the fact that there was no real reason for creat- 
 ing the Cantonment Division, as Col. Littell was given by me entire charge of 
 that matter. And the creation of that division, and the disruption of the 
 clerical forces df this office, has seriously interfered with the administration 
 of other work connected with construction and repair. 
 
 The Division for Embarkation Service takes from the office personnel an offi- 
 cer whose services are needed here, and as was explained at the time, this mat- 
 ter could be just as well handled by establishing a division within the office. 
 
 The creation of a branch to which Col. Horton was placed in charge is con- 
 sidered unnecessary for the reason that such a branch performing such duty 
 was already in existence in this office. 
 
 There is already a storage branch in this office and the necessity for establish- 
 ing a division is not seen, and the officer designated to have charge of this 
 division would relieve him from work he is now undertaking and which work 
 is absolutely necessary to the efficient management of the office. 
 
 Some of the other worls: it was intended that this division should perform is 
 now being handled by a branch in this office and a special officer has been 
 assigned to duty therein, to take charge of that branch. 
 
 Finally, the recommendation that this new division should see that the de- 
 centralization policy of the department is executed, must be construed, if the 
 effect of such is fully appreciated, as being a reflection upon the Quartermaster 
 General in having one of his subordinates report upon whether or not he is 
 doing his duty. 
 
 It is regretted that this memorandum must be submitted at this time, but it 
 is considered imperative because of the grave responsibility imposed by law 
 and regulations upon the Quartermaster General, especially in the present crisis. 
 He should be given adequate authority and his functions fully sustained, or 
 otherwise, with divided authority and some vital functions parceled out and 
 not under his direction and control, serious conseqviences are likely to result 
 for all of which he would be held responsible. If, therefore, the Quartermaster 
 General is to be held responsible for the management of his office, I recommend 
 that this memorandum of Gen. Bliss be disapproved. 
 
 Henry G. Shakpe, 
 Quartermaster General. 
 
ARMY REORGANIZATION. 679 
 
 The Chairman. I did not catch the date of that memorandum. 
 
 Gen. Shaepe. September 17, 1917. I would like to add in connec- 
 tion with that that the Chief of Staff told me to present the memoran- 
 dum to the Secretary of War, and when I presented the same the Sec- 
 retary said the order would not be issued ; and it was not issued. 
 
 The Chairman. Who was the Chief of Staff at that time? 
 
 Gen. Shaepe. Gen. Scott. He had been to Russia and had just re- 
 turned a day or two before he handed me this memorandum. 
 
 Mr. Dent. Was that the last order creating the branch under Col. 
 Horton, or the whole thing? 
 
 Gen. Shaepe. The last order created the division to be under Capt. 
 Daly — Col. Daly, who was here the other day — and related to storage. 
 
 Mr. Dent. Storage? 
 
 Gen. Shaepe. Storage, and to make a report as to whether or not 
 the decentralization policy of the Quartermaster Department was 
 carried out by the Quartermaster General. That is to say, a subordi- 
 nate was to make a report with reference to the activities of his chief. 
 
 The Chaieman. Had it been customary in the Army to issue such 
 instructions? 
 
 Gen. Shaepe. Never in my experience. 
 
 The Chaieman. You have been in the Army a good many years? 
 
 Gen. ShaPlPK. Forty-three years, now.