The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-11-12
.PnOPAGAN9ISTS TaY
TO SCARE AMERICANS
Secretary Baker Gives Figures Dis
provinl: Stories OF Excessive Brit
fsh losses In Flanders Battles.

Washington. Nov. ii.--Another
phase Of pro German propaganda In
this country-that of trying to fright
en- the American peopis out of sup
porting the wsr---waa exposed today
In ~ clai quarters A, correspondence
waa N ace public between Secretary of
War lIaker and United States Senator
VIII nd salisbury. of Delaware, show
ing The workinsT Of ths system and
how ill-foundered In fact are the
aiarmist reports.
One stlfkinE feature OF the letters
Is the assertion of Secretary Baker
that the British losses in killed for
the period OF tie var--inciudins
those months where the British were
far under strength in artillery, while
the Germans were at the height of
their big gun power~-was only per
cent. with the winning Of artillery
prepond er snre by the allies the per-
cenfeB" Is now much lower, he as
serts. The letters follow:
Hon. Newton p. Baker,
Secrstary Of War,
Washington, ID. G.
MY Desr Mr.. Secretary:
Tho pro- German campaign TO dis
courage American patriotism by pes
slsmistic reports resa riding the dan
ger to orr soldiers in France seems
ia be very thoroughly organized. and
J ravs l'nen endeavoring to prove the
faisity o''" Some Of the many state
ms1ts have heard regarding the mill
tarv casualties Of the allies
"you are probably aware, NJ the rtr-
mo's thV have been started In diff
feront psrts OF the country regarding
the percentages OF deaths IN action
or from wounds among the soldiers
engaged on ths French and Belgian
frort.
NV dhtinct understanding Is that
since the F'rercs and British were BILE
to make relatively the same prepara-
tions for warffe as the Germans have
beer enansed In for generations the
percenteen of tksir cnsua tiles Is not
excessive and hess greatly decreased.
Il believe II would be a good thing
II the actual percentage could he
made public If you have reliable fig
ures showing what it In.
While the 0sI mans furnish for the
home consumption Of their national
ofi"'a' s'aternonir covering all mat
ters pertaining 10 tA1t war in the most
favorable w;v, they have certainly
not overlooked In this country. from
the reports which receive, the pos
sibilitv Of dir'oItraclng citizenu OF the
free countries Of the world from en-
counterinF duntera In the defense of
the rights which nre M ccssary to make
life worth living anywhere. The
smallest dh couraee,neats are with,
Pruss'an thorougIiness as carefully
"a M IA ~x,H ynx
NAV I AJAX you To P.ve me. as far
as proper. ear such public use as
NAV seem desirable. whatever infor-
nation YOU can gegtri ng the per
centage OF casualties due 60 military
service In the British forces engaged
on the wastern or other fronts l
have rece 7tlv uaed the figures riven
by the French government. through
NJ. Tardieu. and II seems to me sinn-
liar statement regarding the British
forces would he very enllgitening ana
absolutely disnrove the tualiciously
false statements given out by the pro-
German p~Hna ganda-
Yours very truly.
WILLARD SALISBURY"
Secretary Bakor's reply follows;
my Dear Sir: The rumors to
which you refer in your letter have
been called to my attention several
times in the pas, few weeks I have
ignored them because all OF us know
that the American peorle are not
children 70 be frightened out of the
path OF duty we have chosen, mere.
" for the reason that the duty 10
grim
las we take the place that is our
natural heritage I'm the war for world
liberty. II is inevitable that MANY Of
our sons and brothers will fall. How
heapy this sacrifice may be none OF
us can foretell,
II am unable to give you in actual
numbers the figures for which
ask. Up TO about June 1. the losses
of the British exped'tionarv forces in
deaths in action and deaths from
wounds were about per cent OF the
total of all the men sent to France
since the BEGINNING OF the war. II
may he added that the ratio of losses
Of this character today, because %
improved tactics and the swiftly
mounting allied superiority In the ar
tillery. Is less than seven 30 every
hundred men.
Cordialiy yours
NEWTON d. BAKER"