The Sentinel=record., 1917-12-19
BAKER ROUNDED UP
 NEW ORGANIZATION
IT IS HOPED UNDER THE NEW ORDER SPEEDING OF ARMY
 TWILL BE ACCOMPLISHED

l washington. Dec. lS.--SeCrctar, ! Baker today moved forward the or | ganization Of his newly created war
 council by relieving from their pres | ent duties three of the five officers
 assigned to that body. This will leave
 them free 10 devote all their time to
 the council s task of CO., ordinating all | war activities in such way that the | time heretofore believed to be neces-
 sary for the sending to France of an
 army of sufficient size to insure the defeat of Germany will be reduced
 materially.
 Mir. Baker announced that Major General George w. Goethals had been recalled 10 active duty and would be- come acting quartermaster general,
 releasing Major General Sharpe for service with the council.
 Major General Weaver will be re- lieved by Brigadier General Barrette, who becomes acting chief of oast ar tillery and Major General William Crozier by Brigadier Genral Charles Wheeler, who becomes acting chief Of ordnance.
 General Bliss, chief of staff, and Ma
 Jor General Crowder the other off cers on the council, will reain their present positions. tIe former as chief of staff and the latter as judge adyo- cate general and provost madshal gen eral
 General Bliss retires December 3l for age, but probably will continue on the ,ouncil Preparations being made today for the council indicated that General Crowder might be able to de- vote only smal part of his time here after 10 other duties Mir Baker de cided that other officers of the coun ell must be in the war department building itself and offices now occu- pied by General Cro2ier as chief of ordnance. probably will be used the
 ordnance bureau being transferred to another building.
 Mir. Baker indicated in his last war review that the Russian armistice has
 made it nee essary for the United States to accelerate it's war prepara- tion. The gap in the allied ranks va Cated by Russia must be filled prompt | ly. many officers here say, If the gen eral situation shall continue to show
 balance of actual as well as poten- 1 tial power in favor of the United | States and allies when the summer
 campaign reaches it's height in 1918 , Mem Ders of the house mission which participated in the war confer
 ence in Paris are believed to have | brought back a similar message Cen | eral Bliss is preparing a detailed re port for tle president and secretary
 and there is little doubt that his re- | port will lay stress on the need of
 haste in American preparation.
 It is generally believed that the 1 American representatives at the war
 conference made some definite state
 ment as to what the United States
 could and would do and how long 1t
 would take to do it. The new coun
 cil probably will undertake to make
 cetrain the delivery of whatever mill
 tary strength was pledged to the allies
 at that time
 | Secretary Baker would not discuss | today General Bliss successor as chief of staff Many reports as to who would be the new chief have been ! current in the war department, but
 the only public recognition Mir Baker
 has given them was to say that re
 cent report that General Pershing was
 to be recalled to fill the post lacked any foundation