The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-12-15
Baker Tells of Army
and Part It Plays
'(Continued From First Page)

of individuals, nevertheless afford
springs Of collective action and in
SEPARATION for self-sacrifice as wide and
effective as they are spontaneous"
ARMY ON WAR FOOTING.
Mr.. Baker then turns to the method
by which the army was placed on
war footing. He shows that under its
full authorized strength the regular
army includes $4,000 officers and AGO.
900 men and that the war strength
contemplated by the national defense
act for the national guard was $4,000
officers and 100000 men. With the
million additional troops of the Sc
lected draft army added, these figures
furnish the army of 100000 men upon
which all original war estimates were
based.
The Secretary describes the drafting
of the National Guard which he says
responded with zeal and enthusiasm
to the call. He describes also the ex-
pansion of the regular army and re-
views the reasons which prompted the
government to go to selective con-
scription for the remainder of its
forces.
The report then touches briefly upon
the officers training camps, the con-
struction OF cantonments, with the
problems encountered and solved
through the cooperation Of the civil.
ian agencies created by the council
of National Defense, and goes into
some detail with various phases of the
cantonment question to show the
enormous size of the task. The build
ing of National Guard division camps
is similarly cited and Mr.. Baker dis
cusses at some length the work of
the training camps activities commits
sion organized to create wholesome
surroundings for the troops.
THE AVIATION PROGRAM.
The aviation program is touched
upon briefly and no additional infor-
nation is given. The engineer de-
partment and the part it played in
rushing technical ard to the Allies is
outlined and Secretary Baker renews
his recommendation for a more ade-
quate engineer school with a sugges-
ton that congress plan for both engi-
neers and ordnance education in a
broad and generous spirit in order to
create scientific agencies Of value in
peace or war and where graduates of
West Point would specialize The
suggestion is presented for future
consideration rather than immediate
action and no detailed plan is un-
folded.
Taking up the quartermaster prob
lens with the outbreak Of the. war
Mr.. Baker cites a few items Of what it
was found necessary to supply. They
include: Twenty million pairs of
Shoes 10000 600 blankets, $4,000 900
yards of flannel shifting, $4,000 900
yards of tenting. The work is being
done through the cooperation OF civ
.ilian agencies, the Secretary says and
adds:
1.-THE dollar-a-year man has been a
powerful aid, and when this struggle
is over, and country undertakes to take
stock of the assets which it found
ready to be used in the mobilization
of its power, large place will justly
be given to these men who, without
the distinction of title or rank, and
with no thought Of compensation.
brought experience, knowledge, and
trained ability to Washington in order
that they might serve with patriotic
fervor in an inconspicuous and self
sacrificing but indispenably helpful
way.
1.-THE problems of supply are not yet
solved; but they are in the course of
solution. Sound beginnings have been
made, and as the military effort OF the
country grows the arrangements per-
fected and organizations created will
expand to meet It."