Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-15

the sending OF General PershinsS fol-
lowed bys a full division OF regular
! troops and contingent of marines ~
the first units. He describes alsa the
organization OF the Rainbow national
guard division (the Forty -second)
adding:
THE purpose OF this organization
was TO distribute the honor OF early
participation I'm the war over n wide
area and thus to satisfy in some part
the eageIness OF these state forces to
be permitted TO serve in Europe"
High tribute IL paid to the splendid
cooperation of the navy. by means OF
which these expeditionlry forces have
been safely transported and have been
enabled TO traverse without loss the
80 called danger zone" IL became
necessarily, Mr.. Baker says. ito build
up an elaborate transport system for
the expeditionary force with great
terminal facilities. both IN this coun-
try and In France and TO gather a
large surplus Of supplies on the other
side as a safeguard
This placed an added burden upon
the supply divisions Of the depart
ment,' he says. "and explains in part
some of the shortage. notably those
OF clothing. which have temporarily
embarrassed mobilization of troops at
home, EN- barrassrnents now happily
passed"
The arrangements made have re-
suited. Mr.. Baker continues, "in the
transporting Of an army to France
fully equipped. with adequate reserves
OF equipment and subsistence and with
these large quantities of transportation
appliances. pIotor vehicles. railroasi
construction supplies and animals, all
OF which are necessary for the main
tenance of effective operations of the
force.
Secretary Baker opens his report
with q review of the situation In Mex.
igo, which led up to the withdrawal
OF General Pershing,s commn and pays
a high compliment TO the self-restraint
and consideration of the American Of
fieers and soldiers, both on the border
and In M/ico.
Taking up the war with Germany
Sec -etary Baker describes fine spirit
OF service shown by the American peo-
Pile without distinction of age sex
or occupation"
Mr.. Baker then turns to the method
by which the army was placed on a
war footing. He shows that under its
fun authorized strength the regular
army includes 5000 officers and AGO.
coo men and that the war strength
contemplated by the national defense
act f1r the national guard was $4,000
officers and $4,000 men. With the
million additional troops of the Sc
lected draft army added, these figures
furnish the army of two million men
upon which all original war estimates
were based.
The secretary describes the drafting
of the national guard. which he says
responded with zeal 10 the call. He
los ga,lh Al he ,s.tg % 4 H.,
regular army and reviews the reasons
which prompted the government to go
to selective conscription for the re-
mainder of its forces.
The report then touches briefly
upon the officers training camps, the
construction of Cantonments, with the
problems encountered and solved thru
the cooperation of the civilian agen--
cies created by the council of ma
tional defense. and goes into some de-
tail with various phases of the can
tonment question to show the enor-
nous size of the task The building
OF national guard division camps is
cited and Mr.. Raker dis
cusses at some length the work of the
training camp activities commission
organized 10 create wholesome sur
ruundings for the troops.
The aviation program is touched
upon briefly and no additional infor-
nation Is given. The engineer de-
partment and the part II played in
technical aid to the allies is
outlined and Secretary Baker renews
his recommendation for a more ade-
quate engineer school with sugges-
ton that congress plan for both en-
gineer and ordnance education.
Taking up the quartermaster prob
lens with the outbreak of the war
Mr. Baker cites few items of what