Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-28
.SECRETAR|ESLAY
CARDS ON TABLE
Give Impression to Correspon-
dents That United States Has
"Ace in the Hole"
DANIELS AND BAKER TALK
In Few Days Military Chiefs May
Make Statement to Amer
lean People.
DANIELS AND BAKER TALK

WASHINGTON. w July 27.-ReaSsur-
ances of the most startling character
were revealed to-day in conference to
newspaper correspondents by Secreta-
ries Daniels and Baker.
The men who have been covering
! these departments have for several
days been impressed with an indefinite
sort of pessimism. To-day the two
secretaries laid the cards on the table
or rather, they permitted the CORE
spondcnts to look over their shoulders
AS result. almost every correspondent
came away with this Impressions:
The United States has an ace in
the hole
SO striking are the hands which the
two combatant Cabinet officers are
holding that the correspondents made
tails. For the present this has been
refused.
MAY MAKE STATEMENT
TO AMERICAN PEOPLE
But conference of the military
chiefs will be held within a few days
and as a result the American people
may have set before them frank
statement of how their leaders have
prepared the way for them to go to
war.
This much can be said tonight:
Where many observers have looked
for the greatest difficulties, the mos,
remarkable progress has been made
Further preparations are on a scale
the completeness Of which has hitherto
only been hoped TO-.
The two secretaries permitted them
selves to be subjected to a searching
series of questions. To almost all they
gave frank answer with the injunc-
tion that their answers must not be
made public. To some questions they
refused to answer.
Secretary Baker made II plain tina,
no difficulties are expected in the mat
ter Of keeping our first 100000 men
recruited to the authorized strength.
Once the first and second increment,
of 100000 each are raised. under the
conscription act, Secretary Baker be.
lieves there is no statutary bar tc
going on with the conscription for
depot battaIions from which the gaps
in the first 100000 men will be filled
up.
That indicates the size of the prob.
lem the United States is facing. 1,
| means that the war chiefs are plan.
| ming for at least thre, years Of war
But the details of the plans as told
| to-day make it eviden. that the prep.
arations will be adequate.
Further. these details show thai
many more men will be in France
than have been counted on. and. at a
very much earlier date than has hith.
| erto been expected
ALL TIE EQUIPMENT
FOR MODERN WARFARE
They will go with all the equipment
needed for modern warfare. Mr. Baker
made this plain to-day. when he ex.
planned TO the correspondents. for in.
stance. that the item in the budget fol
over $4,000, 100000. labelled coast de.
fense armament" in reality means
heavy artillery.
We have stuck" said Mr.. Baker
Ito the old designations with regard
to ordnance. Coast defense armament
means everything bigger than a three
inch cannon"
He merely smiled when asked IL the
guns to be made with this money are
to be sent to France.
Thus, while all preparations are
being made for a life and death struE.
| gle. the war chiefs tank to-day as il
| they felt that our first blow would
| be so telling that the United States
will never have to so much further
| They do insist. however. that this frs,
blow will demand the maximum OF
| sacrifice and effort
AMERICAN FLAG FLIES
on LINER vATERLANU
| Late this evening Secretary Daniel.
permitted this much of the navy's
plans to be made public:
The American flag was to-day run III
on the great steamer Vaterland. She /!
ready for sea. 1t has been estimated
that she can carry 10000 troops. A
naval officer and crew went aboard
and ho:sted the ensign and the nav,
| commission pennant.
The secretary further announced
| that work on the restoration of The
| fifteen other nterncd German liner,
seized after the declaration Of war /.
rapidly proceeding. The work of re.
pairing the damage the Germans did
before they lost control of their ships
was begun several weeks ago unde,
| contract by the Shipping Board. The
| navy since then has taken the work
over and is rushing 1t to completion
under navy supervision.
This is all the secretary will permi,
to be made public of his plans and