Evening star., 1918-01-12
|MR. BAKER OPPOSES
MUNITIONS DIRECTOR
Says Reorganization of War
Department Is Similar to
British System.
QUERIED BY SENATORS

Establishment of munitions director
in the United States was disapproved
today by Secretary Baker in testifying
before the Senate military committee,
who said the reorganization of the Wal
Department is virtually similar to the
British munitions purchasing system.
Secretary Baker came in for more
sharp cross-examination today at the
hands of the committee conducting the
war inquiry
| At the outset the committee demanded
to know what had been done about 1900
| while cantonments and camps needed
them for practice.
! Secretary Baker promised that they
| Immediately would be distributed and
Senator Weeks observed that the dis
tribution had been delayed a month.
i That is the essence of this whole
| thing" said Senator Weeks. There is
| delay, too much delay. Things that
should be done at once are delayed
when every day counts"
Mr.. Secretary" Chairman Chamber
lain broke in, your general statements
of conditions are all calculated to leave
the impression that all these matters
are really in good shape" The senator
cited reports of clothing shortages at
Camp Sherman and added:
THE effect on the country of your
statements is to lull it into a feeling
of security that everything has been
done that should have been done. l
don't think it has"
Country Will Feel Secure.
"I think the country is entitled to
feel secure" Mr.. Baker replied ear
nestly. When the facts are known the
country will feel secure"
Senator Hitchcock, another demo-
cratic member of the committee. said:
But, Mr.. Secretary, we have specific
testimony of exact clothing shortages.
while your testimony seems to contra
dict them completely"
Mr.. Baker said the shortage cited
might be Of final and not initial equip
ment.
'I agree with the chairman" contin-
ued Senator Hitchcock, that you seem
to have the impression that everything
is lovely, that there are no shortages
and that these reports are untustified'
Quite the contrary Mr.. Baker an
swered. '1 want to give the picture
coats and other clothing. But I think
the figures of shortages you have were
at the climax of the shortages. I think
the country ought to have knowledge
supplies have very much increased. Con-
dftions are not perfect. of course"
Chairman Finds Fault.
The fault I find" the chairman re-
Piled 'is that If Congress and the peo-
pie get the impression, which your gen.
eral statements give. that everything
is all right. they will believe that no
legislation to correct the departments
system is necessary, and from our tes-
timony I think it is necessary"
II must insist" said Mr.. Baker. that
entitled to reinsurance"
Mr.. Baker cited statistics of shortage
early in December and how supplies
had been increased during the month.
Mistakes in distribution and also in
furnishing correct sizes, he contended,
also contributed to shortages.
Senator Wadsworth insisted that the
War Department had developed, in the
Mexican border service. that shoe sizes
were not properly standardized.
Chairman Chamberlain declared san
| itary conditions and overcrowding of
, men, with lack of clothing. at Camp
Bowie were reported to the department
| in September and should have been
epidemics predicted by the camps COM
mander had followed in December.
Secretary Baker replied that his ad-
visors said no trouble in canvas hous-
ing of men was probable.
at turned out that the camps in which
there was the most sickness were the
canvass camps" said Mr.. Baker.
Senator Weeks said Maj. Gen. Greble.
Camp Bowie's commander, had reported
conditions to four high officers in the de-
partment.
Trouble With Department.
..That is the trouble with the depart
ment," Senator Hitchcock interjected. NO
body knows where to submit anything. be-
| ing shunted from pillar to post.
Senator Frelinghupsen asked if all
| clothing manufacturing facilities of the
country were used.
! ..The sweatshop system was prohibited
! from the beginning" Mr.. Baker replied,
| known Rochester, N. Y, factories were
| not used
Turning to cantonment health condi-
| tions, Secretary Baker conceded there
were complaints and differences of
/ opinion regarding architecture of hos
pitfalls.
| Senator Wadsworth said the Spartan
burg, S. c.. camps hospital was built
| with open roofs. like the Panama zone
| hospitals, and had to be rooted over
when near-zero weather came. Secre-
tary Baker replied that all hospitals
| had been built on plans recommended
lby Surgeon General Gorgas.
| Recent organization of the depart
ment and it's bureaus, especially the
ordnance bureau. was detailed by Sec
retary Baker. The old system, he said,
| imposed Impossible burdens of CO.
| ordination on the Secretary.
Questioned on 1915 Estimates.
| While on the stand yesterday after
noon Secretary Baker was asked by
Senator Wadsworth If. in view of the
war situation, he regarded the 1916
Army estimates too small. The Sec
retary replied:
| "In view Of what has happened since
lit would have been wiser for them to
have been much larger" He recalled
that Congress reduced some items:
/ Shouldn't Congress have been asked
to give more money!" demanded Sena-
, tor Wadsworth, pounding the table
Secretary Baker reiterated that events
would have justified larger appropria-
tions.
Did the War Department make any
Vigorous recommendations in 1916 for
increase of our whole Program asked
Mr.. Wadsworth. Secretary Baker re-
piled:
"As I see it now it would have been
better to have asked larger appropria-
tions. But in 1916 conditions were as
Iobvious to you as to u.s.
/ scarcely SO. You had the military
information" Senator Wadsworth re-
piled.
senator Hitchcock again brought up