Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-01-18
BAKER WAR ISSUE;
PRESIDENT STANDS
SQUARELY BY HIM
But Senate Committee Loses
Confidence in Secre-
tary's Ability
PROBE NEXT

Eagle Bureau,
901 Colorado Building.
Washington, January 12-The chief
results of a three-days examination of
Secretary of War Baker by the Senate
Military Committee are:
/. That the Administration is fiatiy
against department. of munitions, and
that Bakers conduct of the War De-
partment has the Presidents fullest In
dorsement.
2. That Baker is far more optimis-
tic concerning The work of creating an
army than his Senatorial %inquisitors.
3. That Baker has proved himself
too clever a witness to be cornered or
even seriously worried.
A. That the Senate Military Com
mittee has less confidence in Bakers
ability to RUIZ the War Department sat
isfactorily than in the beginning.
Baker Now a War Issue
oH tDls u llOSb uli0oClNCo COlllllTn II
dation of every subordinate who has
been under fire, including those who
have been relieved of their regular jobs,
and by his general praise of everything
that his b en- accomplished, Secretary
Baker, in the minds of some members
of the committee, has succeeded in
making himself a war issue. Prior to
his testimony, such officers as General
Crozier and Sharpe were issues. But
the Secretary has now Endorsed their
work and accepted all responsibility,
although he has not put them back in
charge of there bureaus.
When Senator Weeks asks If Mr..
Baker was satisfied with The work of
Quartermss!er General Sharpe and
General Crozier, chief Of ordnance, the
Secretary replied:
Eyes, peri, city; under the circum-
stances, they did the best that pos
sibly could have been done.n
The three-day session with Baker
which has just ended proved to the
committee that the Secretary of War
was far too clever forthe Senators when
itcame to exchanges of questions and
answers, and yet the COMMITTEES was
not impressed by Mr.. Bakers array of
facts.
Secretary Leads In Clash of Wits
So far IS a contest of wits was con-
cerned, Mr.. Baker had all the best of
it. He smoked his panetela, crossed
his leg, titled bsck his chair and smiI-
ed genially duling most of his exam
ination. He was always alert and his
answers followed swiftly upon ques-
lions. His attitude toward the COM
mittee was frequently oae of indul-
gence. The Senators did rot think SO
Iadidly as the Secretary of War. He
proved himself to lie an admirable
f%encer, agile and tireless, with marked
ability to parry slow thrusts and
tiers. 1t was evident, too, that the COM
mittee members had not prepared
themselves very thoroughly to handle
such a witness.
It was apparent that time and again
Mr.. Baker irritated the com ni'tee ly
his quickness rather than dire ,tness.
His prepared statement in behalf of
the War Department, read on Thurs
DAY, had every appearance of-a s.long
and convincing document until he be-
gan to qualify and modify many parts
of it under cross-examination. Beyond
that statement the committee closed a
three-day examination without obtain
lug much information from the Secie-
tary of War.
Chamberlain No Match for Baker
Senator Chamberlain, chairman #
the committee, and a strong supporter
Of all Administration War measures,
got no more satisfaction out OF the Sec
rotary of War than did other men,
bers. He frequently made it plain
that he had little patience with Mr..
Bakers attitude on some matters. Sen
ator Chamberlain is the author of a bill
creating a munitions member Of the
Cabinet, and during today's examina-
ton of Mr.. Baker there developed in
the committee an obvious lack of con-
fidence in the plans of the Secretary Of
War for handling production problems.
The committee has leaned this, how
ever, that the Administration is stand
ing stoutly back of the War Secretary,
aud that the Secretary himself declines
RI admit fhat there have hem any Seri-