Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-01-11
Says Greatest Army Ever Raised Gathered in Record
 Time by U. S.
MILLION AND HALF
 MEN NOW UNDER ARMS
Secretary Furnishes Detailed State- ment of Activities of His Depart. - ment-AH Men at Front and On
 Way Fully Equipped.
(By Associated Prcss.l

Washington, Jan. 10.-Every pha e of the war department preparation for battle against Germany was out lined and defended by Secretary Baker today before the senate military com mttee. He answered those who have criticized the department during the committees investigation With the as tion that no army such as that now under the American flag ever had beer raised, equipped or trained so quickly, and that never before had such pro vision been made for the comfort and health of any army. The secretary read an exhaustive prepared statement when he took the stand and was not interrupted until it was concluded; then questions began to fly from every side of the committee table, launching cross examination that probably vii! continue all day tomorrow.
 Quiz Baker on Guns.
 Chairman Chamberlain and other committeeman wanted to know par ticularly about delays in furnishing machine guns and rifles, and much attention was devoted to the army supply purchasing system. MT. Baker admitted that there had been some mistakes and delays, but declared that all fighting men in France were ade- quately equipped and armed, and tfa1 all sent over would be. He took full responsibility for delay in approving a machine gun, holding that the value of the Browning gun, now developed was worth it. He also said that the l superior weapon made by having the Enfield rifle rechambered for Amer l ican ammunition compensated for the | delay there.
 :, Million and Half in Arms. More than l,500,0OO Americans now are under arms, and an army of sub- stantial size already is in France ready for active service. Members of the committee were frank in their dis approval of the secret purchasing sys- tenn of the department. Mir. Baker, however, insisted that it was essential to guard against making public plants working on orders for the department.
 Big Job Quickly Done.
 The secretary gave the committee an outline of the work of the depart ment and its various bureaus.
 "On the first day of April, 1917, the regular army" he said, "comprisad 5,7l9 officers and 121, ,797 enlisted men: the national guard in federal service approximately 3,733 officers and 76,713 enlisted men; and the re- Serve 4,O00 enlisted men. There were also at that time approximately 2,573 officers in the reserve, but as these were on inactive duty they can not properly be considered in estimating ttha. strength of the army of the United States at that time. On the Slst day of December, 1917. the reg ular army consisted of 10250 officers and 475,000- enlisted men; the national guard of 16,031 officers and 400,9O0 enlisted men; the nationoal army of 4So,OOO men; and the reserve of 74,576 ofhcers and 72,750 enlisted men. In other words in nine months the in- crease has been from 9,524 officers to i1O,856 officers, and from 202,510 men to 1,428,650 men.
 Six Times Army of '98.
 During the war with Spain, thf army of the United States with its
 mnaxlmum ma strength aggregated 272,'
 voo men and officers. The army now fn the field and in training, is, there .ore' roughly six times as great as the
 Haaximum number under arms in the
 Spalnish-American war.
 The total number already Tn tht
 !..:llltary service is one and a hal1 il;as IImes as largeSas any force ever mob
 iiized by this nation.
 A substantial part of our militry aorces was selected by the operation
 D1 draft law, the execution of which .,aS nas aoemonstrated both the economica
 Jnu J;o the efficient way of selecting sol