New-York tribune., 1918-05-10
Earlier Estimates

Mr.. Bakers sympathetic understand
ing Of difficulties, his unfailing patience
with the causes of delay, qualify him
to achieve distinction as a statesman.
He would make perhaps a memorable
Secretary of State, especially in this
Administration. But the Secretary of
War should be an impatient man, hav-
ing sudden way with difficulties and
a terrifying intolerance of delay.
Mr.. Bakers mind plays upon the
war. The mind of Secretary Of War
should act upon the war.
Mr.. Baker has never issued a pub
lie statement but to calm the public
mind by expatiating upon the miraculous
nature of things accomplished. He
keeps us comfortable. But we ought
not to want to be comfortable. We
want Secretary of War who will make
us uncomfortable Mr.. Bakers influ-
ence is soothing. The influence of the
Secretary Of War ought to be harassing.
War by it's nature is an uncomfortable
and harassing business.
His power to make US easy in our
minds is a strange, uncanny, dangerous
power of words. When he says, 81 am
glad to be able to say that the forecast
1 made in January has been surpassed"
meaning 100000 American troops sent off
to France, the country is enormously COM
forted. We put large headlines on the
news and begin to visualize a great
army overseas and forget fact which
has never been impressed upon our
consciousness, namely, that by sending
troops abroad at the present rate we
are creating problems which must be
dealt with heroically. We are sending
troops 5000 miles overseas from their
base without knowing for sure whether
we can sustain or replenish them prop
erly.
Mr.. Filene, speaking to the Mer-
chants Association of New York on
Tuesday, called it IAN adventure of
chivalry that in times other than these
would have been pronounced the work
of madmen."
1t Is necessary; therefore, it is not
mad; but the situation thereby created
requires to be acted upon not with re-
assuring words but with a mighty i'm
patience.
We believe that Mr.. Baker is tenn
peramentally unable either to deal ade-
quately with this situation or to COM
prehend it. He apparently is incapable
Of sharing the anxiety that is felt by
the representatives Of our allies. We
say this advisedly. He continues to be
reassuring and to apologize gently for
delays.
On Tuesday all the news dispatches
agreed that the House Military Com
mlttee were aghast at the disclosures
of delay in the gun programme. Mr..
Baker wished for time to investigate
the subject. On the following day he
dictated to the press the statement
that
EARLY manufacturers estimates as to
the production of the heavy type perhaps
were more optimistic than was justified.
The estimate Of the Ordnance DEPART
ment IN January has been met and is be-
ing met. Some of these heavy guns have
been produced, and there is every indica-
''oh OF forthcoming production in in
How vaguely reassuring The words
have certain fulness of effect. They
are satisfying. But on February 27 the
Official Bulletin said the War Depart
ment had authorized the following state
ment:
Production of the Colt-Browninp ma
chine gun, model of 1918, water cooled,
coll lad
chine gun will begin within a few weeks
in four factories ON a QUANTITY basis nv
machine process"
That was definitely reassurinp. Now
ehere is only every indication Of forth
coming production in increasing and
substantial numbers" to which is added
the unofficial threat that if the manu-
facturers do not do better the govern
ment itself will take over the lob!
Is 1t to be always a perfect answer
that earlier estimates were perhans too
opsimistic! have we any assurance that
later estimates are not also too on
timistic?
On the same page with Mr.. Bakers
reinsurance about machine guns we read
that Mr.. Stettinius has been CHARGED
with the task Of speeding up gun pro..
duction. For ten months Mr.. Baker
resisted the suggestion that the driving
powers Of Mr.. Stettinius be modified
He was as much scandalized at the
thought OF Wall Street person entering
the sacred precincts Of the War Depart
ment as Mr. Daniels had been at the