New-York tribune., 1918-05-03
Baker Now Asks
$4,000, 100000
AS War Budget
Continued from page 1

about s13,000,oo0,0 ,0oG and the origi-
nal estimate of an army goes from
100000 men to 100000 men, with
permission to the President to add to
that number if the occasion calls for
more men and shipping can be pro-
duced for their transportation.
The request Of the Administration
for unlimited power to raise an army
of whatever size proved to be neces-
sary was based on two considerations.
men can be shipped to France, and
shipping is the one limiting factor. 1t
is now proving possible to ship men
much faster than was recently esti-
mated
This is. due to the British economies
in their shipping requirements and to
the saving in shipping that is involved
in the brigading of American troops
with British and French troops. The
present increased rapidity Of shipping
will be at least maintained during the
remaining ls months of this year, while
the present emergency resulting from
Germany's stupendous effort continues,
for the British promise to spare ships
for our soldiers for several months to
come.
For the future two elements of un-
certainty enter into the transportation
problem-how rapidly Mr.. Schwab may
be able to stimulate shipbuilding and
how greatly the efficiency of the ex-
isting shipping may be increased A
year ago no one in Washington had any
notion that American soldiers would by
this time be sent to France as fast as
they are going. 1t is equally i'm
possible to foresee the rate at which
they will be moving this time next
year. The Administration declines to
guess and asks authority to call for
them and move them as rapidly as it
can.
The other consideration is that the
Administration also feels no doubt that
an unlimited grant of power to raise an
army will have desirable moral effect
upon the Allies, upon Germany and
upon our own people. Congress, jeal-
the request Of the President. 1t does
not want to be what it is rapidly be-
coming, merely an appropriating body
But it is sure to yield.
The additions to the artillery pro-
gramme are of the highest Importance
for it is with regard to its past plans
that the War Department has been
most severely crlJlclSed. MO guns OF
all calibres from the French rs up are
to be called for. For the construction
of this artillery plants will have to be
built, and large part of the big ord
nance appropriation will go for the
erection of such plants. These new
guns will hardly begin to be available
before the middle of 1919. And they
will not come in great numbers before
the end of that year or the beginning
of 1920.
After appearing before the commit
tee the Secretary said he had discussed
draft quotas almost solely, saying that
he urged the committee to base quotas
on Glass l., without giving credits to
the states for voluntary enlistments
The original plan based quotas on
population. with credits for each state
for all enlistment to National GuarG
and regular army. Baker said that the
theory of Glass is that it is composed
Of men in the nation who are free
from dependents and not in industries
essential to war, and their drawing
first of all would not disturb the indus
trial portion of the country.
Regarding the amendment to the Sc