New-York tribune., 1918-01-12
Details of Rosy, View
Demanded of Baker

Mr.. Baker was asked by the commit
tee to inquire into the matter more
1ulIy and give the committee details
upon which the more rosy view of ma
chine gun prospects was based.
Just before this Mr.. Baker had been
testifying on the machine gun dehcien
cics and had said some time would have
been lost in fitting the Lewis gun fac
tories to make weapons that would
shoot American ammunition.
"But nothing like the delay that has
taken place in the case of the Browning
guns ?" asked Senator Hitchcock.
II think that is So" replied the Sec
retary. That was the nearest he came
to admitting that there had been any
unnecessary delay in regard to machine
guns. He, however, made out the delay
to be less than other witnesses had told
the committee it would be- He sur
prised the committee by saying that the
Browning guns would begin to be pro-
duced in quantity in March. Senator
Hitchcock said that he felt safe in say
ing on the basis of previous testimony
that the Browning guns would not be
used in quantity till 1919.
Secretary, Surprised,
Would Alter Date
Wouldn't you modify your statement
that the guns would come in quantity in
March," Senator Weeks asked Mr..
Baker. "if you know that the manu-
facturcrs themselves had testified be-
fore this committee that they would not
begin to get guns until April or Nav %
Mr.. Baker seemed surprised and said
he would.
The general manager of the Colt
Company had testified that his company
would begin" to have the Browning
guns in April. Another manufactured
{ had put the date as May. These two
concerns are about the onlv ones out.
side of the makers # tn Lewis guns
wkics have had any experience witt
manufacturing machine guns in this
country. The mystery Of the sudder
Improvement in the machine gun situa
ton will be cleared up when Mr.. Baker
takes the stand to- day.
he committee succeeded for n mo-
ment to-day in breaking in upon Mr.
Bakers testimony. They seized upon
his statement yesterday that "the in
itial rush needs of the army had been
supplied" MIR. Chamberlain wanted
to know how Mr. Baker could say that
in view of the conditions at the can.
tonments. Mr.. Baker said he was
thinking only of the men sent te
France. The Senator'S insisted that his
statement was likely to deceive the
country and create false impression
that conditions were better than they
were. Mr.. Baker maintained his posi-
tion that there was no camoufage
about his statement, but that "initia
rush needs" plainly referred to France
Senator Says Nation
Gets False Impression
Senator Wadsworth said, II dom.
agree with you. The words give the
country the impression that the situa.
tion is rosy, that everything is fine
Frankly | don't think it is. We are in
for the greatest crisis the nation has
ever known. The artillery programme
is not nearly big enough. Men 20 tc
France without knowing how to us,
rifles or artillery till they get there
| don't call that meeting rush needs.
That was the nearest the committee
came to confronting Mr.. Bakers gen.
era statements with the specific facts
The committee is tired of the in.
vestigation and wants to get through
There is no especially good cross-ex.
aminer on it. 1t labors under the dis.
advantage Of not knowing as much OF
the actual truth as the witness does