Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-12-04
Senators Fail to Understand
Why When Fighting Ceased
November Il, Lists. Have
Not Been Received,
PERSHING URGED TO
SPEED UP REPORTS
Believed Large Number of I'm
reported Are of Men Slightly
Wounded Which Have Been
Sent By Mail.


Washington, Dec, Secretary
Baker, appearing before the senate
military committee today to explair
the delay in completing the publica
ton of American casualties overseas,
said he thought most OF the unreport-
ed names were those of men slightly
wounded and would come by mail
Senators were unable to understand
why only something over 100000
names have been published when it
had been officially announced that
the casualties number 262,693. The
secretary said every effort consistent
with accuracy was made to prevent
delay and that General Pershing Aad
been urged repeatedly to expedite his
lists, sending the names Of the dead
first
THE department from the begin
ning." said Mr. Baker has never
| held up, withheld or delayed giving
out casualty lists. Our policy has
been to give complete statement as
soon as possible"
March Says System Slow
| General March, chief of staff. and
Assistant Secretary Keppel were with
| the secretary Mr.. Keppel said the
/ system of obtaining and verifying
casualty reports in France had been
slow at first and ii it had to be done
over again II probably would be done
differently.
/ General March, discussing demo-
bilization, said General Pershing was
selecting units for the. occupational
force of about 1,250.0o0 men and that
| all the other American soldiers in
| France would be brought home as
/ yapiaiss IS shipping could be pro.
vided
Secretary Baker said many COM
! plants had been based upon misun-
derstanding
delay on the other side % asked Sena-
tor Weeks of Massachusetts,.
Il don't feel free to say that" Mr..
| Baker answered.
"Has General Pershing been asked
to expedite the reports?"
Repeatedly. repeatedly"
There have been so many cases 1t
seems to me the system was ineffi-
Client" Senator Weeks observed.
I'VE had 10 choose between speed
and unreliable information and a
somewhat slower system but reliable"
answered the secretary.
Denies Mail Delayed.
Senator Hitchcock of Nebraska said
that soldiers mail has been delayed
and that there must be ship loads of
1t held up. Mr. Baker disagreed
Senator Johnson of California ask
ed what was holding UP the names OF
men included in the total number al
ready announced.
II don't know why" Secretary
Baker answered. Were getting them
as rapidly as the cables are able to
carry them. think the major part
of those missing are of slightly
wounded and coming by mail
II cabled General Pershing a sug-
gestion made to me by Mr.. Stone OF
the Associated Press, to send the
deaths first and let the seriously
wounded follow and then the slightly
: wounded. ! asked General Pershing
1 il his machinery was adapted to cable
: the deaths first. He replied that
. sending of wounded was not delaying
I the lists of dead and that no speed
: could be gotten by the process sug'
S gestetd."
n Senator johnson asked how many
, Americans had been in actual fight.
:. ing up to the signing of the armistice
Secretary Baker estimated 10000
h and General March added that it wa:
above that number. but "somewha
9 less than 900, ,000."
: To Return Bodies.
= General March also said unless rel
, atiyes of Americans who have los
: their lives request otherwise all bodies
. of the American dead will be brough
: home, without legislation by congress
J, How soon the transportation of bodie
: will begin. General March said HI
" could not state.
!, Obviously, General March said
;, while active fighting was in progress
reports of casualties were slow.
Senator Hitchcock conceded tha
\ while fighting was in progress re
ports might be slow, added
but ii stopped November II. an,
9 still we don't know what has hap
pened"
General March replied that on No
n vember IL he cabled General Perish
y ing to send promptly complete tota
}, casualty summary of dead and miss
l. ing. General Pershing replied tina
's 1t would be done and a report of seri
e ousiy wounded would come withou
J. delaying reports on the dead an
e missing.
e Senator Hitchcock observed tha
n apparently 10000 casualties stil
were unreported. General Marc
n said. as Secretary Baker had. tina
ii most of these were slightly wounded
le Senator Frelinghuysen OF New Jer
h. sey, said that apparently the tota
1t American deaths were $4,000 and Q
-, ! 1890 ,rlu A 000 hayf llpap raunrtaf