Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1918-01-29
100000 MEN ARE
READY FOR FRANCE
War Secretary Says Nearly
100000 Soldiers are
There Now
GREAT LINE OF
RAILWAYS BUILT

WASHINGTON. Jan. 9g--Fivo hun
dred thousand American troops Il
France early this year and 100000
more ready to so, fully equipped am
with the artillery ready TO supper
them This was the answer secreiar,
Baker yesterday gave the senak mill
larry committee 10 the charge Of in
efficiency and breakdown in the mill
larry establishment.
As the climax Of a days explanation
OF an that the military establishment
had done. freely confcssing faults an,
imperfeciions in so vast an undertake
ing, but maintaining that out Of eact
deficiency The remedy has been found
The Secretary Of War disclosed whal
hitherto has been guarded as a mill
tary secret and what the German poo
pla little suspect.
This great lighting force, probably
little expected by the German general
stan Itself, viii be composed Of On,
men now with General Pershing, the
hirty-two divisions Of troops now in
antonments and camps in the United
states and ready to move. Secretary
Baker said, and by the next increments
10 be drawn and trained this spring
under the selectivo service law.
Elemental equipment Of The men
from The United states is assured and
the artillery necessary to their support
will come from the British and French
Governments, which have such an ex-
cess o. ordnance that they have on
their own initiative offered 10 supply
me guns and save ships which would
be used for their transport
Tho Secretary Of War went even fur
Their and laid bare facts regarding
preparations for the American army Ia
France. which have hitherto been held
as close military secrets or whispered
among few who have enjoyed the
confidence of Government officials
Many Of the facts have been known
10 newspaper correspondents here in
the Capitol. but cooperating with the
Government under The voluntary GEN.
sorship. they have not until this time
been given to tho public by the nows-
papers.
Mr.. Baker described TO the committee
how the American army has built great
lines Of railroads, one of them GOO miles
long up TO its headquarters in France;
how parts and TERMINALS have been con-
structed to handle great quantities OF
supplies and equipment which the army
will need on the lighting line All This
has been done by Americans and since
General pershlngs troops landed last
June.
Leaning forward and addressing the
senators earnestly, The Secretary OF
War told a story the German General
staff probably would have given much
10 know long before He approached
Tho subject by departing from the an
sver 20 criticism and referring 20 IL as
"ihe plan for the war
] think / understand Senator Cham
berlain felt there wasn't any plan"
said Secretary Baker. Il don't know
how the committee and the country
feel about 10, hut want 10 say there is
a plan. It's the only possible plan UNI
der the circumstances.
1T must be remembered that this war
broke out In August 1919, and we went
into it in April, 1911 So that for two
and a half years IL had been going on.
10 was not as II an immediate plan could
bo made for the wars prosecution.
But we were coming into this war
which had been going on over two and
a half years in which all the military
capacity. the inventive genius and the
Industrial resources of these other
greatest Of countries had been engaged
on the problem Of what the war was
10 be.
"It was not for us TO decide the the
atre Of war. That theatre was in
France. u was not for MS to decide
The line Of communication. Il wao 5000
miles away with one end infested with
submarines. IL was not for us 20 decide
whether maneuvers in the open should
be attempted. Men already were IN the
trenches in a death grapple.
IN so far as I am personally con-
cerned, ! know what is ahead Of us. /
know what the American feeling about
This war Is. Everybody Is impatient 20
do as much as we can There will be
no division Of counsel, there will be all
the criticism there ought to be upon
SHORTCOMINGS and failures, there viii
be, so far as the War Department Is
concerned. a continuing effort az self
improvement and an hospitality toward
every suggestion for Improvement that
can come from the outside, but the net
result Is going TO be that a united and
cuun0ent American people, believing IN
themselves and in their institutions, are
going to demand and that at no late
day on European battlenelds, IN the
face Of veterans though they be. they
cannot excel us I'm achievement. and
when the victory IS won over there.
Mr. Chairman. the credit which will
come TO American enterprise and. 20
American determination and TO lanerlcar
courage will be q honor 10 us, as the
ienecity Of purpose and splendid
achievements Of the British and French
already shed great lustre on the names
of the great people"
cDMMHkITY SING Il We'll