Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-02-16
4 MILLION AND 4 HAL.F
TROOPS READY FOR
FRANCE IN 1918
CONTINUED From Seventh PagcD

CONTINUED From Seventh Pagc)
"Alrcady you will find in your
further examination in to some Of
the bureau work of the department
that weapons whiGh were se.ected
and which we had started to manu-
facture, have been so far discarded !
- that people have forgotten the names
OF them almost, and new things sub
stitutcd in their place.
GREAT SPECIAL DEPARTMENTS
"This little group Of officers which
stayed here have built the great spec
ial departments of the army.
"rhc ordinance department starting
l think, with SO or 96 officers. has
now something like 1900 officers.
They have had to be specialized, and
that has had to go on cont cmporan-
Cously with this tremendous response
to the changing conditions on the
other side. 81
''ln the meantime when we started
into this war l think ii was common
~ 'hought throughout the country
that our contribution at the outset
might wei ! be financial and indus
trial. The industries Of this country
were largely devoted at that time to
the manufacture of war mat crialS for
our allies"
hNCEEDED ROOSEVELT'S
FIGURlIS.
a question brought out that Col.
Roosevelt was associate editor of
~ mi, >,.l,;
nerve be strained TO get 10000 to
100000 men to France in 1917"
Il am disclosing no secret" Score
tary Baker said, pausing, "when I
say that we exceeded that maximum
i'll 1917"
Senator Chamberlain asked if the
maximum had not been eXcccdcd by
August 1917.
mot the maximum, "replied Secre
tary Baker. "The minimum was ex
ceeded."
MEN AVAILABLE FOR FRANCE.
"Now, instead Of having $4,000 or
100000 mcn in i'runcc IN 1911. We
have MAJ y l.urc nnll than that in
France and instead Of SOC, 900 men
whom we could ship to Franco If
we could find any way to do it in 1913
we will have more than 100000 men
In France, early in 1913 and we have
available, if The transportation facil
tiles are available to us and the pros
pcct is not unpromising, 100000
who in 1918 can be shipped to France.
'Why,' asked Chairman Chamber
lain, have You not felt it proper to
let the pubic into your confidence
with reference to these things that
you arc telling now?"
GERMAN GOVERNMENT
MYST1FIED.
Secretary Baker replied that he
hesltated to do that. He referred to
statement by General Won linden.
burg to the effect that America was
advertising her intentions.
but isn't it a fact that Germany
has known all about this?" persisted
Senator Chamberlain.
No. replied Secretary Baker. The
German government is still mystifi-
cd regarding the number Of men now
nn france. They know what is doing
at the front but Germany is still
myStified regarding the number Of
men now in France"
Ills statement, Mr.. Baker added. !
was made on the basis Of the most
reliable confidential reports received
by the War Department. /,
WELCOME TO TROOPS IN FRANCE
II the whole regular American
army had been sent into battle at
once, Secretary Baker said, like Eng
lands 1T would have been DESTROYED.
IN eloquent words lie described how
France welcomed the first American
soldiers peasants kissing, he said,
the hens Of their coats.
"Of course" Mr.. Baker continued
they welcomed the British, but their
necd was not so great when the Brit
1sh went. or course they welcomed
the British but there were ties between
them and lis which there had NOT
been between them and the British
and so when our troops went there
was an instant and spontaneous rise
III the morable OF the French. but an
equally instant and spontaneous in
slstance that these soldiers who came
IRON America should continue TO
como in an unbroken stream.
SELECTIONS OF THE TROOPS,
And so we made the election. We
decided not to send the regular army
as a whole, but to send regular divi-
s1ons and National Guard divisions.
selected according to the state Of
thelr preparation, and keep back
mere some part Of our trained force
IN order that 1t might innoculate with
ats spirit and its training these raw
leV1es which we were training, and
one after another these divisions have
gone over until In France there IS a
flghtlng army, an army trained in
the essentials and In the beginning
or military discipline and PRACTICE, !
ana trained, seasoned fighters in this
Kind OF a war on the actual battle
Jrrhn t. koI~