The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-01-11
BAKER TURNS ON
CRITICS OF ARMY
Secretary of War Makes Detailed
Statement in Quiz of Senate
Committee.
1900, 900 MEN IN THE FIELD
Declares American Democracy Has
Neither BIundered Nor Hesitated,
but Has Organized Its Full
Power-CIaIms Speed Record.

washington, Jan 11.-America now
has in France an army Of ''substan-
tial' size, ready for active service, Sec
retary Baker told the senate war in
vestigating committee.
Arms Of the most modern and effec-
tive kind, he declares, have been pro-
vided for every soldier in France and
are available for every fighting man
who can be sent to France in 1913.
An army of nearly 100000 men, en-
listed and selected, is now in the field
or In training at home and abroad,
he said.
The subsistence of the army, he as
serted, has been above criticism, while
Its initial clothing supply, Temporal
rily inadequate, Is now substantially
complete.
War Departments Achievements.
In summing up the war depart
nent's work the secretary gave the
following as it's chief accomplish
ments:
Il. A large army Is in the field and
In training; so large that further in
crements to 1t can be adequately
equipped and trained as rapidly as
those already In training can be trans
ported.
"2. The army has been enlisted and
selected without serious dislocation
Of the industries Of the country.
"3. The training Of the army Is pro-
ceeding rapidly, and its spirit Is high.
Artillery, machine guns, automatic
rifles and small arms have been pro-
vided by manufacturers or purchased
for every soldier In France, and are
,, available for every soldier who can
be got to France In the year 1913.
~. A substantial army is already
In France, where both men and off,
GERS have been additionally and spe-
| cially trained and are ready for ac-
tive service.
80. Independent lines of communica-
ton and supply and vast storage and
| other facilities are IN process Of con-
struction in France.
"6. Great program for the manu-
facture Of additional equipment and
for the production Of new instruments
of war have been formulated"
Welcomes All Suggestions.
II make this statement" continued
the secretary, fully aware that there
have been produced before this COM
! mittee expressions Of doubt, differ
ences Of opinion and disapproval.
"My military associates and appre-
ciate the work this committee has
done, and value suggestions from the
committee, its individual members, and
every other patriotic citizen which will
enable us to carry on this work more
effectively and more rauidly.
"By the cooperation Of all interests
and all people the nation is now or
ganized and set to it's task with
unanimity of spirit and confidence In
it's powers. More has been done than
anybody dared to believe possible.
That there have been here and there
errors Of judgment and delays goes
without saying.
"The American people are entitled
to know Of the splendid effectiveness
with which they have been able to
organize the man power and the ma
terial power of the nation In a great
cause.
"Our army in France under Gen
eral Pershing and our allies, are enti-
| tied to have the benefit resulting from
| the depression Of the morale Of their
enemies which must come when the
Germans realize that the American
democracy has neither blundered nor
| hesitated.
Claims Speed Record.
mo army Of similar size in the his
tory of the world has been raised,
equipped or trained 80 quickly. No
such provision has ever been made for
the comfort, health. and general we'll
being Of an army.
During the war with Spain the
army Of the United States at its maxi
mum strength aggregated 272,OOO
men and officers. The army now in
the field and In training Is, therefore,
roughly six times as great as the max
imum number under arms in the Span
ish- American war. The total number
already in the military service Is one
and half times as large as any force
ever modified by this nation"