Arizona republican., 1918-01-11

ammunition production facilities are being used.
 No" said Secretary Baker, but all will be when we need them.
 The arrangement to get British and French ammunition for artillery, he said, was safe as far as it goes.' But said principal reliance was placed on American sources.
 Speeding Productive
 When Senator Weeks again asked if he could suggest anything that would be helpful in speeding up ordnance production. Secretary Baker replied:
 T cant think of anything that your work will help. Whenever I've thought of anything I've done it. I'm up to date now
 Secretary Baker said he thought federal powder plant advisable
 Senator Chamberlain referred to the Du Pont offer to build and operate a plant at cost, but Secretary Baker ex- plained the offer was to build a plant for a commission of fifteen per cent and operate it for eighteen months. On lthe basis of a $90,000,000 investment he explained. the Du Fonts would have made a gross profit between $20, ,000,- 900 and s30,000,00O
 The powder supply is adequate for our present needs" Secretary Baker added.
 Senator New asked if there was any mistake in judgment when the Lusi- tania was sunk. in not beginning preparations for war.
 Tt would have been very wise, Bak- CT replied. If dozen years ago the ar1t h1 hoer,1,, arations.
 ITO be perfectly frank, with you, I think General CroZier is not entirely to blame In season and out. he has recommended ordnance expansion" Secretary Baker denied tha- the first American contingents sent abroad were not completely equipped. All contin- gents sent, he declared. have had ade- ouate. standard equipment except that recent contngents depend for auto matic rifles and artillery Of French sOGfces.
 Favors Big Program
 Senator Wadsworth askeI if the American artillery program is large enough.
 You never can have too much" Mr. Baker replied, "but the program fully engages the resources Of the country. Every country's artillery program has grown every month during the war
 Secretary Baker aSSented to Senator WadsWorths statement that the war was a competition Of industries and 1 that whichever produced the most ma ] terials and men would wear out the opposition.
 | Operations of the supply system of | the quartermaster general were taken lup. Secretary Baker pointed out that rover night we changed from a free land competitive market to one in which 1 the government was the monoro!iZing buyer"
 Some substitutions of materials were authorized Secretary Baker con i tinued. Manufacturers overestimated their own capacity. The early ais patch abroad of special forces, such as stevedores and railroad employees. cut into the early supplies gathered. There ] was a shortage of many articles, ia- E cluding overcoats, blouses, trousers and perhaps some others. They were fal E greater than we anticipated. Initia equipments now are substantially com- plete. and reserve supplies are being E secured
 The secretary said it had to be de- cided whether to call out more mer than could be readily equipped or cal out only those for whom equipment wa: ready.
 Continue Draft ' The course actually taken was tC reconcile these views, calling out the forces as rapidly as we could antici Ipate their equipment, and have had nc reason to change my opinion since, ha finua6 s'FHhn raSrrlt temporary shortage of a few weeks il some equipment such as overcoats but there was not, ill my judgment iany serious or continued shortage"
 Senator Mckellar asked what au thority of law there was for taking IaWay General Sharpe's purchasing powers
 Tn the first place he was the heaC of the army said MT. Baker.
 Tn the second place the law provided that the secretary could fix prices a he deemed best and l surrounded Gen eral Sharpe with expert advisers"
 The senator said witnesses had tes tified contracts aggregating S12S,000, ,00 had been let to firms with which sup Splies committee members are con snected
 q don't think that has been done,
 said MT. Baker. T have looked into i
 many times. No such thing has bee done"
 Regarding the system of civilia
 committee purchasing, getting me
 from the trade, Mir. Baker said i T don't think that is the very bes
 way to deal with these questions bu
 it was the only way at the outset. Sub
 stantially. it's stopped now. Ther
 never was any intention of continuin
 it indefinitely
 BIG BT,TZZARD TS