Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1918-05-08
BAKER ASKS NO
LIMIT ON men
SENT TO FRANCE.
Would Equip 100000 Troops
and Use Them as They
Are Needed.
APPEARS BEFORE HOUSE BODY
Secretary Requests United States
Forces Be Increased as Fast as
They Can Be Carried Over
To Amend Draft Law.

Washington, May "a colossal MILL
tary program was submitted by Sec
retary of War Baker to the house COM
mittee on military affairs. Here are
the principal features of the plan;
/. Expenditures on the army aggre-I
eating S13,OOO,000O in the next fiscal
wear. more than twice the total of this
years outlay.
2. Manufacture of artillery on stu
pendous scale, involving the immedi-
ate erection of enormous plants, the
whole outlay representing several bill
lion dollars.
3. Drafting of at least 100000 ad-
ditional registrants and as many more
as can be equipped and transported to
France, with the prospects favorable
TO maintaining an army OF 3,OOo,OOV
men in the field next year.
Washington, May 3.-SeQetary Ba-
ker at a hearing before the house MILL
tary affairs committee in confidential
session asked that congress grant I'M
limited power for the creation OF an
army of whatever size necessary for
the prosecution of the war.
He told the committee that it would
he ill-advised to restrict the number
of men to be utilized and that the size
of the army should be increased in the
discretion of the government, as trans
portion and equipment facilities war
rant.
To Ask Unlimited Power.
Secretary Baker indicated he would
submit proposed measure, probably
as an amendment to the draft law, to
grant the unlimited authority asked.
Under the existing draft law, as con-
strued by Chairman Dent of the mill
tary committee and others, there is au-
thority for the use of only l,OO0,OOO
men under draft. Mr.. Dent introduced
bill to authorize a draft total OF f.
100000 men, which, with volunteers al
ready in the service would make an
ultimate possible maximum strength
of 100000 men.
Baker is Questioned.
Secretary Baker was questioned by
the committee regarding his views to
increasing the draft age. He said he
was studying the subject and had
made no decision.
The house military committee will
Immediately resume consideration Of
the annual army Appropriation bill and
Secretary Bakers idea is that it shall
provide only for the number immedi-
ately foreseen.
100000 Men Planned.
Indications are that it will carry pro-
vision for equipment transportation
pay and other expenses of approx
mately 100000 men, as part not of a
specific program, but as q furtherance
of a blanket authority plan involving
the use of all or part of the funds ap-
propriated and supplemental appr0-
priations later on as their need may
become apparent.
Mr.. Dent announced in view Of the
war departments attitude that he was
ready to ask the house TO kill its vol
unteer credits amendment to the draft
quota resolution. The senate refused
to agree to the provision.
If the house recedes the draft quota
resolution will be ready to go to the
president for approval.
Baker Issues Statement.
Secretary Baker, at the conclusion
of the hearing, dictated this statement:
"The war department program was
presented to the house military COM
mittee this morning. 1t involved the
expediting of the training of men and
the increasing of the army as rapidly
as ability to equip and transport them
can be foreseen. The secretary of war
declined to discuss the numbers of the
proposed army, for the double reason
that any specific number implies q
limit, and the only point of limit is our
ability to equip and transport men,
which is constantly on the increase.
'The details of the estimates pro-
posed for the regular appropriation OF
191S-19 will be gone into with the COM
mittee beginning at ten o'clock tOmOr-
row morning. These estimates, when
approved by the committee and acted
upon by congress, will be supplemented
by subsequent appropriations as the
facilities for transportation and the
additional equipment increase"