Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1918-02-02
BAKER REPLIES
To WAR CRITICS;
BIG ARMY READY
100000 Troops viii Be in France
Early This Year.
100000 TO Go LATER
Secretary, in Reply to Charges, De-
cIares That Allies offered Guns
to U. S. to Save Ships For
Troops-Break All Records.

Troops-Break All Records.
Washington, Jan. 29.-Five hundred
thousand American troops in France
cary this year-and 100000 more
ready 10 go--fuliy equipped and with
the artillery to support them, this was
the answer Secretary Baker gave the
senate military committee 20 the
charge Of inehiciency and breakdown
In the military establishment.
As the climax of "a days explanation
Of all that the military establishment
had done, freely confessing faults and
impcrfections. in so vast an undertake
ing. hut maintaining chat ont of each
deficiency the remedy has been found.
the secretary of war disclosed what
hitherto has been guarded rs a milf
tary secret. and what the German pco-
pie little suspect
Will Be Shock to Kaiser.
This great fighting force, probably
little expected by the German general
staff itself will be composed Of the
men now with General PerShing. the
~ divisions Of troops now in canton
mcnts and camps in the United States
and ready to move. Secretary Baker
said, and by the next increments TO
be drawn and trained this spring I'M
der the selective service law.
Elemental equipment Of the men
from the United States is assured and
the artillery necessary to their sup
port win come from the British and
French governments, which have an
excess of ordnance that they have on
their own initiative offered 10 supply
the guns and save ships which would
be used for their transport.
Build Great Railway Systems.
Secretary Baker described how
great American railroad systems, one
GOO miles long. ports. terminals. sun
ply Warehouses and other facilities on
mn enormous scale have been built for
the army In France.
The secretary of war laid bare facts
regarding preparations FOR the Amer
lean army In France which have hith-
erto heen held as close military secrets
or widespread among few who have
enjoyed the confidence of government
officials.
The Plan for the War.
Leaning forward ana addressing the
senators earnestly. the secretary Of
war told story the German general
staff probably would have given much
to know long before. lie approached
the subject by departing from the an
swer to criticisms aud referring 10 IT
as the plan for the war"
81 think / understood Senator Cham
herlain felt there wasn't any plan.
said Secretary Baker.
Il don't know how the committee
and the country feel about It. hui :
want to say there is plan. It's the
only possible plan under the circum-
stances.
Mr.. Baker told Of the coming Of the
British and French missions. with Bal-
four and Jofre. These men were seen
in the halls of congress. hut few peo-
pie saw the stats of trained experts
they brought with them and who dis
tributed themselves through the war
department.
They were the most brilliant men
IN their armies" he said. EVERY
country has sent us that sort of ex-
perts."
Even rs these experts talked. Sec
rotary Baker said, the story they told
grew old. Weapons they had hclned
10 develop had become obsolete before
they could he gotten to the front.
Pershins is the Eyes"
This is moving picture" he said
ut WAS necessary that we have ewes
there to see and report and we sent
General Pershlng and the major part
of the trained personnel Of the army
that pitiful handful Of trained men. 4"
General Per>hIng now reports daily
IN cabiegramS that run into hundreds
and even thousands of words. he
added.
I'VE are using thc eyes there 10 keen
up to what they want us 20 do"
The startling progress of the war
IN the Development of munitions win
be shown he said. by the fact thar
weapons devised by American exnerfs
during the last few months have heen
discarded.
bhtn taking mp copy Of the Met