Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-01-29

Nls or to deny delays or false starts.
~But," said he 81 think I can say
Nth confidence that in them we have
ought the remedy"
CALLS PUBLIC IMPATIENT.
The military committee abandoned
rs plan to begin the hearing in its
Dwn small committee room and ar
ranged to have it in large senate
office building room, where the lob
by and campaign contribution IN
vestigations we're held.
n do not know how fast it may be
necessary to send soldiers to France,
he said. II know how fast we sent them
md how fast we plan TO send them.
What we triedsto do was to get men
put as rapidly as we could estimate on
he production capacity of the country
being able to care for them
At the outset the secretary said he
thought much criticism came from i'm
patience of the American people TO
do this great thing greatly
He conceded freely that in great en-
terprises it was impossible that there
should not be delays and shortcom'
Ings. The confidence OF the country,
however, he said, was necessary TO
The tremendous effort.
"oNLY OCCASIONAL ERRORS"
The mistakes cited in Senator
Chamberlain speech, Secretary Ba-
ker declared, gave disproportionate
aspect. Without intent, he said, the
effect of the senator's speech was to
give the country the impression that
the deficiencies we're 'characterlstlc
0ther than occasional"
NO DENIAL OF COMPLAINTS.
That there are more than a million
men under arms in this country was
The declaration by Secretary Baker in
referring to the cases of ne elect of
sick soldiers and of the dead in camps,
cited by Senator Chamberlain.
"For one reason or another, the i'm
preston has gone out into the coun-
sry to some extent that the war de-
bartment has fallen down in the con-
duct of the war" said Secretary Ba-
ker. IT want to address myself to
that question.
"There are several reasons why
should ask the committee to hear me.
First. the country is entitled to know
II that is a fact. The country is en-
titled to know what this war is and
what the problems are and how we
are to meet them. Second, have a
deep sense Of duty to the officers and
The civilians that are laboring with
devotion, sacrifice and zeal and are
spending sleepless nights to bring this
army up to it's greatest efficiency and
success"
PRAISES ARMY OFFICERS.
Describing the spirit of army Off
GERS, Secretary Baker said he had
seen strong. grizzled men turn away
from their desks in tears" when they
had found that they could not go to
France, where the glory of their pro-
Iession lay" but must remain in
Washington to press forward prepare
lions. There was no case, he added,
Of any of1icer who had not accepted his
duty with his whole heart. Men OF
high places in civil life throughout
the country, he said, had come to
to accept salaries Of Of
ice boys, many for no salaries at all.
to place their experience at the dispos-
n Of the nation.
-x6aptlenen,'' j. said Me secretary,
spSa4dng with great earnestness, "it
would be a tragical thing if this mo-
mentous effort were to deserve the
comment that it had fallen down"
"EFFoRT IS TO LEARN"
The Impotence of the whole coun-
try to do this great thing greatly" he
said, probably inspired much Of the
criticism. Every one Of US wants to
see our country hit like man at the
I'VE look back over the past and
see that there have been shortcom-
lngs; that there have been delays.
There are things that could have been
done better. But our effort is to learn.
Il have no purpose to defend indi-
viduals or myself. If l discuss here
by name; if I refer to
General Crozier or General Sharpe or
it will be only to make it clear
that II any of us should figure in to-
morrow's casualties, it would be as
nothing beside the object we are seek
Ing.
WOULD SlFT COMPLAINTS.
RI am not here to deny any short
comings but l think l can say this:
That where we have found such short
comings or mistakes we have made
every effort to correct them. most
earnestly ask that when you have
pointed out to you any shortcomings,
it seem we'll founded or not,
you instantly refer it to me in order
that the processes of the department
may sift the truth
From Senator Chamberlain's speech
said Secretary Baker. it seem to him,
although it was not the senator's pur-
pose to make it SO appear, the coun-
try got an impression of the failures
and delays that made them "disprc-
portionate to what was going on
The secretary said there might be
''instance of shortcomings, but only
Instances"
DlscLAIMS FENCING TACTICS.
When he appeared previously, Mr..
Baker said, it twas with the intention
Of being frank" but despite this de-
sire, he seemed ito have left the feel
ing that l was fencing in defense of
some of my subordinates."
He denied any such intention and
said when he concluded, if there was
anything the committee desired to in
vestigate he would do everything pos
sible within his power to assist with
out fear or favor and to effect any