Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-01-29
SECRETARY BAKERS STATEMENT

The candid and comprehensive statement, sy Sec-s-
,eary Baker cannot fail to make an excellcn, imrres~a1
on the country. With a franSncss entirely unusual il
connection With statements re!a:ins TO war preparations
he has taken not only the senate, but congress, the en-
tire country. and. for that matter. the entire world. into
the confidence Of the administration with reference 20
many matters which he could have avoided discussins
on the plea that military secrets were involved. and that
these could not properly be disclosed. He has some over
.thc ground from the beginning Of the war. no: only iron,
.thc time OF our participation. but in a measure from
tho time Of the outbreak in Europe. and has outlined
'thc conditions under which the allies were lahorins, and
those which existed at the time when we entered. He
has told not merely what was done With reference 20
many vital things, but has told why those things were
done. His statement touches so nearly the affairs Of
our allies that it is impossible to suppose that i. was
not issued in accordance With an understanding with
them. hence it may be understood as presenting no,
.alonc tho American side OF the case from the admins
;;'ration's point Of view, but as sivins in a way the Official
estimate OF many important features from The British
and the French standpoint.
The statement is full Of meat. and there is no POE
ton OF 1t which is not OF importance. OF the creates;
significance is the secrctarys unqualified statement tina;
tho United States will have half a million men in
France. fully armed and equipped. carly IN the p7cscn,
year. and that before the close OF the wear onc-and-a-
half million American soldiers. properly couippcd ror
7&e1SaCos Will q ready 1or duty IN France. and can he III
France II shipping is available to carry them there.
That is the first definite statement OF the intentions OF
our government in the matter Of sending troops to
Europe.
Tho purchase Of items OF ordnance eouipn,cn. from
Great Britain and France is presented in an entirely new
setting. The war department has been sharply crit
tctsed for 50 manasing matters that such purchases
were necessary. Tho theory on which this criticism has
been made is that Great Britain and France needed all
the guns and all the munitions tina, they could produce.
and that every item, supplied to the troops of the United
States deprived their own soldiers Of just that much
equipment. and impaired their own effectiveness to jus;
that extent. An explicit denial OF this is made by MIR.
Baker. who says that our troops were supplied out Of
the surplus OF our friends. and that i, was better tnat
they should he supplied in that manner than that the
needed munitions should he made here and carried
across the ocean when shipping was so badly needed for
other purposes On that showing the criticism falls 20
the ground.
Eut there is another feature here which is equally
Interesting in that it reveals a condition among our as
I socia'es which has not been generally understood. The
general statement has often been made that Groa, Brit
ain and France have caught up to the Germans and
passed thcn in the matter Of munitions. bu, tho state
!, incnt has usually rested there. we are now given to
ped with guns and munitions than are the Germans, eu;
!. that they have all OF these supplies that they cav use,
. and that further quantities are being made faster than
. they can be utilized. That is a decidedly satisfactory
2 condiacn 70 contemplate. for it indicates an abundance
: OF guns and ammunition for the British and French
! troops continuously. and an impcrtan, addition to our
3 own supply from sources across the ocean.
Thc statement is fun OF highly impcrtan, matter.
3 and we shat, be surprised If i, does no, result in q
] marked change of scatsnaen. toward the entire consuc,
q the war Its specific statements are in marked con-
A 4HUx4 TO The generalization in tho fornaer ,oys,,o,. sr
the secretary OF war. Il, is possible that some Of the in
fcFsnatson contained in the statement is of a character
0Af army men would have preferred withheld, s,in. it
= dsHkcult 10 see where the enemy can &c, any conafor,
1T ot Il It arpea.s rather, that the statement Al,
sArcash presents such excellent causes for optimism,
sAas a ssls be diseearasane To the enemy and Of add
syansase 70 US from that standpoint.