The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-02-09

Baker, the United States now has near
ly half a million men in France, and q
million and a half more who will be
ready to go whenever transportation is
provided. Which does not accord with
the opinion expressed by certain emil
nent Boches that the military power Of
America need give Germany no anx-
lety, because no great number of our
troops can be taken over to Europe.
Stimulated, perhaps, by the successful
attacks of allied aviators on Mann
helm and other German cities, the
kaiser's air forces made two big raids
on successive nights on London and
southeast England The bombs
dropped by the first expedition killed
AZ persons, mostly women and chill
dren, and all but one in the metropolis,
and injured considerable number.
The second bunch of raiders murdered
only two.
For the first time in months Paris
was raided by enemy aviators. They
attacked the city in considerable num-
bers and killed 20 persons and wound
ed 80.
Secretary Baker, at his own request,
appearing a second time before the
senate committee on military affairs,
made an address that created so excel
lent an impression that much of the
criticism of him and his management
OF the war department was silenced.
He spoke frankly and eloquently, no
LONGER seeking to. cover Up the faults
OF the bureaus, but asserting that his
critics had made it appear that spe-
cific cases were Characteristic Of gen.
eral conditions, which was not true,
and that every mistake discovered had
been rectiied and none Of them re-
peated. His explanation and defense
of most Of the criticized acts of his
department sounded convincing, and
he displayed no iii temper or animos-
ity.
The immediate result was an AMIGA
BILE conference between Secretary
Baker and Senator Chamberlain. The
senator assured the secretary the urg-
ing of the munitions director and war
cabinet bills was due only to patriotic
desire to help win the war and In
no way was intended to reflect on the
administration. Mr.. Baker finally
agreed to reconsider his objections to
the former measure, but asked that the
latter be shelved. It was believed that
If the position of munitions director is
created it will be filled by Mr.. Stettin-
ius, who already, in the reorganization.
has been made surveyor general Of
army supplies. His long experience
as purchasing agent for the entente
allies seems to fit him peculiarly for
the place.
The good results of the senate In
vestigation and of the general criti-
cism directed against some features
of the war departments management
are apparent daily and the improve
ment may go on until all the critics
are satisfied except those who hold
that protested pacifist is not the man
for secretary of war in war time.
IA
Secretary Lansing announced Wed
nesday that an agreement had been
arranged by the United States,
Great Britain and Canada providing
that subjects of each country In any
Of the others may return home within
sixty days for military service, and If
they do not they may be drafted where
they are.
The British and Canadian recruiting
missions in the United States, under
the command of competent and expert
enced officers who have all done their
bit at the 'front.' have been getting rea-
sonably good results In New York;
New England, Chicago, and many 9TH
er sections of the country, and they
will hail with joy such a pact as is
planned, for there are thousands of
British subjects in the United States
who only need to be pushed little in
order to get them into the armed serv-
ice of their country.
IA
Explosions and fires In plants that
are making war material continue to
be disgustingly frequent, despite the
efforts of the secret service to catch
the spies and agents responsible. One
of the worst of these occurrences was
great explosion in the naval torpedo
station at Newport News, Va. Another
was disastrous fire on oil barges that
threatened the big government ship
yard at Port Newark. Federal agents
believe many of these outrages are the
work Of pacifists who call themselves
Americans.