Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-12-04
Sec. Baker Explains
Continued from Page One)

atlVes by inaccurate reports in SOL
diers' private letters. He told in de-
tail of the publication plan under
which a telegram is sent immediate
ly to the next of kin before I, name is
put on the lists transmitted by mail
to the newspapers for simultaneous
publication throughout the country.
Has there been any unwarranted
delay on the other side?" asked SEN
ator Weeks.
Il don't feel free to say that" Mr.
Baker answered.
Has Gen. Pershing been asked to
expedite the reportS?"
Repeatedly; repeatedly"
There have been so many cases 1t
seems to me the system was ineff1-
cient." Senator Weeks observed.
The system at central headquarters
was too slow at the outset" Mr.. Bak-
er continued, but it has been i'm
proved. We had to choose between
speed and unreliable information and
a somewhat slower system but reli-
able. Whether we'vehad too much
time spent on reliability and accur-
acy is a question on which there
might be difference Of opinion"
Senator Hitchcock of Nebraska said
that soldiers mail had been lawfully"
delayed, and that there must be lit
orally shiploads of it held up. MI.
Baker disagreed, and also said he
doubted if statement by Senator
New Of Indiana that it took an aver
age Of ~ days to get answers to let
tiers to the department could be true.
Senator Johnson of California
asked what was holding up the names
of the men included in the total num-
Der announced.
Il don't know. Secretary Baker
answered. I'VE are getting them as
rapidly as the cables are able to carry
them. / think the major part of
those missing are of slightly wound
ed. and coming by mail.
u cabled General Pershing a sug-
gestion made to me by Mr.. Stone of
the Associated Press, to send the
deaths first and let the seriously
wounded follow and then the slightly
if his machinery was adapted to cable
the deaths first. He replied that
sending of wounded was not delaying
the lists of dead and that no speed
could be gotten by the process sug-
gested."
Senator Johnson asked how many
Americans had been in actual fight
ing up to the signing of the armis-
tice. Secretary Baker estimated $50 :
600 and General March addedathat it
was above that number, but some
what less than 1000 600"
General March also said unless rel
atives of Americans who had lost
their lives should request otherwise
all bodies of the American dead
would be brought home without legis-
lation by Congress. How soon the
transportation of bodies would begin,
he said, he could not state. e..
Obviously. he said. while active
fighting was in progress, reports OF
casualties were slow. He read teie-
grams exchanged between the depart
ment and General Pershing asst July
and August, after the heavy Ameri-
can losses in the Chateau Thierry
fighting which were delayed IN trans
mission.
In reply to orders from Secretary
Baker advising General Pershing that
the delay was creating a feeling OF
distrust' of the department, General
Pershing replied detailing difficulties
of securing and verifying casualty re-
ports and assuring that all possible
speed was being exercised.
General Pershing explained that
the troops were widely separated,
with some in British and French hos
pitfalls, that sometimes records were.
destroyed and that the field telegraph
wires were overburdened. He insisted