Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-12-05
BAKER DELAYS FULL
ORGANIZATION PLAN
War Secretary Admits Report TO
Congress Announcing Complete
outline IL Stlll Incomplete.
MEUSE IS OUR ACHIEVEMENT
In Brief War Recital Winning Of
Battle on River Il Given As Our
Greatest War Achievement.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4. - The
question ~ permanent organization
of the army has been deferred Tor
consideration after the close or mo
peace conference. secretary Baker'
in his annual report made public to-
night says this course IL determined
upon since the military needs OF the
United States cannot be prudentlI
assessed until that conference Shali
have determined tho future .nterna-
toual relations Of the world
For temporary purposes, how
ever Mr.. Baker announces that nc
will lay before congress "a plan OF
FOR the regular army
which shall continue at tn" nucleus
of any future military establish
ment."
The secretary also indicates his In
tcntiOn to press for perpetuatlon by
law Of the strong general starr or
ganiZatiun built up during the war.
Il have rcfrnined In this report
MIR. Baker says, from making specit-
ic recommendation for future leg
islation for two years. In tho first
place, the signing NJ the arn,hucc
has not formally closed the war. We
have at present a great military ts-
tahlishmcnt which can not be i'm
mcdiately dissolved, and the re ivi-
ties OF the department for some i.me
AZ least must he concerned with what
We have In the second place, the
peace conference II about TO asirm-
BILE and the military needs OF the
United states can not be prudently
assessed until that conference thaH
have determined the future Inter
80 - ~ NHnrlI Tha
department will present to the ron-
gress a plan for the maintenance OF
regular army which shall continue
az the nucleus OF any future military
establishment pending the time
when the experience through which
we have gone can he digested ant the
future needs OF the nation matIrely
considered.
Would Extend Training.
"In any case II Ia clear thht the
education of officers and a co lstant
study OF tho science OF warfare will
be ne" essary, and 1t - my hoTe that
the sreat military academy al West
Point cap De supplemented by an
enlarg omsnt and broadening OF the
special schools which are at present
organized but should bo made to
take on more the character ~ post
graduate courses and 10 develop and
train research specialists In the sew
eral arms This subject, however,
In one upon which casual comment
is not helpful and I refer to II only
because IL seems the one clear in
dication from our experience as TO
our future policy"
The story Of the American army's
pat I'm the war overseas Secretary
Baker leaves very largely 10 General
Pershing whose report covering OPP
erations up TO November 20, follow
ing the cessation OF hostilities, is
attached to that OF the secretary as
Is the report OF Chairman Fosdick OF
the commission on training camp &C
tiviti,,s.
IAN adequate account OF the ac-
tivities OF me department for the
year now ending can be written" Mr.,
Baker says, "only In the long reaches
OF historical inquiry when there will
be time and opportunity to examine
In detail not merely statistical ex-
hiblts which tell in numbers OF men
and guns what America did, but also
to apprise the contributions OF pa.
trlotlc zeal and service which came
from field and factory. from civilian
and soldier alike and which repre-
sent in their aggregate the life OF
the nation concentrated upon a sin
gle purpose
Mouse Our Glory.
In his BRIEF recital OF the events
Of the war Mr.. Baker selects the
battle Of the Meuse as from the
viewpoint of military strategy. Amer
teas greatest contribution to the
successful outcome Of the war" since
by that attack OF the American
armies the Sedan Mezleres railway,
the main artery of the German sup
ply system. was cut. The entire
available strength OF the American
army in France. 2S divisions, were
in line In the second week OF Octo-
ber he says. making yard by yard
progress against desperate enemy re-
sislance which finally was worn out,
"and on November / the American
troops broke through" The object
OF the drive the strategic conception
OF which included the British drive
at the northern end OF the railway
system and the French advance in
the center was accomplished on No
vcmbor when the Americans en-
tered the outskirts of Sedan to be
Joined there the next day by the
French.
"The meeting OF French and
American troops on this historic
spot" Mr., Baker says, "slgnallzed
the defeat Of the German arms, a
defeat as decisive and humillatlng
as that forced upon France A years
before at the same spot II there had
been questions before as to the &C.
CcptanCe of the armistice terms. the
allied advance eliminating In this
meeting at Sedan left no choice In
the matter