The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-01-16
BAKER EXPLAINS HIS
REORGANIZATION PLAN
Conflicting Needs OF Five Purchasing
Divisions Reconciled Through
Purchases Director.
TELLS OF PRACTICAL WORKINGS
Stage Set In Congress for Fight to
Establish New Department OF
Munitions. Not Deemed Necessary
by Administration.

Washington, Jan. 15.-With the
stage all set In congress for the fight
on the Chamberlain bill, creating n
separate department of munitions,
Secretary of War Baker tonight issued
a statement explaining the scheme of
reorganization recently effected BY
him with reference to purchase of
supplies and equipment. lie said in
part:
The five purchasing divisions OF
the department are co-ordinated and
their conflicting needs reconciled
through the dirc~sor OF purchases.
so far as the reorganization az
fccts the war department alone, the
plan affects chiefly the ordnance de-
partment and the department of the
quartermaster- general. In the ord
nance department. as soon as tbs
number of officers brought in from
civil life and trained to deal with ord
nance questions sufficiently well to per
nit 1t, a functional organization was
substituted for the old specialized
plan; that is TO say. instead of having
ii bureau to deal with small arms an
other dealing with guns, another deal
ing with explosives, the new plan has
a division of procurement, which
makes contracts for all kinds of sup
plies; a division Of production which
takes completed contracts, follows
through the factory. assures the gov
errment that proper progress is be
ing made and that deliveries will he
on time. The third subdivision, which
works concurrentlv with the produc-
ton division. inspects material in pro-
cess of manufacture and for accept
ance. and finally, when the material
has, been manufactured inspected and
accepted. ii is turned over 10 the stor-
age division. which. having a knowl-
edge OF dates or anticipated deliveries
has made provision for storage and
thereafter has the custody and dis
trihutfon of all ordnance supplies.
I'm the Quartermaster- generals de-
partment, the reorganization is pri-
marily for the purpose of dealing with
great storage and transportation prob
lens which apply TO all of the war
departments divisions. The acting
quartermaster-p general In addition to
the functions OF procurement and in
srectfon OF supplies. becomes the di-
rector of stora~n and traffic. and his
bureau liz reorEanized so as to bring
under his direction the whole ques-
ton of inland transportation storage
and overseas transportation for all war
department men and material This
urifies the whole question Of overseas
transportation and puts In single or
hcer the power and responsibility for
the balanced program of shipping and
for the full maintenance Of equipment
and supplies for men both overseas
and in the camps at home"
The war Industries board, the sec
retary's statement showed is intend
ed as clearing house for all conflict
arising among the several Departments
OF the government buying supplies. ms
well as the commission which buys
IN this country for the allies. The
board he shows, decides all questions
or priority as between the competing
demand of these departments and en-
dNavors rs far as possible 10 assist In
a~panding private war Industries to-
the various needs.