Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-05-03
WOULD GRANT j. s.
POWERS To RAISE
TREMENDOUS FORCE
UnwiSe, He Says, to Restrict
Number of Men to Be UtiI-
ized-IncreaSe Should De-
pend on Shipping

WASHINGTON, May 2.-Secretary
Baker. at hearing today before the
house military affairs committee, IT,
confidential session, asked that con-
gress grant unlimited power for the
creation of an army of whatever siza
necessary for the prosecution of the
war. He told the committee that il
would be ill-advlsed to restrict the num-
Der OF men to be utilized and that The
size of the army should be increased
in the discretion of the government as
transportation and equipment facilities
warranted
Secretary Baker indicated that he
would submit proposed measure, prob,
ably as an amendment to the select
service law. to grant the unlimited al-
thority asked.
Under the eHi=5ing law, as construed
by Chairman Dent, OF the military com.
mittee, and others, there is authority
for use of only 100000 men under
call. Mr.. Dent yesterday introduced a
bill to authorize a total of 100000
men, which. with volunteers already an
the service, would make an ultimate
possible maximum strength of $780,
900 men,
Secretary Baker was questioned by
the committee regarding his views AS
to increasing the army age. He said
he was studying the subject, and had
made no decision.
The house military committee will
Immediately resume consideration of the
annual army appropriation bill and
Secretary Bakers idea is that il shall
provide only for the number immedi-
ately foreseen. The indications are that
it will carry provision for equipment,
transportation, pay and other expenses,
of approximately three million mel as
part, not of a specific program, but IS
4 furtherance of a blanket authority
| plan involving use of all or part of the
| funds appropriated and supplemental
appro priations later on as their need
may become apparent.
The army appropriation bill has been
| held by the committee for months
awaiting the return of Secretary Baker
from France that appropriations might
be made to accord with whatever recon-
mendations nc wishes to make The
| existing recommendations contemplate
an army of 100000 men, and whether
this should nc raised to 100000 or
100000 rests with the administration.
After the meeting Secretary Baker
said he had pot discussed the number
of men to 90 into the army because
mention of any specific number would
set a limit, while the only point of
limit is our ability to equip and trans
port mem
Secretary Baker, after the hearing,
dictated this statement:
The war department program was
presented to the houes military COM
mittee this morning. 1t involved the
expediting of the training of men and
the increasing of the army as rapidly
as ability to equip and transport them
can be foreseen. The secretary of war
declined to discuss the numbers of the
proposed army, for the double reason
that any specific number implies a limit
and the only point of limit is our abil-
thy to equip and transport men, which
is constantly on the increase.
The details of the estimates propos-
ed for the regular appropriation of
1853 will be gone into with the com
mittee beginning at 10 o'clock tomor-
row morning. These estimates when
approved by committee and acted upon
by congress will be supplemented by
subsequent appropriations as the facili-
ties for transportation and the addition
al equipment increase.
REGARDING the quota matter, there
was a discussion. Secretary Baker took
the position that he desired to have suf-
ficient quotas based on the number of
men in class one without the credits.
There was no change suggested as to
the age limits"