The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-02-07
The Baker Hearing.

: WASHINGTON. +. e., Feb. 6.--CrosS-
/ examination OF Secretary Baker on his
recent statement before the Senate mill
tary committee was begun RI public
hearing before tho committee to-day.
! Secretary Bakers INSTRUMENTATION
wnS begun by Senator Weeks. OF MasSa-
chusotls. Republican. I'm connection with
! thc number of troops 10 be sent abroad
! this year
un january ], Secretary Baker said.
moro. troops had been transported To
! France. including both non-combatant
md fShtins forcos than had been
planned.
Secretary Eakcr md Senator Weeks
agreed that il was improper 10 disclose
! the number OF American troops NON In
: France.
Transportation OF fighting iroors was
! temporarily reduced. Secretary Baker
said in discussing the shipping SituAti"lL
| by the necessity Of sending larger cngl-
! ncerinE forces. He did not have with
! him detailed statistics regarding avail
able ships. but promised Ia supply II.
! The shipping board and tho War De,
, partmrnt. Secretary Baker said. are in
! constant contact. extensively studying
! the shipping situation. General Hiss.
he said, took the information abroad as
a basis Of calculation. in connection with
the shipping situation. About 10000
! tons additional have. recently hccn So
cured. 49,
! Senator Weeks asked ii Il were true
| that the war dcpartmCni had I?l. Qua
tons Of ships available for transporting
, troops Of February !. Secretary i@ak"r
, did not know, hut thought that All under
! eStimHt"
In his former statement that mil
i I,
! 10 Franc" this year, Secretary Baker
! explained. hc did not depend wholly on
American shipping in his calculations.
! senator Hitchcock said that on No.
vcnhrr 30 the shipping board advised
] him the total gross nvailnhl" American
tonnage was IS2 ships of : g sos tons.
/ Including taukrrS and former German
, and Austrian ships. Secretary Baker
said he could not estimate h"w many
! troops that ionlIaE" would supply.
TIL" much discussed editorial III III"
| Metropolitan Magazine. OF which colonel
! Roosevelt was associate editor. attack
! Ing the war departments preparations II
s"ud troops To France came up again.
Secretary Baker had replied to the cli
! t"ral In his first statement lay saying
I tho war dCpArt mont had DONG more than
| the magazine C"uicnd"d Il should.
Did tho editor hav.. my information
other than an ordinary citizen might
! have had ut that time" asked S"nn,nr
Weeks.
"uh. no." sa;d Mr.. Baker adding iha'
In August. when tho article appeared
; h" had tc"n uuit" certain thHi ia" de-
partner; could do moro toward train.
inr Troops !har il suggested. AMI ais"
that thor" WAS good prumi$" that moro
could b" don" toward getting them to
Franc" than IN" artirl" ur"I,nS"d.
! senator Weeks asked ii III" war h"
parlrucnr had sucr""d"d IN doing rs
much rs II had hoped for IN uct"hor.
81 can answer thnt in :hi% way" Mr..
Baker said ''uu .Iauuary "" had
Transported to Franc" NOR" troops than
orr s"h"du: had called for
"Brth Cnmhctaut ana n"u-crmhaiani
tru"pS"" asked Senator Weeks.
THAT is tn" HSri"eat"." Mr.. Baker
said.
Senator Weeks said that il" Ind heard
hat 4 military furr" ran about IN per
cent. ""ruhatant troops.
Secretary Baker said hr lid not have
the figures. but thought Tho forces I'm
Franc" might show tina, ratio. II.
. agreed g.. furnish Senator Weeks conf
druially with tn" exact figures ~ IN tn"
number "C mon shirr.d and tho ;.r"r"r
ti"n ~ fighting troops.
Senator Weeks asked what tonnage
tho War ncuarim"nt had available. IT,"
said Il" had heard that il hnh 19l Grn
toms "n February !. MIR. Baker LIi not
know exactly. but Thought that WHS an
under est iuni" senator Weeks asked
II the d"rar,m"n figured let. gross
ar h"Hd-w"lEht tonnage. He said tia:
H.. had heard that III" German state
in"ui$ Of t"nnag" destruction hy sub
m;, riur wrrv hna,h an rIraG weight cal
,'IInijnuS. and tho English on net ;"u-
. ur." whirh mad" III" apparently h!T"r-
. gent figures given h. each sid vNr"
clos" together. In fact Mr. 1iak"r could
, n", .'rli"'!ru tn" senator "u tho point,
i."'"r. iru"rll l!liE~ went tn Eur''p".
MIR. I:nk"r 9aId. ar exhaustive study ~
;hr shipping situation vas made. 1t