Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1918-01-30
TWO MILLION FOR FRANCE.
Those Already There and in Train
ing-NIillions to Follow.

Washington, Jan. 28.-Five hun
dred thousand American troops in
France early this year-and mil
lion and q half more ready to 60
fully equipped and with the artillery
TO support them. This was the an
sWer Secretary Baker to-day gave the
Senate. military committee to the
charge OF inef!iciency and break
down in the military establishment.
AS the climax OF days explana-
tion of all that the military estab-
lishment had done, freely confessing
faults and imperfections in so vast
an undertaking that out OF each de-
fictency the remedy has been found,
the Secretary of War disclosed what
hitherto has been guarded as mill
tary secret, and. what the German
people little suspect.
Secretary Baker told the Senators
the United States would have half
million fighting men on French soil
early this year, and that one and one
half million American troops in all
would be available for foreign duty,
Composition Of Fighting Force.
This great fighting force, probably
: little expected by the German gene
raj staff itself, will be composed of
the men now with Gen. Pershing, the
80 divisions of troops now In can't tom
ments and camps in the United
States, and ready to move, Secretary
Baker said, and by the next incre-
ments to be drawn and trained this
spring under the selective service
law.
,:g Elemental equipment Of the men
from the United States is assured
and the artillery necessary to their
support will come from the British
and French governments, which
have such an excess of ordnance that
they have on their own initiative OF
Tered to supply the guns and save
ships which would be used for their
transport.
The Secretary OF War even laid
bare facts regarding preparations FOR
the american army In France, which
nave hitherto been held as close mill
tlary secrets or whispered among q
few who have enjoyed the confidenca
OF government officials
MANY of the facts have been known
to newspaper correspondents here in
the capital, but cooperating with the
government under the voluntary CEN
sorship they have not until this time
been given to the public by the news
papers.
Mr.. Baker described to the COM
mittee how the american army has
Duiit great lines Of railroads, ono Of
them 600 miles long, UP to it's head
quarters in France; how ports and
terminals have been constructed to
handle the great quantities of sun
plies and equipment which the army
VIII need in fighting line. All this
mas been done by Americans. and
since Gen. Pershing's troops landed
last June.
Plan for the War.
Leaning forward and sddressine
the senators earnestly, the Secretary
OF War told story the German zen
eral STAFF probably would have given
much to know long before. He an
preached the subject by departing
from the answer to criticism and re-
,ferrinng to it as "the plan for the
war
81 think I understood senator
Chamberlain felt there wasn't any
plan for the war" said Secretary
Baker. ~ don't know how the COM
;mtttee and the country feel about it,>
but / want to say there is a plan. It's
the only possible plan under circnms
stances. s.
s. .'It must be remembered" he pro-
yceeded, that this war broke out In
August. 1914, and we won't into 1T
ia April, 1917, 80 that for two and
was mot as If AN immediate plan
scould be made for the wars prosecu-
. * ll'ut we we're coming into this war