The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-01-10
ARMY ABROAD
SUBSTANTIAL
IN SIZE SAYS.
WAR MINISTER.
Secretary Baker Tells Senate
Quiz Committee America
Now Has Nearly 100000
Men Under Arms.
ANSWERS HIS CRITICS

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10.-America
now has In France an army Of Sub
stantiar size, ready for active service,
Secretary Baker today told the senate
war investigating committee.
Officers and men, he explained In a
statement OF the accomplishments,
have been trained specially for modern
warfare, Independent lines Of commu-
nication and supply are In process OF
construction, and great programmes
have been formulated for the produc-
ton of new instruments Of war.
Arms Of the most modern and ef-
fective kind, the secretary declared.
have been provided for every soldier
in France and are available for every
fighting man who can be sent to
France in 1918.
Million and Hall Men In
An army OF nearly a million and a
half men, enlisted and selected with
out serious dislocation of the nations
industries, Is now In the field or in
training at home and abroad, He as
serted. The subsistence Of the army,
he continued, has been above criti-
cism, while it's initial clothing supply
temporarily inadequate, is now sub
stantially complete.
II state the foregoing conditions Of
the war departments problem, and
some of the results attained, for two
purposes" he said. "In the first place,
the American people are entitled to
know OF the splendid effectiveness
with which they have been able to or
ganize the man-power and the mater.
ial power Of the nation In a great
cause; and second, our army in France
under General Pershing and our allies
are entitled to have the benefit re-
sulting from the depression of the
morale OF their enemies which must
the American democracy has neither
blundered or hesitated, but actually
brought the full power Of its men and
resources into completely organized
strength against their military ma
chine.
Greatest In World
"No army OF similar size In the
history of the world has ever been
raised, equipped or trained so quickly
No such provision has ever been madc
for the comfort, health apd general
well-being of an army.
by the cooperation Of all interests
and all people In the country, the ma
tion is now organized and set to its
task with unanimity of spirit and con.
fidence in it's powers. More ras been
done than anybody dared to believe
possible. That there have been here
and there errors Of judgment and de-
lays goes without saying; but should
be wanting In frankness were I to
omit my own estimate Of the real un-
selfshness and intelligence with which
my associates, military and civilian.
hace applied themselves to this under
taking and the results demonstrate
the success of their efforts"
The secretary gave the committee
an outline of the work OF the depart
ment and its various bureaus.
"On the first day Of April, 1917, the
regular army" he said, comprised
5,791 officers and 121,797 enlisted men,
the national guard In federal service.
approximately 3.733 officers and 1918
enlisted men; and the reserve 1000
enlisted men. There were also at
that time approximately 2,573 officers
in the reserve. but as these were on
inactive duty they cannot properly be
considered in estimating the strength
of the army OF the United States at
that time. On the 31st day of De-
cember, 1917, the regular army con.
sisted Of 10.250 officers and 475,000
enlisted men: the national guard of
16,031 officers and 100000 enlisted
men; the national army of 100000
men, and the reserve of S4,575 officers
and 72.75O enlisted men. In other
words, in nine months the Increase
has been from 1884 officers to no..
S5e officers and from 202,510 to
] 42s,65O men.
Six Times Greater
During the war with Spain, the
army Of the United States at its maxi
mum strength aggregated 272,000 men
and officers The army now in the
fild and in training is, therefore.
six times as great as the
maximum number under arms In the
Spanish. American war
The total number already in the
Tcontinued On Page Four.1