The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-06
Earlier Statement of Sec retary Baker Placed Es-
 innate at 12 Billions
SLIGHTLY MORE THAN BILLION NEEDED FOR
 CONTRACTS IN FORGE
Contract Cancellations Already Made By War Department Exceed S2,300,- 00O,000, Baker Tells House Ap-
 propriation Committee

Washington, December B. Secretary Baker told the Sen- ate finance committee today that through contract cancella-
 tion the war department ex- poets to save approximately $7, ,250,000,000 of the $24,2S1,- OoO,0O0 voted by Congress for the army during the war.
 Earlier in the day the House appro- priations committee, which Is investi- gating to determine what part of war appropriations can be returned to the treasury, made public statement from Mir. Baker, showing an estimated saw ing of about $12,ooo.ooo.ooo. or nearly half the total appropriations.
 Chairman Sherley explained later, however, that this estimate was made sometime ago and that revised figures furnished by the war department showed an estimated saving of about
 $7, 900. 100000
 FIGURES RAPIDLY CHANGE
 "of necessity the figures change from day to day." explained Mir. Sherley. but 1t would seem that something moro than s7.oOo. .oOo,oo of the appropriations for the army could be converted back
 into the treasury"
 The war secretary told the Senate
 finance committee today, members of
 the committee said that Congress will |need to appropriate only about $1,l00,- 100000 to cover contracts made under the SS,000, 900 900 of authorizations pro- vided by Congress and for which no ac- tual appropriations have been made. The secretary'sS statement to tho House appropriations committee said ithe departnent's disbursements to daNe Iin tho United fstai<s toIars~ e516 2, ,oen 9sss. land those In France $1.16S.000,oe0. MANY CANCELLATIONS MADE Contract cancellations already made by the department exceed S2,S0o, DOC, 900,
 Mir Baker said, classifying these among various industries, including the fol- lowing: Powder, $2z5,000,o0o; artillery, $750, 0,000.000; motor vehicles, $2s2,ooo'- loco; textiles, $264,000,000, airplane parts, I$256. 900, ,000; gas defense equipment ls130, ,O0o ,00O Contracts for rifles, shoes, harness, rubber goods, chemicals. barb- ed wire and steel and iron products ag- lgregating millions of dollars also have been cancelled.
 Forty per cent of the cancellations | have been divided among states, Mr. Baker said, enumeEating those in Mas sachusetts as amounting to $23l,00o,- l 900; Michigan, $143.000,0 900; Connecticut, S55. 100000; New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio. Missouri $99 100000 each; Illinois 1 nd Tennessee, s55,000.000 each; Indiana, s4. GOO, 900: New Jersey. s25.3o0,000; Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Maine, New lHampshire and Minnesota, $11,0O0,000; Maryland, s2,2o0,0o0; Virginia. $5,5oo.- 900, and California, $4.400,00O. BEGUN BEFORE ARMISTICE Preparations for the cancellations of army contracts were undertaken be- | fore the signing of the armistice, MT. Baker relating that conferences on this question were held With the war in- l dustries board on November 9, Manufacturers working on contracts that are to be completed, Secretary Baker said, had been assisted in many instances by permission being given for civilian orders to take precedence ! over government orders
 The army, he said, has powder in ex- cess of it's needs
 q am very much embarrassed" the secretary added, ''as to how to store the amount of powder and high ex- plosives which we have"
 Operation of the Muscle Shoals ni- trate plant probably will be continued, he said Work on the cantonment at Fayetteville, N. O., is intended to be continued, with the place becoming permanent part of the army training
 IContinued on Page Two.l