Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-02-06
BRITISH VESSELS
TOHELP CARRY U.s..
ARMY OF 100000
S cretary Baker Cross-examined
by Senate on HIS Previous
Declarations.
HITCH OVER WAR SECRECY
Photo hy ROYAL Studio.
by Associated Press TO Every Evening
WASHINGTON, FrH. 8.

By Associated Press 10 EVERY fsv''isA
WssmlsGros, Frn. 8.
When Secretary Baker came M Tor
croSS-exaniination today before the Sen
ate Military Committee on his statement
that there would be 500, 600 American
troops in France early this year and
million more before winter hltch de-
velopcd as TO whether it would be proper
to have the secretary answer such qucs-
tions IN public.
While the Senators wer@ discussing
whether to continue in public session or
GO into private meeting Secretary BAKER
explain q that perhaps he had been un-
fortunate in making his original statement
to the committee by giving his general
on,nions rather than the exact tactE a7d
details prepared hy experts having tie
subject IN charge. He proposed that ne
be permitted to prepare such statements.
present them TO the committee and re-
turn for cross examination later.
Possibility that the actual purchasing
power for the War Department may DC
largely placed in the hands OF Edward II.
Strttlnius. surveyor general, was indlcat-
cd by Secretary Baker.
MIR. Stettinius is relied upon to do tins
! thing" he said
From authentic sources 1t has been
learned that the Socretarys estimate oil
500 900 additional American troops IN
| Europe this year is based On the british
j Government : guarantee OF ,ooo,O0O tons
Of additional transatlantic shipping tor the
/ United states Army The British otter,
which only recently has been accepted, ex-
plains the discrepancy between estimates
on available shipping made by Mr. baker
and by Senator Hitchcock and others Ia
! the Senate.
The news OF the British offer, which
| so far has been available only to iew
outside the Presidents Cabinet probably
! will be made known to those Senators
who have been unable to see how the
shipping needs Tor .sO0OOO troops could
be met
1t was this government desire to con
ceal the facts until later but tho per.
sistence OF the inquiries from the Sapltol
+ L.s caused the Abandonment OF this plan.
| 1t is understood that the question OF
providing additional shipping for Oicn.
j Pershipgfs forces has been a feature Of
+ the deliberations OF the Supreme War
3! Council at Versailles.
| AHEAD or SCHEDULE ALREADY.
| Secretary Bakers cross-examination
| WIS begun bv Senator Weeks OF AIassa-
| chusctts, Republican, In connection with
the number OF troops TO be sent abroad
| this year.
On Jan. /, Secretary Baker, said more
| troops had been transported to France,
! Including both non-combatant and hight
| ing forces, than had been planned.
Secretary Baker and Senator Weeks
agreed it was improper to disclose the
number Of American troops now in
| France.
Senator Weeks asked if il were true
that the War Department had 79l ,00C
| tons Of ships available for transporting
! troops on Feb. l. Secretary Baker did
! not know, but thought that an under
estimate.
In his former statement that million
men more probably could be sent to
| France this year, Secretary Baker ex-
| planned, he did not depend wholly on
| American shipping IN his calculations
Senator Hitchcock said that on Nov
! 80 the Shipping Board advised him the
| total gross available American tonnage
was 5S2 OF ), III sos tons, including tank
| Continued on page