Evening star., 1918-02-06

transported to France more troops thai
our schedule had called for"
Both combatant and non-comoatan
troops?" asked Senator Weeks;
That II the aggregate" Mr.. 6akel
: said.
Senator Weeks said he had heard tha,
a military force ran about 40 per cent
= comb;- ant troops
the figures, but thought the forces In
France might show that ratio. hs
agreed to furnish Senator Weeks con.
fidentIally with exact figures as TO the
number of men shipped and the propor-
tion Of fighting troops.
Army Tonnage Discussed.
Senator Weeks asked what tonnage
I the War Department had available lie
{ said he had heard that 1t mad isi,oov
know exactly. but thought that was an
. underestimate
Senator weeks asked II tho depart,
ment figured on net. gross or dead
weight tonnage He said that he had
heard that the German statements OF
tonnage destruction by submarine We're
based on dead weight calculations ana
the English on net tonnage. which maze
the apparently divergent figures given
by each side very close together IN
fact Mr.. Baker could not enilghten
the senator on the point.
Before Gen. Bliss went to Europe. Mr.
Baker said, an exhaustive study or the
shipping situation was made. IL was
. reviewed before he went back the sec
oud time to attend the sessions of the
supreme war council. The Secretary
said the War Department had kept N
closest touch with the shipping board
and the supreme war council hau the
data on which to rely.
rs there any prospect Of more ton
mage becoming available at an carry
date" asked senator Weeks =.
"Oh yes" said Mr.. Baker. Il recall
now that 100. 900 tons additional has be-
come available during the last ten
days
various lines, where they had been re-
placed by neutral shipping.
Much of the tonnage originally avail
able for men and supplies had been di-
verted to the harbor and arsenal prof.
ects abroad, he said, and the purchase
of artillery abroad had served 10 re-
lieve shipping somewhat. although the
necessity Of transporting raw materials
for the guns had figured in the final
result.
Divided on Executive Ssssion.
Examination Of Secretary Baker was
interrupted while senators discussed
going into executive session 10 permit
the Secretary to furnish confidential in
formation. The discussion was precipi-
tated by Senator Reed. who thought the
committee was entitled to exact in
formation of the number of men now IN
France and on other subjects
Chairman Chamberlain. as well as
Senators Hitchcock and Mckellar,
favored an open session and to let the
Secretary indicate what questions he
would rather answer in private. As
Secretary Bakers statement on which
he is being cross-examined was made
at an open hearing, Senator Hitchcock
said he thought the committee would
-e a mi not examining him
at similar hearing.
Il think the committee and the public
are entitled to know where he proposes
to get the tonnage to supply the men
abroad" continued the Nebraska sena-
tor. Il think the Secretary ought to be
able to put those figures before US to
back up his statement that he expects
TO have a million men over there this
! year"
II think the whole question of ships
ought to be discussed in an executive
: TO Chairman Chamberlain. who asked his
views. The tonnage matter, he added,
involved international arrangements and
he suggested that he be permitted to
prepare statement to show the present
status
81 don't think It is necessary for the
Secretary to come here to disclose facts
in order to justify statements he has
made" interrupted Senator Kirby, demo-
crat. 81 am opposed to it. think the
committee in executive session ought to
determine just how far 1t is going IN TINS
investigation.
Committee Should Know All.
Secretary Baker agreed that the COM
nittee should have every available fact.
including confidential information Sen
1 ator Weeks said he wanted to develop
lust what could be- done in getting men.
. munitions and other products abroad. but
without disclosing confidential matter
The Massachusetts, senator said. how
ever. he thought there was "a good deal
of camoufiage about keeping information
from the enemy which Is published in an
nual reports and otherwise"
Il want to make suggestion II I
may" Secretary Baker tnterposed. The
misfortune for me. II may call 1t such.
in my first statement to the committee.
lay in the fact that attempted to give
opinions of the broad general situation
! as 1 saw 1t. when the information lay
in details that ought to have been got
ten from the experts in direct charge.
or in statistics giving specific facts I
was attempting a general survey. 1t
think 1t better to give the committee
! specific statements and the committee
is entitled to that"
Secretary Baker proposed to have de-
tailed statements OF information pre-
pared at the department and submitted
to the committee, and then II the COM
mfttee desired to cross-examine him
later regarding the statements he would
Senator Hitchcock asked If the Sec
retary would object to giving the COM
1nittee the basis for his opinion that he
expected a million men would be in
!. France before fall.
Not in the least" said Mr.. Baker. IT
could have the committee go into the
adjoining room and give It to you in
three sentences"
Senator Hitchcock thought the IN
formation should be given the same
publicity as his first statement.
Shipping Controlling Factor.
Tho Secretary conveTed to tho coun-
try" said Senator Hitchcock, "fnfor-
nation that think was very unfortu-
nate Did you consider shipping an
important factorf'
Very important-controlling Mr..
Baker replied. "T was not relyine
wholly on the supply Of American ship
ping
Senator Hitchcock asked how many
tons OF American shipping could be de-
pended on, and Secretary Baker sa id
he could not give the information. The
Nebraska senator said he secured
from the shipping board a statement
Of available American tonnage on
November 80; that there were $50 ships
OF 3.121.s06 dead-weIght tons. includ-
ing tankers and former German and
Austrian ships. all over 1900 tons.
That was the grand total at the dis
posal of the United States" said Sena-