Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1918-02-08

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Baker, the United States now has near
4 ~ half Il MELLON men IN France, aud a
million and II half more who Will he
/ ready 10 90 whenever transportation Is
/ provided. Which does not accord with
the opinion expressed by certain emit
nrnl BuChcs thai the military power Of
Icty, because no great number Of our
troops can be- taken over to Europe
Stimulated, perhaps by the successful
attacks Of allied avlators on Mann
helm and other German cities, the
kalScr's air forces made two big raids
on successive nights on London and
southeast England The bombs
dropped by the first expedition killed
Il persons. mostly women and chill
dren. and NIL hul one In the metropolis.
and injured considerable number.
The second bunch of raiders murdered
only two.
For the first time in months Paris
was raidcd by enemy avlators. They
attacked the city In considerable mum.
beers and killed 20 persons and wound.
ed 20.
Secretary Baker. ut his own request.
appearing n second time before the
senate committee on military affairs,
made mn address that created so excel.
lent an impression that much Of the
criticism of him and his management
of the war department was silencrd.
He spoke frankly and eloqurntly. no
| longer seeking to cover up the faults
Of The bureaus. hut asserting that his
critics hid made II appear that spe-
cilic cas,S were characteristic Of gen.
eral conditions. which was not true,
and that every mistake discovered had
been roctitied and none Of them re-
| pcutcd. His explanation aud dc.ense
Of most of the criticized acts of his
department sounded convincing. and
he displayed no III temper or animos-
| ity.
The immediate result was nm amica.
| bile conference between Secretary
Baker and senator Chamberlain The
senator assured The secretary the urg-
4 ing If the munitions director and war
cabinet hills was due only to patriotic
| desire to help win the war and IN
no way was intendo to reflect on the
/ administration Mr. Baker finally
agreed to reconsider his objections to
HE former measure, hut asked that the
latter be showed II was believed that
! II the position Of munitions director Is
created II viii he filed hy Mr.. Stettin
ius, who alrcndy. In the reorganization,
has been made surveyor general Of
army supplies His long experience
MS purchasing agent for the entente
allies seems to III him peculiarly for
The place.
The good results of the senate In
te>tigation and Of the general crlti-
ciSm directed against some features
Of the war departments management
nre apparent daily. and the improve.
mcnt may 90 or until all the critics
are satisfied except those who hold
that Il progressed pacIfist is not the man
for secretary Of war In war time.
-ri
Secretary Lansing announced We'd
nesday that an agreement had been
arranged by the United States.
Great Britain and Canada providing
thu. subjects Of each country In any
of the others may return home within
sixty days for military service and II
they do not they may be drafted where
they are.
The British and Canadian recruiting
missions in the United States. under
the command Of competent and expert
pnced officers who have all done their
bit at the front have been getting rea-
Sonahly good results in New York,
New ENGLAND Chicago, and many 9th.
or sections Of the country, and they
will hail with Joy such pact ms Is
planned. for there are thousands OF
British subjects In the United States
who only need to he pushed n little In
order to get them into the armed serv.
Tee of their country
IL
Explosions and fires In plants that
are making war material continue 10
he disgustingly frequent. despite the
efforts Of the secret service 10 catch
the spies and agents responsible. One
of the worst Of these occurrences was
great explosion In the naval torpedo
station nj Newport News. Va. Another
was disastrous fire on oil barges that
threatened the big government ship
ward ut Port Newark. Federal agents
believe many Of these ouirnges are the
work Of pacInsts who call themselves
! Americans.