Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-12-06
Secretary Of War Has Already
Cancelled Over Two Billion
Dollars Worth of Contracts;
Is Report to Congress
$24,281, 900, VAST
SUM FOR MILITARY
More Than Nine Billions Re-
main UnobIigated; Some
Cantonment Work in the
South Continues

10y MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wiRs1
Washington, Dec. 5.-Savings ap-
preaching $4,000, 100000 dollars are
expected to be made from the s24,-
2S1,000,000 appropriations made dur
ing the war for the war department
Secretary Baker gave mis- estimate to-
day to the house appropriations sub
committee in inquiring about what
part of war appropriations may be re-
turned to the treasury.
Mr. Baker said the department s
disbursements to date In the United
States total 80, 159, 100000 and those
in France $1,16S, 600, ,000
OF all the money appropriated.
s9,528, 100000 remains unobligated,
and this with MORE than 81, 900. 600, 600
of additional cancelled contracts rep
relied contracts represents. the pros
pective saving Mr.. Baker already has
informed the committee of contract
cancellations aggregating about
$4,000, 900, 600.
Where Money Is Saved.
This saving of more than $2,00O,-
100000, he estimated. was roughly
divided as follows:
Ordnance, $500, 100000; medical,
$4,000, ,000; signal corps, $40, 000, 600;
engineers, $229,000, ,000; aircraft. $402,-
600, ,000 military aeronautics, $1,000
900; chemical warfare, $29,0OO. 900;
quartermaster corps, $4SO,000,000.
Contract cancellations already
made by the department exceeded
$4,000. 100000. Mr.. Baker said. classi-
fying these among various industries,
including the following:
Powder, $275,00o,0oo; artillery,
$750, 100000; motor vehicles, $685.
100000; textiles, $264,OOO.000; air.
planes parts, $3.50, 900; gas defense
equipment, $3.50, 100000. Contracts for
rifles, shoes, harness, rubber goods,
chemicals, barbed wire and steel and
4 iron products, aggregating millions of
dollars, also have been cancelled.
Cancellations by States.
Forty per cent of the cancellations
have been divided among states, Mr..
Baker said, enumerating those in Mas
sachusetts as amounting to 1891 ,000,-
900. Michigan, Slab, 600, 900; Connecti-
cut, $55 100000; New York, Pennsyl-,
vania, Ohio and Missouri, $4,000, 600
each; Illinois and Tennessee, $55, ,000,-
900 each; Indiana. s44.000,000; New
Jersey. $25,300, 600; Rhode Island,
Wisconsin, Maine, New Hampshire
and Minnesota, $11 900, 900 each; Mary
land, $2,200,000; Virginia, SIS, 500, 600;
and California, 81. 400, 900.
Preparations for the cancellation of
army contracts were undertaken be-
fore the signing of the armistice. Mr..
Baker relating that conferences on this
question were held with the war in
dustries board on November o.
Manufacturers working on con-
tracts that are to be completed, Secre-
tary Baker said, had been assisted in
many instances by permission being
given for civilian orders to take prece-
dence over government. orders,
The army, he said, has powder in
excess of its needs"
II am much embarrassed, the sec
retary added, 'as to how to store the
amount of powder and explosives
which we have
Where Work Will Go On.
Operation of the Mussel Shoals nitrate
plant probably will be continued, he
said. Work on the cantonment at
Fayetteville, N. c., is intended to be
discontinued, with the place becoming
a permanent part of the training sys-
tenn. The cantonment at Raleigh, n,
c., he said. would be abandoned. Mr..
Baker also said there is necessity for
.he Neville island plant. under con-
strnction In the Ohio river, and to be
used for making powder and guns.
Most of the construction of the war
Department, however, was stopped
soon after signing of the armistice.
Mr.. Baker told the committee.
Contracts for purchases in England
and France, he said, are also being
cancelled and orders to cease work on
many projects were given by General
Pershing before he received similar
orders directing such action from the
war department.