The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1912-1921, 1918-12-05
QUESTION OF PERMANENT lR-
GAkiZATiON OF ARMY DEFER.
RED PENDING PEACE NEGo-
TiATlONS.
IN 10 MONTHS OVER TWO BILLION
MEN AND FIVE BILLION TONS
OF CARGO SHIPPED OVER
SEAS.
GIVES GREAT PRAISE TO clV,.
LIAM POPULATION WHICH
DID so MUCH TO MAKE
SUCCESS POSSIBLE.

WASHINGTON. Dec. 4.-IThe cues
ton of permanent organization of the
army has been deferred for eonsid-
GRAFTON after the close of the peace
conference. Secretary Baker, in his
annual report made public tonight.
says this course is determined upon
since "the military needs OF the Unit
ed States cannot he prudenf.y assess
ed until that conference shall have de.
termined the future relations OF the
world"
For temporary purposes, however.
Mr.. Baker announces that he will LAY
before Congress plan of reorganiza.
ton for the regular army, which shall
continue as the nucleus of any fu-
ture military establishment.
The secretary also Indicates his in.
tention to press for perpetuation by
law the rong General Staff organi.
cation built UP during the war.
81 have resrained in this report, !"
Mr.. Baker says, .ffrom making speci-,
fc recommendations for future legis.
ilation for two reasons. In the first
place, the signing OF the armistice has
not formally closed the war. We nave
at present "a great military establish.
ment which cannot he Immediately
dissolved, and the activities of the De.
partment for some time at least must
be concerned with what we have. In
/ the second place, the peace conference
is about to assemble and the military
needs of the United States cannot be
prudently assessed until that confer
ence shall have determined tine future
international relations of che world.
In skeching the building up OF the
war army Mr.. Baker selects a few
striking figures as illustrations of
what each step meant and what has
been accomplished. On the day the
arnistice was signed, he declares
more than 25 per cent of the entire
male population of the country be-
/ tween the ages of Is and 81 was in
| the military service, the army having
reached a total of 1864, 900 men more
than 100000 o. whom were in Eu
rope, as compared with a strength OF
1S9, 674 in March, 1917 week before
war was declared.
Recapdtulating the total American
casualties, 236 Jos men as already an
nounced, Mr. Baker said the deaths
due to battle alone were $4,000. and
that half OF the wounded reported
probably suffered slight injury He
adds that Federal battle fata titles in
the Civil War totalled 10000; Japan
lost $4,000 men in the Russo-Japanese
war and Germany lost 28,6OO In the
Franco-Prussian war.
Speaking of the se-ectiye service,
Mr.. Baker makes this observation,
without discussing the question e.
universal military training, soon to
arise:
Eat that time Qwhen his preceding
annual report was issued) there was
ample evidence that the selective draft
was a swift, effective and just means
of securing the military strength
necessary for the conduct or a great
war. The experience of the past year
has strongly reinforced that conWdc-
tfon."
Discussing the extensive engineer
ing undertakings in France, the need
for which has ended with the signing
of the armfstice, Mr.. Baker gives this
hint at the policy the government Is
pursuing
.1Steps have been taken to reduce
orders and cancel contracts for such
items as will not be needed in France
In this connection, however, care is
being taken to assure ourselves that
we are not depriving France OF ma
terial which SHE so urgently needs to
Ireplace that worn out during her ter
rifle serf-demals of the past -FOUR
wears. We cannot refuse to rendeF
AN the assistance possible in the re-
CONSTRUCTION of that heroic nation"
Mr. Baker gives much space to an
craft prob EN-, including the produc-
CONTINUED on page three)