Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-01-29
BAKER Wins OVER
HOSTILE SENATORS
BY CALM ADDRESS
Critics. Including Chamberlain,
Admit Conduct of War is
Source for Pride.
HIS FIGURES A REVELATION
" AsBrHgroN, JAN %

WAsBIHaToN, JAN. ~.
Secretary Of War Baker created a de-
cidcdly good impression by his tcsti-
mony on the conduct OF the war before
the Senate Committee on Military Affairs
The early part of his address was
marked by an absence OF gesture, which,
however. he employed gracefully and
effectively as he got under way, The
Secretary has musical voice. low pitched
and clear. He has trained himself 20 use
it with best effect and that uInlity, com
l'ined with distinctly marked personal
magnetism, enabled him to do what
on the stage is called "get over big.
Ills words and the thoughts behind
them were marked by an tmpersonalIty
which was not without value IN the effect
he produced He sought 10 project the
impression That he was rs deeply con
cerned as any other man IN determining
the precise measure TO be used IN esti-
mating the plan and execution involved
IN Americas conduct Of the war
IIcAeemed TO be witness less IN his
own behalf than in behalf Of the true
conditions, whether they hurt or helped
his individual fortune This attitude
was stressed in the minds of those who
heard him by the Secretary's wiling
ness so admit rs error mistakes be him
self had made
WINS OVER HIs CRITICS
When he had concluded, many Of the
Senators and Representatives. including
Senator Chamberlain, who have shown
disposition tn be antagonistic 10 the
Secretary. pronounced themselves as
not only having been won over to him
personally, but to firm belief that the
conduct Of the war thus far should be 4
source Of pride instead Of cause of erD-
barrassrnent. Newspaper correspond
ents, VIGOROUSLY cynical. were extrava-
CANT IN their praise of the effort
soMr or HIS srRIgIwG POINTS.
Here are some of the striking points
made by tho Secretary:
We will have 500 900 men in France
early In 1918 and We will have 100000
ready to ship tn France during 1918. At
this hour VIC have fighting army IN
France, seasoned and trained 10 warfare.
"The German government Il still mys-
tiled regarding the number Of mon now
In France
"Wo are in the war to hat and hit hard,
Our problem is not one OF star playing,
but OF team playing.
France and Great Britain are sup
plyipg artillery To the American forces,
because they themselves wished 10 do 50,
~ they bad An excess on hand and wished
20 save ships for more vital necessities.
Ships are the cr,Ix of this problem.
and every time We can use French indus
trial resources instead of making and send
ING our own products we are doing t.
WILL HAVE SUFFICIENT GUNS.
The American army IN France, large
Rs il is, and the American army to be sent
there. large as that is, are and will be pro-
vided with artillery of the type they
want as rapidly as they can use il.
when We went into the war the stand
aru of the army uniform WAS % per cent
wool and 25 per cent cotton. But now
every yard is of virgin wool, with large
increase in It's strength.
There Is no discrimination IN the
treatment of white and Negro troops.
Sixty million shells are under manu-
facture for delivery this year
GIVES CEN WOOD HIS DUE.
s'No amy ever assembled anywhere
was ever fed AS ably, as well, as nutri-
tiously and as appetIzIngly
Gen. Wood was recognized by COM
mon consent I'D the army as the most
capable to select camp sites and in
augurat q training camp system.
There are things that could have
been done better, but our effort Is to learn.
THE German army, best prepared in
the world, furnishes an obsolete rifle
for practice until men learn to take care
of better weapon.
"We have built in France docks, ter
minals, sent over dock machinery, cranes,
even piles. warehouses at ports of dis
embarkation for the storage OF vast
supplies needed before distribution We
are taking over and are in process of
rebuilding railroad 600 miles long from
our ports of Decentralization to our base
of operation"