The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-01-29
Informing Statement Has
Thrown a Protective Fire
Around War Dept.
PLAYING
IMPORTANT WAR PART
More Than Half a Million American
Fighters on Other Side in Spring
Criticism Now Is That Story Should
Have Been Told Weeks Ago.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 29.-The i'm
mediate effect of Secretary Baker s re-
markable speech before the senate mil
itary committee is graphically de
scribed in the terse comment of Re
publican committeeman who has been
one of the war department S chief crit
les. Paying mgrudging praise TO Mr..
Baker s ability and eloquence this sen
ator added, in the new language of the
war, "The speech was itself a bar
rage
In other words, Mr.. Baker by his
careful answers to the charges of neg
lect of the troops, by his clear state
ment of the justification of present de-
pendence on the British and French.
for artillery, but chiefly by his bril-
liant picture of what has been accom-
! plished to meet the manifold final vie
tory-bv setting forth all and constant
Exchanging needs for these things, Mr..
Baker has thrown protective fire
| around the war department.
| His critics will return to the attack,
but his revelation of how large and
| how early a part the nation is pre-
pared to play in the war, has so estab-
lished his position that, for the present
| at least, he will continue to have a free
hand to work out his own plans for
the strengthening Of his department
wherever it is weak and to demonstrate
to the full whatever are his abilities
as the organizer of vast war machine
The main criticism heard and this
from Democrats and Republicans, is
the expression of regret that such a
statement of what has been done to
ward the nation = effective participa
tlon IN the war was not made weeks
iago. Not only would sueh a statement
have forestalled much criticism, but il
would have encouraged and inspiriteC
the country, as doubtless it will d,
now. 1t is realized here, however, tina
only comparatively recently have tn,
increased facilities for the transporta
tion of troops to France made possible
such reassuring indications as the see
rotary gave yesterday of what has al
ready been accomplished and of tn
more than 100000 troops who will b
on the other side in the spring. eve,
though only proportion of them vii
have been there long enough to TAX
part III spring offensive.
Now that Mr.. Baker has lifted tn
veil the hope is Increased in quarter
close to the administration that ney
and freer policy Of dealing with tn
country . war preparations will be 70
lowed, No one story can be so effectiv
rs that which Mr.. Baker himself, wit
the simplicity of mastery art, told We.
terday afternoon. But there are
number of other stories which Nigh
appropriately be told even now an
n which would be of only less absorbin
c interest than his. They are stories c
l. ships and of aircraft and of otht
: things, some of which are figured
/ plans newly undertaken, but others
t. plans conceived months ago, the pre-
i ent realization of which actually c.
+ ceeds the original expectation.
e They are stories which should encou
age the country, stir up its enthusas
e and steel its nerves for the test of Il
q next eight months during which st
) dents OF the war situation here look
II see the war decided, although not en-
ed
The scene yesterday in the dense
|
IS had perversely limited Secretary Ba
il er, and which could hold only fra
- ton Of those who sought admissio
20 was memorable. Secretary Baker, sm
- and slight In physique, was master
- himself always. But the features til
were actually boyish when he becal
- secretary of war two wears ago, a
Il which are still youthful in repo
IS showed new lines from the responsih
90 tiles he has carried aud from his Gle
IS realization that az an official the ii
. of his big fight, the fight for his ofic
46 life. had come
When the hearing was adjourned
luncheon, Mr. Baker had spoken
nearly two hours and a half in ansv
to detailed criticisms Explicit thou
g his statements had been, it was V,
apparent from comments overheard
the committee room slowly emptied
self that, while he had pleased his 3
iis porters, he had not won his crit
Much was made of his frank ability
give a categorical answer to Sena
Frellnghuysen s assertion that
The country 5 capacity for she'll product