Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-01-29

the vast supplies needed before distri-
button. We are taking over and arc
in process of rebuilding a railroad SoV
miles long from our ports of olsen
barkation to our base of operations.
Not only We're the transportation
and erecting of past quantities of ma
terials a problem, Secretary Baker
said. be also he emphasized that they
had to be manufactured in this coun-
try.
I'VE had to build barracks for the
soldiers over there billeting them until
this could be done. But building bar
racks over there is entirely different
from building them in this country"
Planting and laundering
American troops he said. even had
to go back to the planting of corn. Our
operations began in the forests of
France. not in the lumber yards as
they did i'll this country.
The war, Secretary Baker continued
had been of more or less of set
character until the Russian situation
developed. The Italian defeat caused
a further change in plans. AS re-
suit what may have been plans had to
be changed accordingly. That is n
faint picture of what has been going
on over there. gentlemen" said the
secretary. 'On this side, all that had
TO be done. and many other things be-
sides. But, in addition. we had to
build up an army. Now let US be
frank with each other Has any army
IN history since the beginning of time
been SO raised and cared for as this
army has been"
When the Gelect.ve draft was pro-
posed senators told him he said that
an army could not be raised by that
means
and yet" he asked, has any great
enterprise beer carried on with more
oniaiiln= justice and patriotism on he
part CT the American people or has a
&reatcr change in our mode and pra Q
tlce been accepted by the public than
under the selective service SYSTEM
Secretary Baker went into the efforts
TO surround the army with moral and
physical safeguards. A condition had
been produced he said, where the SOL
diers were welcomed into the homes OF
communities in which they were quar-
tered
No such relation" he said. has
ever before existed between an army
and the civilian population I've gone
from camp to camp. ] have asked each
commander:
What about Your disciplinary prob
LEM Men old il the army all say they
have never seen anything like this.
that the disciplinary problem is negl-
gible."
w hen the story has all been told,
he said, ''it will be a story which am
sure your committee will be glad to re-
port 10 the Senate as tremendous re-
spouse to tremendous responsibility.
We are in the war to hit and to hit
hard. Our problem is not one of star
playing but of team playing
In conclusion Mr. Baker earnestly
assured the committee that the war de-
partment welcomed every criticism
that might help it find its own defects
and urged the members to bring every
report Of shortcomings and failures.
Cross Examination Later
When Secretary Baker concluded his
statement, senators We're not ready 10
proceed with extensive cross-examinu-
ton and it was suggested that he re-
turn later. after the committees gen
eral war inquiry is concluded.
Mr.. Baker agreed to do so, saying he
thought it wiser for the committee 10
examine heads of the bureaus still to
be investigated before proceeding with
his own cross-eXamination.
The committee will meet again to-
morrow to map out its program.