Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-23
BAKER ANNOUNCES
ORDNANCE POLICY
Submits to Congress Estimate
Calling for $7,l18,-
562,466.
DESIGNS TREMENDOUS FORCE
Secretary Asks Billion Dollars,
to Be Spent Without
termination.
DESIGNS TREMENDOUS FORCE

WASHINGTON, May 22-Secretary
Baker to-day unfoldcd his tremendous
ordnance program in submitting to
Congress an estimate of s7,llS,56c4G6
in cash and contracts
In addition to the sil,1oo.ooo. 600
army appropriation bill almost ready
to be reported favorably by the House
Military Committee. the figures OF to-
day indicate an almost $4,000. .o0o, 900
land forces program.
or the great sum asked to-day. how
ever. Secretary Baker Informed Con-
Eress that he expects to disburse only
$500. 900, 900 by March next. when
the present Congress expires. The rest
is in contracts which he asks to Ue
allowed to close, and on which he will
make payments as the work progresses.
He asked a lump sum of sl.oOo.0 .0o0.-
600 TO be spent without itemzation. in
his discretion. If this is approved by
Congress it will be the largest sum
ever thus voted an official. dwarting the
s1000oc.o0O discretionary fund TO the
President. which at the time of its
proposal met with opposition.
Secretary Baker explained that he
was asking only $500. 100000 in cash
because he intended. as fast as the con-
tracts which ne asks to be allowed
to close are carried on. to apply to
Congress for additional cash appro-
priations. Thus the said tax and bond
money would not be taken from the
public until absolutely necessary
This immediate budget goes to tho
Ann lot 10,
action. Many of it's items have been
gone over one by one with the COM
mittec already. Chairman Sherley has
announced that. although the commit
tee is friendly. It will reserve the right
to trim estimates. This is taken to
mean that Secretary Baker may be
asked to give full account of his
discretionary 1000, 600 600. The larg-
est sums which Secretary Baker asked
are:
HOW BAKER, INTENDS To
SPEND THIS VAST SUM
Small arms, ammunition, s706.4S6.e11
small arms. repairs s35o.2So.260; small
arms. target practice. sS4.073.725 man
ufacture OF arms. s201.324,325: machine
rifles. S337,726, 900; armed cars. s2T2.-
22.Soo: field and siege cannon. sl.o63.-
I3l.ll9; ammunition for cannon. So,
l.3e4.43I; altering artillery. s323, sS3,-
s34: ammunition tests. s72.02n.2Tj, and
unspecifcd purposes. $1,000. 900. 600.
Bakers plan of not asking for cash
until actually needed met the approval
OF the Appropriations Committee mem
bers. They said il indicated Il CAREFUL
ness of expenditure often ignored by
officials with immense budgets
1t is expected eighteen months will
elapse before the entire sum will be
spent and the materials turned over to
the government.
Representative Caldwell. OF New
York, IN administration member of
the Military Committee. spoke IN the
House to-day. letting il be understood
that the facts contained in his speech
relating to accomplishments to date
had been submitted TO the War De-
partment for approval.
Let me frankly say we have made
mistakes" said Caldwell But Amer
lea has done more in less time than
any OF orr allies in preparation. She
has raised a greater army in less time
and now holds greater section of
lines, transporting forces 5000 miles
across infested seas, than England was
capable of doing in twelve months
| across thirty-mile channel.
SUBMITS FIGURES THAT
SHOW SIZE OF ARMY