New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-01-13
"No Human Being" Could
Handle Problems, He
Tells Committee
War Department
Changes Explained
Under Fire, DE.
clares He Is "Civilian"
Over Army Men
By c. w. Gilbert

" '1AoAAAANN YIN, Jan. lI.-Sccfelary
Baker explained his reorganization of
the War Department to the Senate
Committee on Military Affairs to-day
and declared his opposition to the Gre
alton of ministry of munitions. such
as Senator Chamberlain proposes in his
Dill. which will have the support of
nearly every member of the Investigate
ing committee.
IN response to question from Sena-
tor Chamberlain as TO what was his Sc
rlous objection to a secretary of muni-
tions, the Secretary of War said: "Your
Dill creates an impossible task for
any one man. No human being can
De 1ound who can decide all questions
that will come up under that bill. 1t
covers the needs of the War Depart
ment, the Navy Department, the needs
or the Allies and the requirements Of
the tn Shipping Board. The man at it's
mead would be an industrial Dictator"
This concentration went, Mr.. Baker ex-
planned at another time beyond "the
elastic limit"
"As you all know" he said. "there
IS q point at which the steel trust. if
it were bigger. would cease to be eco
monica! and practicablc'
Secretary Has
Better of Debate
Both morning ard afternoon sessions
were running debate between the
secretary and the committee on the
merits OF his pl0n of reorganization
ana the committees plan of creating a
department of munitions. Nj. Baker
had rather the better of the debate.
-, HIS quick wit. the fact that he had
thought out his plan much better than
any member OF the committee had
thought out the munitions department
plan and the fact that his position
puts him In possession of information
that is not available to the committee
enabled him to score often. He ap.
reared, neverth eless. not to convince
the Senators that the reorganization
which he has already largely carried
out is adequate.
When he appeared on the stand he
had several large charts illustrating
the way the War Department. was or
ganized and the way it is being reor-
ganized. The War Department used
to consist of The Secl etary and the
various bureau chiefs directly under
him. Under the new plan, as the Sec
rotary explained it, diagramatically
and by words. the War Department will
be divided according to functions into
two parts. with an assistant for sup
plies at the head Of one and an assist
ant for troops at the head Of the other,
the two assistants reporting to the Sec
retary. The assistant for supplies, in
whom centres those functions, so far
as they affect the War Department,
n ici1 ho ! t.,0
to a secretary Of munitions. will be
Colonel, soon Brigadier or Major Gen
eral. Pierce.
Under him will be five bureau heads
controlling supplics-the chief of ord
nance, the Quartermaster general, the
surgeon general, the chief of engineers
and the chief Of the signal service
These bureaus will be subdivided on
lines of function. For example, tho ord
nance bureau, instead of being divid-
ed in boards Of small arms, artillery
and the like, will be made up of div-
sions of procurement. production. in
brought in at tn, head of the divisions
where their services Will be available
Too Few Civilians,
Senators Declare
Much debate revoived around this
use of civilians. Senators insisted that
the organization MIR. Baker was effect
ing left the relations Of the War De
partment with industry in the hands Of
military men, as it had been during
the period which they have been in.
vestigating. and that military men had
shown their incapacity to deal with
an industrial situation. Mr. Baker in
sisted that he had made ample provi-
sion for the use Of civilian knowledge
in his plan.
Whatever was done. there had to be
some means of "coordnating the needs
of the man who uses munitions with
the views Of the man who makes
them" thus laying emphasis on the
military side of the problem IF ii
might be expressed briefly. the Secre-
tary plans emphasis on the utility OF
weapons; the munitions department
plan lays the emphasis on getting wea-
po.ns.
Senator Wadsworth insisted that "s
vast industrial organization was neces
sary to make US effective in the war;
This called for a man of first elias,
ability and power. "Where," he asked
"was there in the Secretary's plan thu
driving power for this? Who had su
preme power over industrial organiza
tion?" Mr.. Baker answered: "No one
person and no one board"
The Secretary kept insisting that hi:
plan gave full scope to civilian ability
Senator Wadsworth said: after tn.
war industries board decides an issu,
the system is scattered again and goe.
back to five different bureaus. Nov
this job is not soldiers job"
Mr.. Baker said: ut goes back tt
! trained industrial experts in uniform"
"Who are accountable to miitar,
superors." retorted Mr.. Wadsworth
"No," replied Mr.. Baker, account
able to me, a civilian"
The debate ran over and over thi
ground If the committee insisted tha
/ the industrial side of war was
civilians job, Mr.. Baker kept sayini
that he had pat it in the hands o
civilians at whose head he, civilian
stood. If they said he mad failed t
concentrate supply activities. leaving i
in the hands of tivemen--and they sait
this fairly often-he retorted that tin
ministry of munitions also would hav,
to have subdivisions and that the mat
ter was concentrated in one man.
! hands, namely his own.
No one on the committee had quite
cross-examininp skill enough to breal