New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-12-03
BAKER EXPLAINS DELAY IN
FORWARDING ENTIRE LIST
OF AMERICAN CASUALTIES
Declares no Attempt Has
Been Made to Hide Figures
Thinks the 100000 Mis-
sing Names Are Those of
Men Slightly Wounded.

Washington, Dec. 3.-Secretary
Baker, appearing before the senate
military committee today to explain
the delay in completing the publica-
ton of American casualties overseas,
said he thought most of the unreport-
ed names were those of men slightly
wounded and would come by mail.
Discrepancy Puzzles Senator's.
Senators were unable to understand
why only something over 10000
names have been published, when it
has been officially announced that the
casualties number 262,693. The see
Tetary said every effort consistent with
accuracy was made to prevent delay
and that Gen. Pershing had been
urged repeatedly to expedite his lists,
sending the names of the dead first.
1.-The department from the begin
ming" Mr. Baker said, has never held
up, withheld or delayed giving out
casualty lists. Our policy has been to
give a complete statement as soon rs
SossibIe.
Gen. March Makes Statement.
Gen. March, chief Of staff, and AS
sistant Secretary KeppeI were with the
secretary. Mr.. KeppcI said the >;ys-
tenn of obtaining and verifying casual.
ty reports in France had been slow at
first and if it had to be done over
Rgain it probably would be done dif-
ferently.
Gen March, discussing demobtliza-
ton, said Gen. Pershing was selecting
units for the occupational force OF
about 1,250,000 men. and that all the
other American soldiers in France
would be brought home as rapidly as
shipping could be provided.
IS Hospitals for Wounded Men.
The seventy five hospitals to be en-
U ployed do not include those at the
ports of debe rkation, New York and
Newport News. There the wounded
will be received upon their arrival
from France in Is institutions now
ready for them with a bed capacity
of 22,06S. From the ports the men
will be taken on specially fitted trains
to one of the 6 localized hospital
groups where assignments will be
~fnade in such way that each of the
wounded men will go back to the re-
gion from which he entered the serv-
ice. The groups include:
No. General hospitals at Bos-
ton, New Haven, East Norfolk, Mass;
Plattsburg barracks, and the base
hospital at Camp Devens.
No. General hospitals at Colonia,
M. j.; Fort Porter, Fort Ontario, Otis
Vile, n. Y; Lakewood, n. j.; Cape
May, \. J.; Dansville, n. Y; Madi
son Barracks and Base hospital Camp
Dix.
No. 4-General hospitals at Fort
McHenry, Md; Rowland Park, Md;
Carlisle, Pa, and Walter Reed hos
pital, Washington. d. c., and Base
hospital, Camp Meade.
- No. General hospitals at Mar
kleton. Pa. Richmond, Va, Pitts
Pittsburgh, Pa, and Camp Lee, Va.
List Not Being Held Up.
Secretary Baker said, many COM
plants had been based upon misun-
derstanding and suspicious that the
lists were being held up. and that dis
tress had been caused among relatives
R,y inaccurate reports in soldiers pri-
rate letters. He told in detail of the
Dublica ton plan under which q tel
apram is sent imme mediately to the next
Of kin before a name is put on the
lists transmitted by mail to the news
papers for simultaneous publication
throughout the country.
Has there been any unwarranted
~A5elav on the other side?' asked Sem
ator Weeks.
"I don't feel free to say that, Mr.,
Baker answered.
Has General Pershing been asked
10 expedite the reports?"
"Repeatedly, repeatedly"
"There have been so many cases it
--cems to me the system was ineffi-
Eient," Senator Weeks observed.
Soldiers Mail Delayed.
THE system at central headquar-
ters was too slow at the outset" Mr..
Baker continued, "but it has been
improved. We had to choose between
speed and reliable information and a
somewhat slower system but reliable.
Whether we've had too much time
spent on reliability and accuracy is a
question on which there might be a
difference of opinion"
~ Senator Hitchcock, of Nebraska
Continued on Ninth Pcge)