The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-02-07
BAKER CALLED
.ON TOEXPLA|N
'STATEOF ARMY
Secreta: of War Comes Up
for Cross Examination Be
fore Military Committee.
SHIP QUESTION
NOT TOUCHED ON
Committee Gets Int SQUAD
bic Relative 20 Nature of
Questions Asked.


Baker came up for cross examination
today before the senate military COM
nlittee on his picture of the state Of
preparedness of the army. which con-
gressional critics have attacked as
grossly exaggerated
But the principal point OF the whole
conference.-the question of where
the army is going to get ships to
transport a million men 20 France this
year-was left untouched, partly be-
cause Secretary Baker did not have
the detailed figures to show the COM
mittee on what basis he made his as
sertion, and partly because the COM
mittee got into a squabble over wheth-
er it would be proper to have the sec
rotary of war disclose the figures in
public.
The upshot of 1t was that the ques-
ton of ships was left to be presented
in detailed statements to the commit
tee in secret session tomorrow and
the cross examination went on to 9TH
er subjects of general nature.
Senator Hitchcock who has attack
ed particularly, the secretary of wars
statement that the United States could
put q million men in France this year
i'm addition to 100000 already there
this spring-was insistent that Mr.
Baker should show the committee what
grounds he had for believing there
were ships available for their trans
port and supply.
Secretary Baker replied he didn't
have the exact figures in his mind,
but that his statement was made OF
figures which had been prepared by
experts who took in the information
at the disposal of the shipping board,
-t,f tOht no
able from neutral and foreign sources
The secretary made plain that he was
not counting wholly on American ships
to transport the troops.
Secretary Baker did say, however,
that probably the form of his original
statement to the committee, which has
been made the basis of attack, was
unfortunate in that 1T expressed his
general opinion of a broad situation
rather than the exact statement of
experts dealing in details.
THE misfortune for me, if / may
call it such,' said Secretary Baker.
''lay in the fact that ] attempted to
give opinions of the broad general sit
uation as 1 saw it, when the informa-
ton lay in details that ought to have
been gotten from the experts in direct
charge, or in statistics giving specific
vey 1t was a misfortune for me to do
that"
An estimate of 791, 900 tons of ships
available for transport on February
the secretary said he thoughtwas
small rather than too large.
The shipping board Senator Hitch
cock had advised him that on Novem-
Der l there were available $50 Ameri-
can ships all of more than 800 tons
each, including tank ships and the
German and Austrian ships taken
over.
Mr.. Baker did not know how many
troops that numebr Of ships would
transport, but promised to inform the
committee later.
AS the examination turned to the
question of supplies for the army, it
became apparent from the nature of
Secretary Bakers replies that he and
President Wilson had been discuss
ing some form Of further rcorganiza-
ton of the war department which
they hoped would satisfy those who
are pressing the bill for a director of
munitions.
1t was indicated earlier in the day,
also, in other official quarters, that
tho president and the secretary of war
hoped, by a further move to meet the
demand for the bill
ST have a feeling" Mr.. Baker said
in reply to Mr.. wadsworth, ''that leg
islation that would free the presi-
dents hands and allow him to trans
fer functions and coordinate the needs
of the departments as they arise
would be the best answer to the diff
culties.'
Senator Wadsworth said he referred
particularly to the statutes placing
innumerable checks and balances on
expenditure of army funds
TT might perhaps be WISE" Secre-
tary Baker continued. during the
period Of the war to authorize the
president to suspend any restrictive
statute that might be found to impede
efficiency. I'm not sure that IL Is wise
not to have these checks and counter
balances. We are spending very large
sums Of money and it seems to be
wise to check expenditures very care