New-York tribune., 1918-02-18
Mr.. Bakers Figures
On Ships and Men
By G. w. Gilbert
7ASHINGTON, Feb. 15.-Senators who
v have had chance to study Secre

tary Bakers figures, recently fur
nished to the Military Affairs Committee
are convinced that he cannot get 1900, 900
men in Europe this year
Secretary Baker on the witness stand said
that his department. estimated two tons Of
shipping man would be required TO main
tam our army in France. At the same time it
came out that the War Department estimated
that 11fty pounds day a man Of supplies Of
all kinds--food, clothing, munitions, airplane
engineering materials, etc.---,would be required
by an army in the field. AS a matter Of fact
some authorities in the War Department
adopt a much higher figure than this, but
taking the minimum estimate of fifty pounds
man 1T would take over nine tons Of sup
plies man each year, or more than 13,5O0.-
ooo tons OF supplies year to maintain an
army or 100000 men year in France
This is apparently the minimum, for as
SAID before, some estimates in the War De-
partment itself place the figure almost SO
per cent higher than fifty pounds day What
IS included in that fifty pounds day is not
disclosed Whether it provides for such an
alrplane programme as this country has un-
dertaken is not clear Whether sufficient al
lowancc is made for the engineering worl,
that has TO be done in France is not appar-
ent. Some Senators believe that the ship
ment Of airplanes and engineering material
IS gong TO be sacrificed to send men across
to make the same sort Of showing that was
qade i'll sending men to camp when there were
not either clothing or guns for them. But. if
You give the War Department the benefit Of
the doubt, once you have 100000 men in
France you will have to ship them supplies
at the rate Of 13500,0OO tons year
The Elements of Doubt
How many ships will it require to trans
port 13,5Oo,00O tons of supplies to France?
Here again Secretary Baker takes the benc-
ut OF the doubt, according to those who have
seen the estimates furnished by him to the
Senate committee. Obviously, the answer to
the question, how many ships will be needed.
depends upon the efficiency with which ships
are TO be operated, and it is notorious that
with the submarines haunting the sea the
operation of ships is inefficient, grossly in
efilclent, perhaps necessarily so. If cargo
shlps take forty days to make round trip
obviously it will take only half as MANY
ships to carry 13,50O,O0O tons of supplies in
year as it will if they take eighty days to
make trip. These figures are chosen at
random for illustration. There is another
element in efficiency Of ship operation, name
~ how nearly the weight of the actual careo
corresponds to the maximum CARVING "a
pacity of the ship.
If you load a ship with feathers it will no,
carry as many tons as if you load it with
iron ore. If you load it with tea biscuits i
Will not carry as many tons as if you load &
with shells. ship may be slowed carefully
with alrplanes and still its cargo be only. let
US say, 20 per cent of its tonnage Now. if is
notorious that ships carrying supplies to
France are only carrying cargoes of about
80 per cent Of their tonnage. This does NOT
mean that they are going over half empty.
1t means that the average supplies ronp to
France-food, clothing. cartridges, arms.
motor cars and so on-arc not heavy enough
or 90 not pack closely enough to fill ships to
their maximum tonnage capacity
Delays in Crossing
Just what fraction of a ships CARVING "a
pacity is being used is a matter of record.
IL IS less than 90 per cent. Just how MANY
trips year cargo ship in the employ Of
the ar Department is making is a matter
OF record. 1t takes an appalling length of
tune Tor such ship to load here cross the
ocean, unload, reload and recross But, never
shciess, 1t takes it. The record is plain.
Now, according to those who have seen the
Secretary's estimate, Mr.. Baker. in order to
shcW that there is prospect of pettinp
100000 men in France this year. assumes
that ships will make 60 per cent more trims
III the future than in the past, and that thew
VIII also carry more than so per cent more
tonnage than they have in the past; that is
to say, they will be loaded more than so per
cert nearer deadwcight capacity than thev
have on the average in the past Putting
these two factors together leads to this re-
suit: Mr.. Baker assumes that ships will he
operated $50 per cent more efficiently in tho
future than the records show they now are
Cattle Of Many Tails
From The London Daily Ne,es,
The meat SHORTAGE is n ot ritl,o..4 ~