Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-01-29

dSSeInoleu 10 give Inelr nearly CO-Operd-
ton.
mending hospital conditions she re-
Gently inspected Mrs. Rinehart said
she was impressed by Senator Chamber
lain's tragic letters"
But. 1 feel the mothers of the coun-
try should know" wrote Mrs. Rinehart,
| that the number of such cases is
small. 1t is cruel to allow every moth
er to judge the medical corps because
here and there men are unwilling or I'M
able to give the care that is their duty.
There are conditions to be remedied.
The shortage Of women nurses is seri-
Gus. But of cruelty and Indifference
have found nothing. Ninety-nine out of
hundred boys are receiving better care
than they could afford at home"
Adoption of Rifle
"And I wish to point out further"
said Secretary Baker, that the very
heads of the medical profession, the
masters of the profession, are in con-
slant touch with the surgeon general"
No army could be raised in any coun-
try, the secretary continued, without
danger from communicable diseases. All
that could be done was to provide every
means of science to meet that danger.
That he insisted, was being done.
Taking up Senator Cham berlain'S at
tack on the ordnance bureau, Mr.. Baker
said that mems minds differed about the
type of guns to be used and about the
quantity He then disclosed that the
decision to adopt the so-called re-cham-
bered Enfield rifle was reached late one
night in his office at a conference at
tended by General Pershing, WHO was
preparing to go to France; General
Scott, chief of staff; General Bliss, as
sistant chief; General Crozier, chief of
ordnance, and General Kuhn, then head
of the war college, and several other
| staff officers, experts in rifles" 1t
was late in May or early in June.
| The American Springfield rifle, Secre-
tary Baker said, was admittedly the
best military rife developed by any
country" when this decision was reach
ed There were in stock about 100000
of them.
! It was not then known, Secretary
Baker continued, whether American
troops would fight beside the British or
the French. The British used a rim
cartridge rifle of one calibre, and the
French a rim cartridge gun of another
/ calbre.
Reason for Early Call
The British government had b e
! prepared to re-arm the entire British
army with the Enfield when the war
broke out in 1914 The excellence OF
the American W pom was so well
know that the British c e
to remodel their guns but the sudden
ness of the war prevented the change.
That decision made that night Mr..
Baker said, referring to the conference
at which it was decided Sto adopt the
Enfield rifle, had the unanimous con-
sent of every man at the conference
After America entered the war, Mr..
Baker said, Hajor General Wood came
to his office and advocated the neCes-
sty of calling out a large army. Sec
rotary Baker said there were not the
clothes or arms. General Wood replied |
he knew that but contended the men
needed to live together for preliminary !
training" He told General Wood he |
agreed that the army should be assem- |
bled as rapidly as possible, but 1t was
the intention to build the regular army
and the national guard first and then
the national army,
Concluding his statement regarding
the decision to call many men early
Secretary Baker said: :
so, the determination ultimately
was upon an attempt to forecast the
time needed for training. 1t was deem
ed wise to put men into camp to learn
camp living and essentials Of a SOL
diers life, a little in advance before
they could be fully supplied with arms"
Had 100000 Rifles
Regarding Senator Chamberlaln's
statement that rifles originally sent
| to camps were motley collection" Sec
rotary Baker said he did not object to
that term but the facts were that I'VE
had about 500. 900 Springfield rifles and
something over 100000 Krags.
THE German army, best prepared in
! the world" he added furnishes an OBJ
solete rifle for practice until men learn
/ to take care of better weapon
! Every man in this country intended to
/ carry rifle now has one and a. rifle
/ Of better quality than if we had adopt
J ed the existing type at the time.
| And" he continued, although we
have sent soldiers to Europe much more
rapidly than we ever thought we would
! OF could, every soldier has not only
modern rifle but has had practice with
I it
/ Turning to the machine gun question.
| Mr. Baker denied that the board he APP
/ pointed in the fall Of 1915 to test ma
chine guns had delayed for one sec
ond the procurement of additional ma
chine guns"
! He told of the navy's test of the
| Lewis gun last April with an army Of
ficer present and added:
"As a result of that test an immediate
order was given to the Savage Arms
company for Lewis guns We have or
dered all the Lewis guns we could get.
! Our army abroad is provided with the
guns IT has elected as adapted to its
use, and our supply is to supplement
that"
on the question Of big guns, Secre-
tary Baker recalled that General Croz-
ter, chief of ordnance, had urged con-
! gress and the various secretaries of war
continuously for larger programs be
| cause of the time it took to make the
guns the record served, he thought,
to show that General Crozier had real
| lied the delay that must be faced and
sought to prepare in advance