The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-01-10
CRITICISM OF
U. S. ARMY
g of opinion and disapproval" has
(Continued from page H.

. \
ence of opinion and disapprovaI" hal
been submitted to the probers.
1.-THE war department" he con
tinued "has spent eight months
hearing similar expressions, analyz
ing them, correcting the conditions
out of which they grew, perfectins
it's organization to prevent their re
currence; and all the while driving
on to the accomplishment of the
main task"
II am glad to lay before the com
mittee and the country certain facts
with reference to the war department
work." said Baker opening his testi
Imony "Not all of it is new to you
but it is well to Lave some underlying
facts freshly in our minds at times
when the consideration of details, how
ever important in themselves, might
otherwise obscure the real progress
made in the central task.
THE war department is eager to
profit by all helpful criticism and
thank the committee for the inquiries
which it has made and for the COOP
Grafton which it is giving and will give
in making our preparation increasing
! ly adequate and speedy
ION the first day Of April, 1917, the
regular army comprised 5,l91 offl-
GERS and .797 enlisted men; the ma
| tional guard in federal service approx
imately, 1888 officers and 76,713 en-
listed men; and the reserve four thou
sand enlisted men. There were also
at that time approximately 1888 off,
GERS in the reserve, but as these We're
on inactive duty they cannot properly
be considered in estimating the
strength of the army of the United
States at that time. On the 31st day
of December, 1917, the regular army
consisted of 10,250 officers and 475,000
enlisted men; the national guard OF
16,O31 officers and 475,000 enlisted
;men; the national army of 100000
men and the reserve of S4,575 officers
words in nine months, the increase
has been from 1884 officers to 110,S56
officers; from 202,510 to 1,42S,65O men.
During the war with Spain, the
army of the United States at it's maxi
mum strength aggregated 272,000 men
and officers. The army now in the
neld and in training is therefore,
roughly six times as great as the maxi
mum number under ;-rmS in the Span
isn-American war.
THE total number already in the
military service is one and a half
times as large as any force modified
by this nation.
"A substantial part Of our military
forces was selected by the operation
of a draft law, the execution of which
has demonstrated both the economical
and the efficient way of selecting sold
iers. The law was drawn, its execution
carried to a successful conclusion and
the theory of the law novel to our peo-
pie, explained and made popular be-
cause of its demonstrated fairness
both in plan and execution.
For the quartermaster generals
department in 1918, s3,01S, 100000 was
appropriated, or a sum more than four
times as great as the 1915 appropria-
tons for all governmental purposes.
"On the first day of April there were
BAT officers in the quartermaster's
corps.
''On the first day of January, 1918,
nearly two billion dollars of the appro-
priation had been obligated by con-
tracts or disbursements.
In the wooden goods section alone,
the cooperation of over 800 mills was
involved and the following items give
some idea of the extensive character
of the operations:
There have been purchased over
$4,000, 900 blankets; 100000 900 yards of
|overcoating and over 100000 yards
each of shifting flannel and suiting,
involving an expenditure Of over $345,-
100000. In cotton goods, the depart
ment has contracted for 250,0OO,OO
yards Of various cotton cloths.
Further idea of the size of pur-
chases in this department will be con-
veyed by the following figures:
Purchases to December 30. 1917:
Winter drawers, 25,O00,0OO pair
Winter undershirts, 81 900 600.
Wooden gloves, 100000 pair.
Wool light weight stockings, 81,
900, 900 pair.
100000 pair.
Shoes purchased for delivery to
January 1. 10000, 900 pair
Shoes purchased for delivery Jan
uary 1-June 1, 100000 pair.
Cots, 100000.
THE quartermaster generals de-
partment in the supply section alone
made 1850 contracts, covering 142
different kinds Of articles and aggre-
eating money value of $500. O0O. 900.
"Of the total war department ap-
preparations for 1918. s3.20o, OOO, 900
was for the ordnance department.
The value Of the products of all iron
and steel industries in the United
States in 1914 was $500, 200, 600 or
less than one-third of the amount to
be expended by the ordnance depart
ment.
"Of this gigantic sum, the ordnance
department has already placed con.
tracts amounting to s1,677,000, 900.
"On the first day of April, 1917, the
ordnance department consisted of
ninety-seven commissioned officers.
occupying $4,000 square feet of office
room in Washington. 1t now consists
OF 1904 officers, occupying more than
fourteen acres Of Office floor space:
and in addition has 26,12O enlisted
personnel.
The aviation section of the sig
nal corps on the first day of April,
1917, consisted of sixty-five officers
and 1920 men, On the first day OF