The Washington times., 1918-01-10

/ age at home" Aside from deaths
due to measles and its complications
J pneumonia chiefly, the rate was
{ per thousand per year. and Baker
held out the hope that with improved
clothing and health conditions the
T.5 rate would be lessened.
Turning to the ordnance branch. he
pointed to the necessity for develop
ing trained officers. charging the
working force, building new struc-
lures, modifying designs and plans
to conform to latest war experience.
/. Expansion. too. had made the quar-
termaster branch problems difficult.
EaEer to PrOnt.
Secretary Bakers statement follows:
81 am glad to lay before the COM
mittee and the country certain facts
with reference to the War Departments
work. Not all OF II is new TO you. but
1t is well to have some underlying facts
freshly in our minds at times when the
consideration OF details, however i'm
portant in themselves. might otherwise
obscure the real progress made in the
central task
The War Department is eager 10
profit by all helpful criticism, and /
thank the committee for the inquiries
which II has made and for the Coop
GRAFTON which 1t is giving and will give
in making our preparation increasingly
adequate and speedy.
"On the LIST day OF April. 1917. the reg
ulsr army comprised 5.7s1 officers and
lZl.7g enlisted men; the National Guard
in Federal service, approximately 3.733
officers and 76.7I3 enlisted men: and
the reserves, 1900 enlisted men. There
were also at that time approximately
2.573 officers in the reserve, but as these
were on inactive duty they cannot prop
erly be considered in estimating the
strength Of the army OF the United
States at that time. On the 3lst day
OF December. 1917, the regular army con-
sisted OF 1880 officers and $4,000 en-
listed men: the National Guard Of 49,
03l officers and 100000 enlisted men the
National army OF $4,000 men: and the
reserve OF S4.575 officers and 1850 en-
listed men. mother words. in nine
months the increase has been from
9.524 officers to l1O,s5S officers; from
902.Jl0 10 1.42s.650 men.
Six Times ns Great rs In 'Ss.
During the war with Spain. the
army of the United States at its max
imum aggregated 272.O0o men and
officers. The army now in the field
and in training is. therefore, roughly
six times as great as the maximum
number under arms in the Spanish
American war
The total number already in the
military service is one and a half
times as large as any force ever mob
ilized by this nation.
Substantial part Of our military
forces was selected by the operation
OF draft law. the execution of which
has demonstrated both the economi-
cal and the efficient way OF selecting
soldiers. The law itself was drawn.
Its execution carried to a successful
conclusion. and the theory OF the law.
novel TO our people. explained and
made popular. because Of its demon
strated fairness both in plan and exc
cution.
For the training Of officers two
series OF training camps were held.
from which about 5000 officers were
from civil life This
number is nearly eight times as great !
as the number OF officers m the reg
ular army on the first day or April.
sixteen CanIOnments.
For the training OF these soldiers, Z
sixteen environments have been built. |
costing S134.OOO.OOO. with an average /