Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-02-07
Questions Of Transportation of
Troops and Supplies Not
Discussed Because Secre-
tary Lacks Data,
FURTHER HEARING TO
BE HELD EXECUTIVELY
War Department Carrying on
Work as AdvantageouSIy as
Possible Witness DecIareSj
Clashes Few,
10y MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LtAstD wr.rI

/
| Washington. Feb. 6. - Secretary
Baker came up for cross examination
today before the senate military COM
mittee on his picture of the state of
preparedness of the army, which con-
gressional critics have attacked as
grossly exaggerated"
But the principle point Of the whole
troversy--question of where the
army Is going to get ships to trans
port a million men to 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 squabble over
whether it would be proper to have
the secretary of war disclose the fig
ures in public.
Presented in Secret.
The upshot of it was that the dues-
ton Of ships was left to be presented
In detailed exact statements to the
committee in secret session tomor-
row and the cross examination went
on to other subjects of a general ma
ture.
Senator Hitchcock who has attack
ed particularly the secretary of wars
statement that the United states could
put million men in France this year
in addition to 100000 there early
this spring-was insistent in his ques-
tioning.
Secretary Baker replied he did not
have the exact figures in his mind but
that his statement was made on fig
ures which had been prepared by ex-
rerts who took in the information at
the disposal of the shipping board as
we'll as what ships might be available
from neutral and foreign sources. The
secretary made plain that he was not
counting wholly on American ships to
transport the troops.
Attempted General Survey.
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 it expressed
his general opinion of broad situa-
ton rather than the exact statement
OF experts dealing in details
"The misfortune for me. if I may
call it such" said Secretary Baker,
lay in the fact that attempted to
give opinions of the broad general
situation as I saw it."
Less Than Million Tons.
A., 10 Of -0t nm 49,.
available for transport on February
|. the secretary said, he had thought
was small rather than too large.
The shipping board. Senator Hitch
cock said had advised him that on
November / there were available 5S?
American ships, all of more than 1900
tons each, including tank ships and
the German and Austrian ships taken
over.
Mr.. Baker did not know how many
troops that number Of ships would
transport but promised to inform the
committee later.
More Than Schedule.
Secretary Baker gave the opinion
that new legislation would be desir-
able to give the president general
powers to transfer and coordinate
functions of various departments as
conditions arise.
American tonnage losses, Secretary
Eaker said, have been exceedingly
light. "The service the navy has
rendered in the protection of the
army" he SAID, "has been unexam.
pied"
Senator Weeks asked II the war
department had succeeded in doing
as much as it had hoped for in Octo-
ber.
Il can answer that In this way"
Mr.. Baker said. "Ou January 1 we
had transported to trance more
troops than our schedule had called
for
Didn't Have Figures.
Both combatant and non-combatant
troops? asked Senator Weeks.
THAT is the aggregate, Mr.. Baker
said
Senator Weeks said he had heard
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Continued on rage rIve.i