Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-01-28
SHIFTS BLAME FOR WAR DELAYS.

sty Of calling out a large army. Secre-
tary Baker said there were not the
clothes nor arms, but General Wood
said he knew that but the men should
live together for preliminary training.
He told General Wood the army
would be assembled as rapidly as pos
sible.
Concluding his statement regarding
his decision to call many men early,
he said:
$50 the determination ultimately was
upon an attempt to call men needed
for training. 1t was deemed wise to put
men into camp to learn essentials Of
soldiers life little in advance"
Regarding Senator Chamberlain's
statement that rifles originally sent to
camp were a motley collection" Sec
retary Baker said he did not object to
the terms but that the facts were that
I'VE had 100000 Springfield rifles and
something over 100000 Krags.
THE German army, the best prepared
in the world" he said, furnished an
obsolete rifle for practice
All Have Rifles Now.
! II do not mean to say" he added,
"that the question was decided in
fallibly. But I do mean to say it was
decided conscientiously and that now
every man in this country intended to
carry a rifle has a rifle"
And" he continued "altho we have
sent soldiers to Europe much more
rapidly than we thought We could,
every soldier not only has a modern
rifle but has had practice with it. That
also is true of every soldier who will
so to Europe"
Turning to the machine gun question
he said that up to last April the Lewis
gun had not been satisfactorily tested
with American ammunition. The
French, he said. never took the Lewis
gun in any large number
THE board" he added referring to
the board appointed to test machine
guns never delayed one second the
procurement Of machine guns
Looks to France For Heavy Guns.
He told Of the navy's test Of the
Lewis gun last April and added:
In the meantime the French gov
ernment is able to supply us with
light French guns and heavy Hotch-
kiss guns for the troops that are
abroad and that will be sent for the
present.
I'VE have ordered all the Lewis guns
we could get and have encouraged the
company to extend it's plant for in
creased production. Our army abroad
is provided with the guns it has elect
ed as adapted to it's use and our supply
is to supplement that"
obviously, he said, there were not
as many machine guns for camps as
was to be desired but he read table
that on Nov. 1 each camp or canton
ment had been shipped thirty Colt.
sixty-five Lewis and forty-f1v Chau-
chat guns and in addition each regular
cavalry. regiment. had been supplied
with ten Lewis guns and each infantry
regiment with ten Chauchat
All Camps Have Guns.
practically all of these were shipped
before the troops were ready for them"
Mr.. Baker said.
Senator Reed asked 'if before the
troops were ready for them" meant
that If the men were ready for train
ing or before the men had been mobi-
lized.
Secretary Baker said it was before
the ranges had been prepared.
Senator Kirby asked why Lewis guns
had been sent when it had been decided
not to use them with land forces. Sec
retary Baker said it was to instruct
the men In the mechanism with as
many types as possible.
The secretary said General Crozier
had urged congress continuously for
larger appropriations for big guns. The
records served, he said. to show that
General Crozier had realized the delay
that must be faced.
France Not Prepared.
Reading a letter from NJ. Tardieu,
French high commissioner Secretary
Baker showed that France entered the
war with more than 5000 pieces Of
heavy artillery but only $40 quick fir
ers. Great effort was made the letter
said. to get the quick firers for the
field.
An appended list Of orders for heavy
artillery placed by France the secrc-
tarv said. showed that 1t did not lie
in the Imagination Of any one to realize
what the ordnance program Of the war
would come to--not even France, the
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