The Little River news., 1918-01-30
WAR PLANS OF UNITED STATES
 ARE BARED IN BAKERS REPLY
To Have 5OO,OOO Men in France Early
 in 19lS-MOre Than 100000 There Now Sec't'y Says in Recital.

| Washington, Jan. 28-America will have an army of 500 1000 men in France early this. year, with 5O0,00O more trained and equipped, ready to follow as quickly as ships can be pro- vided to carry them-and the outlook for ships is not unpromising. | Secretary Baker gave this informa- tion today in a statement before the Senate Military Committee, barring much that until now has been care fully guarded with the army's mili- tary secrets. in answering charges that the government has broken down preparing for war.
 | From early morning until late aft ernoon the secretary addressed the 1 committee and crowd, including many members of both houses Of Congress, gathered in big hearing room Of the Senate office building. He spoke extemporaneously beginning | with details of the mammoth task of building an army of 1,50O,OOO, answer ing such complaints of inefficiency as were cited by Senator Chamberlain in his recent speech. and declaring that such instances were isolated and not general. Some questions were asked and MT. Baker from time to time, had assistants go to the telephone for re- ports on specific questions.
 Then toward the close of the day | the secretary delivered dramatic general statement of the American jWfF' plan, telling of the coming of the allied missions, of the day and night conferences with men from the scene of battle, in which the plans now be- ing executed were adopted, and of success beyond the most sanguine ex- pectatior1 in buil1ing the army and it's industrial supports at home trans roTtinS men across the ocean, con- sructing railtroaGs in France and pre- paling tc tsrike the enemy with every resource ct the countrys command l The committee wss frankly amazed when told that the men of 32 National GIan1 and National Army divisional camps gre ready to go today at need. When members wanted to know why such things had not been given pub 1 lfcity before MT. Baker spoke of the reluctance of militsry men to reveal .heir WET plans and quoted German remarks about Americas advertise D1ont of her preparations.
 Emphasizing that he was not there to defend himself CT anybody else the secretary urged the committee again and again to lay bare any short coming or failure of the department that it might be corrected Frequently l he paused to seek stronger language to describe the devotion of his associates in the department, military and civilian. 9-7
 For one reason or another" he said, "the impression has gone out into the country. to some extent at least. that the War Department has fallen down.
 Tt would be tragical thing if this tremendous effort, this wholly un- precedented sacrifice made by men were to turn out to deserve the com ment tilat it had fallen down.
 l z,. Defends Rush Policy.
 Never in the history of time, he declared. has an army of it's size been raised, equipp, d. trained and prepared for battle as had that of the United States. Mr. Baker took responsibility for getting men under training before I.heir equipment was ready ito the last shoe button Such officers as Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood, he said, had urged this policy. He described con 'erences that evolved the ordnance program and it's fulfllment submit ting documents to prove that France and Great Britain were supplying ar tillery tdaneihnccma "aCMFWWWW tillery and machine guns for the first forces at their own urgent request, in order that ships might be used for other purposes.