Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1918-02-16

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Baker, the United States now has near-
ly half a million men in France, and
million and half more who will be
ready to go whenever transportation s
provided. Which does not accord with
the opinion expressed by certain emf
nent Boch's that the military power Of
America need give Germany no any
lefty, because no great number of our
troops can be taken over TO Europe.
Stimulated, perhaps, by the successful
attacks of allied aylators on Mann
helm and other German cities the
kalser's air forces made two big rads
on successive nights on London and
southeast England. The bombs
dropped by the first expedition killed
A persons, mostly women and chill
dren, and all but one in the metropolis,
and Injured a considerable number.
The second bunch Of raiders murdered
only two.
For the first time In months Paris
was raided by enemy aviators, They
attacked the city in considerable mum
bers and killed 20 persons and wound
ed SO.
IA
Secretary Baker. at his own request,
appearing second time before the
senate committee on military affairs,
made an address that created so excel
lent an impression that much Of the
criticism of him and his management
Of the war department was sleneed.
He spoke frankly and eloquently. no
longer seeking to cover up the faults
Of The bureaus, hut asserting That his
critics had made II appear that spe-
ciiie cases were characteristic of gem
ernl conditions, which was not true,
and that every mistake discovered had
been recifed and none Of them re-
peated His explanation and defense
Of most of the criticized acts Of his
department sounded convincing, and
he displayed no III temper or anilnos-
ity.
The immediate result was an AMIGA
BILE conference between Secretary
Baker and Senator Chamberlain The
senator assured the secretary the urg-
ing of the munitions director and war
cabinet bills was due only to patriotic
desire to help win the war and in
no way was intended TO reflect on the
administration. Mr. Baker finally
agreed to reconsider his objections to
the former measure. hut asked that the
latter be shclyed II was believed That
If the position Of munitions director is
created IL will be filled by MFR Stettin-
Ius, who already, In the reorganization,
has been made surveyor general OF
army supplies. His long experience
as purchasing agent for the entente
allies seems TO fit him peculiarly for
the place.
The good results Of the senate in
vestigatlon and Of the general criti-
clsm directed against some features
of the war departments management
are apparent daily, ind the improve
ment may 90 on until all the critics
are satisfied except those who hold
that protested paclfist is not the man
for secretary Of war in war tlpe.
IA
Secretary Lansing announced Wed
nesday that an agreement had been
arranged by the United States,
Great Britain ana Canada providing
that subjects of each country IN any
Of the others may return home within
sixty days for military service, and II
they do not they may be drafted where
they are.
The British and Canadian recruiting
missions In the United States. under
the command of competent and expert
enced officers who have all done their
bit at the front, have been getting rea-
sonably good results In New York;
New England, Chicago, and many 9th
er sections Of the country, and they
will hail with Joy such pact rs is
planned, for there are thousands Of
British subjects IN the United States
who only need to be pushed little in
order to get them into the armed serv-
ice Of their country
--M~
Explosions and fires in plants that
are making war mnterial continue 10
be dlsgustingly frequent despite the
efforts of the secret service to catch
the spies and agents responsible. One
Of the worst of these occurrences was
n great explosion in the naval torpedo
station at Newport News, Va. Another
was disastrous fire on oil barges that
threatened the big government ship
yard at Port Newark. Federal agents
believe many Of these outrages are the
work Of pacfists who call themselves
Americans.