Evening star., 1918-01-28

1918. ~-.---. -,-~---e>--. '~--'e-e,--,
ias Rssd. 10 0u''o our own asked senator
Exactly" Secretary Baker replied.
Also 1t saved tonnage. And I'm tell
ing, no, secrets when I say that ships
are the crux of this problem and every
time we can use French industrial re-
sources instead Of making and sending
our, own products we are doing it."
Great Advantage to France.
'Ts that a disadvantage to F,rance?"
asked Senator Beckham.
paS pGSategorieaily; I answer. no." said Mr.
great advantage to France
secretary Baker produced telegram
from Maj. Gen. Bliss. chief OF staff. when
the war commission was abroad. reciting
! the unanimous agreement of the inter-
allied military representatives for Ameri-
can forces to secure artillery from Eng
land and France for all American forces
sent abroad this year and as long there
after as possible.
Task Of Col. Houses Aids.
Referring to Col. Houses military
aides. Secretary Baker said:
IT was their task to find out from
the British, French and Italian repre-
Seneatlves the answer to this question:
~" can america contribute most to
'he early winning of this war;
sCne OF the answers was for more
Taplo expedition of American forces to
Europe. II was agreed that both Eng
iano ana France have surplus ordnance
| Ing capacity.''
Yen. zen Bliss message. in part. follows:
II was agreed by representatives Of
Treat Brltaln and France that their nro-
auc,lon OF ordnance is now established on
equip all American troops arriving in Ia1s
WIN ordnance Of the best types. 1t is
,,eeeeommended rec that they be supplied in
1919. ana as long afterward as is found
eeonvenlent, from British and French gun
Not Taking from British and French.
7 have seen in the newsnaners" Mr.
haker continued, that this is putting a
: puFuen on France. l say to you gem
Gemen. tnat Joffre and his associates,
zen. bfldges and all his associates of
brltain, and, in fact, all persons
OF commissions that have come to this
country with any knowledge Of condi-
.ioHs: an bring me the confidence and
posi..se os assurance that we are not only
the things that they need. but are
neip1ng their industrial processes and
easihs tonnage. and making proper CO.
originated oTainated military efforts with our
The proposition came from Franc.
originally, didn't it," asked Senator
Myers Of Montana, and Mr.. Baker re
pied aff1rmatively
statlst1cs regarding manufacture in
h'l tnis country OF artillery were given
~ MI. Baker, some publicly and some
10 the committee in confidence He
sald' Tor example, that the first three
illcn antI-alrcraft howitzer was de1iy-
tios eo !; .has rs, month and that it's produc-
cyf4
ber. III oeeeH-
:. So. he said, recapitulating. ct think
II y. rs Ialr TO say-and if there is a possj-
~ ni.s tnat l am wrong. ] want it called
70 my attention = that the America n
army IN France, large as it is. and the
american Army to be sent there. large
a 8 mat Is. are and will be provided with
;aiI,siflery ar, OF the type they want as ran
loiy as they can use it. and that n,'r
own stream of manufacture ia s,,nn,a
ment this. is in process, with delivery
OF pieces rising steadily
MOI Enough in France Until 1915.
r. Mr, Baker, referring to letter from NJ
4 1aruleu to Gen. Crozier. dated Deren,bs,
~ i': tast. % read the statement that The ou:pu:
ol pis guns IN France did not become a5s
quate until 1915. The commiss;ons,. e,
pressed. the belief that the United Statss
Nouio make faster progress than had his
own country. ~ Aioo Ills
ine Secretary showed that the tota, .,
6rlt'sh munition contracts nlaoed in ~
lnlteu States over period OF three vaars
was more than a billion dollars wb;is ~
;n Ghitea tse states had placed greater orders
IN the same market during a narinS -
seven months. In shells alone "a ma ooa
have been ordered o'''oo'ooo
1t is fair to assume" ba s.;s
comparing the figures, that Gre.t .rt
narta A.r ~ was getting at least the major
II Il
we came into the field we found ~ n T.,
part pre-empted by our allies onr
neeessIty y was to intrude our propran,
"'hout dlsplacing that of our allies
twenty Contracts Day Averaged.
The ordnance bureau has aver,eaa
.menty. .iy contracts a day. or 5000. .ona
since we went into the war
Senator Frelinghuysen said ba ,,,
stooo that the shell-makine cansci,~ -,
me me country had dropped to one -fourtb its
size after the United States enters5 .hs NC
war. the War Department having nare
be disnantled BUSINESS ana
secretary Baker said he had no ;nfor-
nation on that point, but would obtain il
Ior the committee. He sueoestad ~
Wnat prompted the impression probah1,
vas 40 .ua. pants created in the country by
the British government and the W.
chlnery of which was owned hw &c
Britain' might have been dismant1ed amd
shipped to England, where the n,set;,an alu
was desired. i'aeii'hefs
Discrimination at Meade Denied
Senator Sutherland said a co1orea
preacher had told him that his SON .
drafted man at Camp Meade. had haen
supplied with the CASTOR cIotFjne ~
Whlte soldiers. and that no wooIen un
oercloth1ng was furnished to the bo,,
secretary Baker said he would jnou;ra
put added that he believed Camn Need.
mad a surplus of wooden cIothinr fo.
al men there, and that there was M
discrimination in the treatment ~
white and colored troops. "
secretary Baker said the idea had
Gotten abroad that the American Army
uniform is part shoddy He declared #
is all wool and that shoddy is nut in
overcoats and blankets only.
The fact is" he said, that all un;-
form cloth is of virgin wool There 10
no shoddy in it. Reworked wool os
shoddy, has been put only in oyercoats
and blankets.
When we went into this war the
standard of the Army uniform, was *
per cent wool and 25 per cent cotton
But that was changed, and now every
yard is of virgin wool. with a large in
crease in it's strength"
To Verify Facts About Shoddy.
Secretary Baker said he had iust
learned of the circumstances. and teIe-
To