River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1918-02-07
BAKER ANSWERS
SENATE CRITICS
Says Lack of Guns no Longer Ex-
lists and That Greatest :
Need Is for Ships.
EVERY MAN is READY
Many Times Number of Soldiers Al
ready Overseas IS Originally
Panned-Hospital Condi-
tions Good.

Washington, Jan. 30.-Secretary of
War Baker struck back at critics of
the war department with the declara-
ton that every man in % national
guard and national army camps is
ready now to be set to France when
ever needed"
Tonnage is the crux of the whole
situation, and this country is using
French artillery to save ships for sup
plies, he said.
The Allies urged troops before any
thing else-saying France and Eng
land could supply us with artillery.
In sweeping statement delivered
before the senate military committee
Baker showed the great steps this
government has taken-some of them
necessarily sudden and hence with
out sufficient preparation-to win the
war.
Facts and Figures Given.
III reply to those who have criti-
cised the war department. tae secre-
tary of war declared:
That laxity in the medical service
vt camps will not be tolerated.
Three officers have been court mar
tailed and dismissed from the army
because of negligence in attending
sick.
General Pershing himself o. KID
the adoption Of the modified Enfield
rife
A great army was called out before
guns were ready for it on the earnest
recommendation of Major General
Leonard Wood. who said the men
would first need other training be-
sides that in the use of guns.
Every man in France has his own
gun and is trained to use it.
Many times as many men are now
III France as had been originally
planned for this date.
General Pershing himself decided
against the Lewis machine gun for
land work.
On Nov. /, 40 machine guns were
sent to each training camp.
Every man in 50 training camps is
now ready for service in France.
Has Right Type of Artillery.
Our army in France-now large,
and it will be much 1arger"-will have
tle type Of artillery it wants and
needs.
That 800 three-inch anti-aircraft
guns will be turned out monthly in
this country before another year.
Official reports based on careful
Information showed that camp hospi-
tails in many cases are the equal Of
civilian hospitals and all are in splen-
did shape.
Greatly in Earnest.
Secretary Baker was greatly in ear
nest when he replied to Senator
Chamberlain charges of ineficiency
in the war department at public
hearing before the senate military
committee.
incidentally in defending tle war
machinery against the charge of in
efficiency and lack of initiative to pre-
pare for war when war was assured,
the secretary disclosed facts hitherto
held confidential.
At the outset t.le secretary said he
patience of the American people TO
do this great thing greatly"
lie conceded freely that in so great
enterprises it. was impossible there
should not be delays and shortcom-
ings." The confidence of the country,
however, he said, was necessary to
the tremendous effort.
Medical Staff the Best.
81 want the country to know that
the health and care of the men in
camps is a responsibility will not
allow to be lodged" said Baker. He
next took up measures taken through
| the surgeon generals Office under Ba-
ker's direct orders, to inspect camp
| hospitals.
1--WE have a medical staff, the like
of which does not exist elsewhere on
| the face of the earth No army was
| ever brought together or ever can be,
that will not be subject to communi-
| cable diseases. The most we can do
| is fight these things"
Change in Ordnance.
| Baker next turned to shortages ID
| the supply of ordnance. He reviewed
| the rifle situation, answering critl-
| cisms of the delay in settling on the
modified Enfield as the army rifle for
| the United States forces.
| General Persaing, Baker said, was
at the conference at which the modi-
| fed Enfield was decided on. It was a
week before Pershing went to Flu.
rope.
1--WE did not then know whether our
Bandits Fight From Behind Drifts.
Chicago, Jan. 29.-Snow drifts We're
used as barricades by five bandits and