The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-12-03
SEC. BAKER HAS
NO INFORMATION
About the Bulk of American
Casualties Not Yet
Reported
BUT THINKS THEM
SLIGHTLY WOUNDED
Army of Million and Quar-.
ter Will Be Kept in Ger
many for a Time

+ 1
Baker, appearing before the Senate mill
tary committee to-day to explain the de
lay iR completing the publication o
American casualties overseas, said h
thought most Of the unreported name
were those of men slightly wounded ant
would come by mail.
Senators were unable to understand
why only something over one hundred
thousand names have been published
when 1t has been officially announced
that the casualties number 262,693. Tn,
secretary said every effort consistent
with accuracy was made TO, prevent de
lay, and that General Pershing had beer
urged repeatedly to expedite his lists
sending the names Of the dead first.
The department from the beginning.
Mr.. Baker said, "has never held up. with.
held or delayed giving out casualty lists
Our policy has been to give a complete
statement as soon as possible"
General March, chief of staff, and A.
sistant Secretary keppel were with the
secretary. Mr.. Keppel said the system
Of obtaining and verifying casualties in
France had been slow at frat and If it
had to be done over again ii probably
would be done differently.
General March, discussing demobiliza.
tion, said General pershing was select
ing units for the occupational force Of
about l,250,000 men, and that all the
other American soldiers in France will
be brought home as rapidly as shipping
could be provided
Secretary Baker said many complaints
had been based upon Misunderstanding
and suspicious that the lists were being
held up, and that distress had been
caused among relatives by inaccurate re.
ports in soldiers private letters. He
told in detail Of the publication plan
under which telegram Il sent immedi.
ately to the next Of kin before a name
is put on the lists transmitted by mail
to the newspapers for simultaneous pub
lication throughout the country.
Has there been any unwarranted de-
lay on the other side7' asked Senator
Weeks Of Massachusetts,.
u don't feel free to say that" Mr..
Baker answered.
Has General Pershing been asked to
expedite the reports!"
Repeatedly; repeatedly"
There have been so many eases it
seems to me the system .Yas inefficient" :"
Senator Weeks observed.
"The system at central headqiIarters
was too slow at the outset Mr.. Baker
continued, "but il has been improved
We chose between speed and unre.
liable information and somewhat slow
er system but reliable. Whether we have
had too much time spent on reliability
and accuracy is a question on which
there might be difference of opinion. +.
Senator Hitchcock OF Nebraska said
that soldiers mail has been lawfully"
delayed and that there must be literally
shiploads of 1t held up, Mr.. Baker dis
agreed, and also said he doubted if
statement by Senator New, of Indiana,
that il takes an average of l2 DAYS to
get answers to letters to the department,
could be true.
Senator johnson of California asked
what was holding up the names of the
men included in the total number al. |
'eady announced.
~ don't know why" Secretary Bak- |
n answered. Were getting them as
'apidly as the cables. are able to carry |
hem. | think the major part of those
missing are of slightly wounded and
coming by mail.
IL cabled General Pershing a sugges-
ion made TO me by Mrl Stone, of the
Associated Press, to send the deaths first |
md let the seriously wounded follow and
hen the slightly wounded. ! asked
General Pershing if his machinery was
.dapted to cable the deaths first. He
eplied that sending Of wounded was not
elaying the lists of dead and that no
peed could be gotten by the process
Senator johnson asked how many
americans have been in actual fighting
p to the sieTing of the armistice.
Secretary Baker estimated 100000 and
ieneral March added that it was above
hat number but somewhat less than
100000"
General March also said unless rela.
ives of Americans who have lost their
YES request otherwise all bodies of the
american dead will be brought home.
,ithout legislation by Congress. How
Don the transportation of bodies will ,
egin, General March said he could not
tate.
Obviously, General March said, while
ctive fighting was in progress, reports
casualties were slow
He read kilograms exchanged between
ne department and general Pershing
Ist July and August after the heavy
merican losses in the Chateau Thierry
ghting, which were delayed in trans.
Iission. In reply to orders from Secre. !
Try Baker advising General Pershing !
lat the delay was creating feeling {
distrust" of the department. General !
ershing replied detailing difficulties Of
.curing and verifying casualty reports 3
I'D assuring that all possible speed was d
ling exercised. 4
General Pershing explained that the I
oops were widely scattered with some fl