New-York tribune., 1919-03-27
Troops Discharged
Soon After Getting
Back, Says Baker
Men From Overseas Seldom
Held More Than Six
Days in Demobilization
Camps, Adds Secretary

WASHINGTON, March 26.-Upon his
return to Washington to-day from a
swing around the country visiting army
rehabilitation centres in company with
General March, chief of staff. Secre-
tary of War Baker said he had found
that the best record generally of dis
charge for men from overseas after
their arrival in camps in the United
States was forty-eight hours. The Sec
retary told of one small camp where
the men were released on the same
day of arrival, and said that in none
of the camps visited did the period
exceed six days.
My. Baker gave a detailed descrip-
tlon Of the processes of rehabilitation
including the examination of each man
by from ten to thirteen doctors to de-
termine whether the men had suffered
any injurious physical effects by rea-
son of their service with the fighting
forces. Each doctor, the Secretary
said, is a specialist in a certain line.
and where an ailment is found a board
of review consisting of three doctors
makes further examination.
The Secretary said he talked with a
great number of soldiers both in the
camps and on the trains, and that he
did not recall single instance of com
plant because of failure to receive full
pay.
Questioned About Jobs
During his visits to the camps the
War Secretary noted that agents of the
Department of Labor and other govern
ment agencies interviewed each dis
charged man to determine whether he
had a job, and, if not, what his quail
fiscation were and what work he de-
sired to take up.
Mr.. Baker called attention to the
fact that he had by invitation spoken
before chambers of commerce or SINH
lar bodies in many parts Of the country
during his trip. In these addresses, he
said, he generally spoke of the league
of nations proposal as being to his
mind world necessity because Of the
nature of modern warfare, involving
whole peoples in the actual conflict.
MIR. Baker added that without cxcep-
tlon he had found his hearers in agree
ment as to the necessity of establish
ing some means Of substituting arbi-
tration and peaceful settlements for
force in international disputes.
Hopes to Visit Europe
Mr.. Bakers plans for a visit to Eu-
rope at an early date have not been
changed and he still hopes to sail
some time mex. month He called at
tention, however, tc reports from
Paris that President Wilson might
call special session of Congress at
an earlier date than had been pre-
viously expected, and said he had no
knowledge from official sources in this
regard. He added that if the session
should be called sooner than late Nav
or June, heretofore regarded as prob
able, it would vitality affect his own
plans and he indicated that his Euro
pean trip might be abandoned in that
case.
In this relation the secretary said
that no adviccs rs to the situation in
Europe due to the Bolshevik uprising
IN Hungary or similar unrest had been
transmitted to him by the War De
partmcnt. His return to Washington
two days earlier than he first expected
was due to saving of time all along the
line of his trip and to his decision
not to visit certain Southern camps at
which he had at first planned to call.
European matters had not recalled
him, Mr. Baker indicated, and he had
no knowledge of any changes in the
plans for the homeward movement Of
the American forces in France