The Washington herald., 1920-11-02
BAKER REPLIES
CRITICS
Issues Specific Denial to the
Charges Of Waste in
War Expenditures.

The War Department last night
issued the following statement in
refutation Of charges that it was
inefficient. extrayagant and wase-
full during the war.
The War Department has saved
over s4.6T5, 342.ssI.l5 to the taxpay-
ers Of this country through the sale
Of surplus war supplies and settle
ments OF claims. Because of the nu-
merous erroneous. reports which
have appeared Of late in the public
press regarding loss to the govern
rnent through alleged ineffciency of
the War Department, the following
statement is issued to correct these
unfounded reports.
Deny shoe Scandal.
In refutation Of the charge that
il purchased 32,22745O pairs OF
shoes, the War Department pre-
sented figures to show that the act
usl number was 2s.S24.I6I which. it
states. was conservative considering
that its plans were based upon an
army of 5.OOO.OO0 men.
1t purchased 573,40S horses and
mules. 1885 OF them abroad, and
shipped S7,943 animals overseas: 96,.
900 died or were killed. This in
answer TO the allegation that $50.
ls2 horses were purchased and only
6s,94s sent abroad
OF the stocks sold in Europe
France purchased goods Tor s532.,
100000 and in addition waived al
claims for customs duties and tgNe!
on property imported into Franc,
and sold to the profit Of the United
estimated at approximately $50.
100000 and the French government
further assumed the payment Of ap
pToEimately $3.50. 900 900 claim
sgainst the United States govern
ment arising out of the American
occupation.
Saved Taxes, Is Claim.
As a result OF the work Of tn
United States Liquidation Commits
son. the War Department saved t,
the taxpayers. from the sale OF sur
plus war material in Europe. 1872,
s23225.s2. plus the claims for dam
ages which would have been enteret
against the government. Thus tn
claim that property which had cos
this country Sl.39O.eG9.3O2 was dis
: posed Of To the French governmen
for sio0. 100000. payable in ten years
Is entirely erroneous
The charge has been made tha
when the war ended. the govern
mrTr had 100. 900 automobiles in tn
Motor Transport Corps Also tina
u mad more than 1000 Packar,
lEnous.nes parked in the open 70
eleven months with uphoIsterini
Tottinz and tires bursting Th
army procured a total Of only sev
~nty-one passenger vehicles Of Pack
, ard make AID never had 1000 Pack
ard cars on hand
1t has been charged that bu
seventv-two American-made gun
reached the front. yet as a mat
ter Of fact we had in France $50
pieces or artillery. Of which aearI,
500 were Of American manufactur
and the others were purchased
1t has Her1 charged that tn
army shipped 700 America n
made shells to : nee This state
r1ent is absolut, v U0warranted In
stead. the. were received BY ou
forces ~ France 6.3OsOOo Amer
lean made shells of all CaIibers-o
"0e-haIf OF the total number ex
pended by our forces during n
war
sales Made to Cut II. {. L.
To reduce the high cost OF Iivir
the War Department has sold ar
proximately ss3.OOO.OOO worth {
food supplies a so per cent Of III
/ cost value. that is for $50. 900. on
Extensive advertising campaign
we're conductor for the purpose
notifying the public when an
where these sales would be held
with reference to the specif
charge that tho United States 20,
ernment sold sugar for two cents
pound 70 France attention is in
vited to the fact that 400 OOa pound
L Of sugar were sold to the America
Relief Association at Il cents
pound, s,0OO.O0O pounds to Franc
~ Il cents a pound. and 5000. OF
pounds to England to replace ja
purchased from that country. Thes
sales were made a the cost show
plus a transportation charge whiC
amounted TO about 20 per cent pt
pound. At no time did the War d.
partment sell any sugar to any fol
cign government a. two cents pt