The Washington herald., 1920-11-29
BAKER URGES
PUTTING ARMY
ON WAR BASIS
Annual Report to President
Pleads Importance Of
Preparedness.
NEEDS OF PAST CITED
Secretary Declares We
Must Live in World as Il
Is s"-Lauds Service:
NEEDS OF PAST CITED

While the. United States may new
er be called upon to take the Of
fensive in war, the world war has
taught the necessity of a strong
and thoroughly organized army for
national defense, Secretary of War
Baker says in his annual report to
the President. made public yester-
day.
The Secretary points out that the
regular army must exhibit in its
peace-time organization the combi-
nations and CO ordinations which
are required in war; that the sew
eral branches of the service must
learn the parts they are to play,
and that there must be an army of
specialists abreast of the develop
ments in the art. making all pos
sible applications of the discoveries
OF science and invention to military
uses, and maintaining at all times
the army to the highest point of
efficiency"
Record One of Warfare.
Pointing out that from 1875 to
1920. a period of IA years, the
United States has been engaged In
major domestic or foreign wars
about one out of every four years
and its military power has been
in active use in military operations
about three out of every four years,
the Secretary adds:
While We do not need a great
standing army. we must live in
the world as 1t is, while we strug-
gle to make it what II should be-"
The figures on the cost of the
great war SO far as the War De-
partment alone Is concerned are
given in the report. which shows
that the total cash outlay up to
June 30. Of this year. was sI5,7S4,-
2i5,576.13. The credits from sales
and other sources amounted to Sc
oo3,sSo00o, leaving as the net cost
of the War Departments activities
the sum Of of$13.73o.3s5.h76.7s. - =
Included among the credits is the
sum Of s257,e65,000, which is due
the United States from Germany for
the maintenance Of the American
army in that country since the
armistice. There is yet to be recoy-
cred also the sum of S563,3l9,OO0
for goods sold on credit abroad, and
the sum Of s52,227.000 for credit
sales in the United States. Sales
which are yet to be made supply
an additional credit of $359, 600 600.
and there is yet to be turned into
the Treasury 1891. $50, 900 from sales
made prior to June 80.
$25,S52, ,3s9,5ss Provided:
The total appropriations made by
congress for the War Department
from April 6. 1917, to June 80 this
year, reached the enormous SUM of
S2o'552'36s,55S.34. the report shows.
The amount Of actual cash turned
back into the Treasury for sales of
surplus and other recoveries was
S315'ooO'OOO, while unexpended ap-
preparations turned back amounted
to s7.S15.417,649.52.
In the settlement of uncompletea
portions OF contracts, the War De-
partment has paid $437,Sle. 900. or
l3 per cent of the total of az Sak
100000, thereby saying to the gov
ernment 81 per cent of the out
standing obligations. Secretary Ra
ker says the instances where EFFORTS
were made ito overreach the gov
ernment or to demand an ineouit-
able settlement" have been very
rare.
The total strength of the army on
November of this year was 2l3.-
067, Secretary Baker says. The
army reorganization law, now in
enects- authorizes a maximum of
2SO.0OO enlisted men and l7.717 on
GERS. The fact that so many young
men have seen fit to enlist is due
the report states, to the recreational
and educational benefits which are
now an important part of the sery-
ice. The provision in the bill which
permits enlistments for either one
or three years is condemned, how
ever, by the Secretary, who saws
that from the point of view of ef-
ficiency in the army the one-year
enlistments are of little value.
Army Educational System.
The educational system in the
army is highly praised in the re-
port, Secretary Baker saying that
the time will come when men wiz,
graduate at the expiration of their
term of enlistment better equipped
to enter civilian pursuits and with
a larger and firmer grasp on Gift
zenship with its responsibilities and
privileges. The idea with which
the army is now aiming is to at
tract to its enlisted force seriou,
and energetic young men who.
while they are giving to their
country the protection which the
army is created for. will in turn
be so trained that their entire army
experience will be but an educa.
tional episode improving their op-
portunities- for civilian employment
as well al their loyalty to the
country and fidelity to its advance
ment."
The educational feature, Secretary
Baker adds, removes from the
peace-time army the reproach of
wasted time" The recreationai pro-
gram is likewise designed to afford
wholesome opportunities for enter
tainment to cure what the soldier
has been grumbling and complain,
ing about"
A fine tribute is paid to the young
women who enlisted in the recrea-
tional work Of the afmy during the
war. -
Naval Inspection Ended.