The Washington times., 1921-03-01

hs replied Its development is OF
primary imrortance from military
g0tHt 81 view. ia usg uushi 10 -
developed in harmony with the use
u other weapons, and military aero
rautics ought To be a part OF the
army. not a separate agency
The Secretary stated he did not
believe the airplane would displace
the present principal weapons of
either the army or the navy.
do you believe, Mr.. Secretary, that
the use of gas in warfare should con-
tinue7"
SEES GAS WARFARE hmITED.
"In view of the fact that the use
OF gas Is apt 10 resolve itself into
an attack on civilian populations,
he replied. "it seems altogether likely
that the nations of the world will
eventually agree to limit. II not pro-
hibit. Its employment. A great civil
ICED country like the United States,
however, should always be prepared
TO defend itself against the barbarous
misuse OF this or any other weapon.
Replying TO "A question as To wheth-
er the General stan should continue
in its present form, Ir. Baker said:
"'rhe General Stan as now organ
lied Is the best form OF Army ad-
ministration we have yet had"
what have you to say to the sug-
gestion that IL is 'Prussian' in spiritT"
] have never discovered 'Prussian
spirit In the general staff and 1 do
not believe such spirit exists" he
said.
"Mr. Secretary. II has been charged
that there are considerable numbers
of prisoners In prisons and discipli-
nary barracks for purely military Of
lenses, and that the function of
granting clemency has been placed In
the adjutant generals department,
which Is purely administrative. in
stead of being left with the judge ad-
vocate generals department. where
beneht might be had OF the opinions
OF trained penologists."
FAvORs "PRIsON SECTION
'It is true" Mr. Baker replied
that the administration OF military
prisons Is In the hands OF the ad.
jutant general, but II was placed
there by act Of Congress. i don't be-
lieve II ought to be there, nor do be-
lieve 1T should be under the Judge ad.
vocate general. / believe there should
be separate prison section. having
no other function than the handling
Of these matters"
Secretary Baker paid a high tribute
to the work of reserve officers In the
war. and predicted that the reserve
officers training camp idea would
play an important part In all future
schemes Of national defense He gave
full credit to Maj Gen. Leonard Wood
as the originator Of the "Plattsburg
idea" from which the great system
of training camps developed. ,gr
"The reserve officers training camp
idea is a most excellent one and
should not be abandoned" he said.
"The young men Of America who
were trained at Plattsburgh and in
similar camps played an enormously
important part in the war. The idea
came from General Wood 1t was
gestion.
Though the reliance Of the army
for officers in the war was neces-
sarily upon the training camps. their
success should not blind us to the
fact that 1t was. after all, an inten-
sive and brief period of instruction
for men who were to be charged with
the gravest possible responsibilities.
For a little while there will be in the
country men who have had expert
ence in this war to come from civil
lie INTO tne regular army, Dut In
very few years these men will have
become too settled in other pursuits
or too necessary in other professions
to be drawn aside into the peace time
establishment.
PRAISES OFFICERS RESERVE.
'It Is important. therefore. that
consistent efforts be devoted to TIE
building of the officers Reserve
Corps. The Military Academy at
West Point can, in any case, pro-
vide only a small portion of the
officers annually needed, and there
must be a reservoir out of which the
deficiency can be made up in the
Regular Army. and which will be an
instant reliance when larger forces
are needed. The general recognition
Of this need by the colleges of the
country has led to a sympathetic re-
ception on their part of the plan to
establish Reserve Officers Training
Corps units in the colleges and
technical schools"
"Mr. Secretary. your colleague,
Secretary Daniels, has gone on rec
ord as favoring the bridging of the
gap between officers and enlisted
men. What do you think of the
contention that Prussianism' or iron