The Delta independent., 1922-09-29
MR.. BAKER AND HISTORY

Mr.. Bakers private history charac,
ter is above reproach, and he has
many qualities which are wholly ad.
mirable. But since the issue of his
administration as secretary of war is
revived in this partisan manner, it is
necessary that the record be kent
straight. For it is not tolerable that
it should be distorted or erased by
any amount of vehemence on the part
of special pleaders. whether they
speak as his official associates or as
his personal friends.
Mr.. Baker was appointed in Feb.
ruary, 1916, succeeding Lindley M.
Garrison, dropped by President VIII.
son because he stood for national pre-,
paredness. Baker was selected be.
cause as pacifist and an avowed op.
ponent of preparedness he fitted into
the approaching campaign to re-elect
the president on the platform of
keeping the country out of war"
And was so faithful to the task COM
mitted to him that fourteen months
later, when the country was forced to
take up arms in struggle long known
to be inevitable. not one preliminary
move had been made to fit it for self.
defense.
Bakerism's record of neglect and de-
lay. of vacilliation and incompetence,
of endless confusion and preposterous
inefficiency, is too voluminous for
more than brief outline in this place
of some of the outstanding facts. The
shameful conditions were concealed
during the early period of Americas
participation in the war by an elabor-
ate system of censorship and official
propaganda but revelations began
with congressional committee inquir.
les late in 1917 ard were multiplied
periodically thereafter Let us sum-
marize the situation as it was disclos,
ed after the country had been at war
for three-fourths of year
UP to the very day of the declara-
tion not contract had been made
for single cannon or rife or cart
ridge or uniform. Nine months later.
in midwinter. there was a shortage in
nine military camps of 10000 over
coats and $1,000 wooden blouses. and
ullS were III
derwear. using wooden rifles and dunn
my machine guns. There were camp
hospitals. crowded with soldier pa
tients. which lacked water supply and
plumbing. Pershing's expedition
landed in France without a piece of
artillery, heavy or light: every ma
chine gun and cannon his troops had
was supplied by the Allies. and the
commander-inc chief bought 200. 900 uni.
forms for them in England because he
could not get enough from home
The first definite order for new
rifles was not placed until June /
seven weeks after we entered the war.
The commander OF one cantonment re-
ported in December that his forces
were short OF machine guns. 100 per
cent. of rifles, SO per cent: OF three
inch guns. Ss per cent of, infantry
equipment 75 per cent: OF artillery
ammunition, 80 per cent In the same
month Pershing cabled from France
that "the failure to land supplies OF
winter clothing has produced ser
ious situation"
The aircraft scandal made a long
chapter in the discreditable record
For this arm congress appropriated
$640 ,000. 900. In October. 1917. Baker
announced that the 10000 airplanes OF
the program were "in process of man
ufacture" and that the forces in
France would be amply equipped"
Yet in April. 1918. one year after we
entered the war. senate committee
found after inquiry that the manufac-
ture OF combat planes had been "a
substantial failure: the total output
had been fifteen machines, OF which
one had been sent to France At that
time not single American fighting
plane was at the battlefront. Nor
was there one in July, during the ter
rible ordeal Of the American troops:
this fact was officially recorded by
Charles f.. Hughes, appointed by
President Wilson to investigate the
scandal
The Baker failure in the matter OF
ordnance was not less pitiable Con-
,gress appropriated for this purpose
s4,S37 100000; yet no American big
guns ever reached the battlefront.
and only a thirty-day supply OF small
shells, chiefly shrapnei Some nve.
inch secondhand guns were sent over
ammunition to fit them;
some ten-inch guns delivered behind
the lines lacked mounts and shells.
Not single high.explosive shell above
three-inch caliber reached France be-
fore the fighting ended; not an Amer
lean gun OF six-inch caliber or over
went into action. The Germans nev.
err saw an American tank; the Ameri-
can tank corps was not even organiz-