The Ely miner., 1931-07-10
CHAPTER xxxIl

Secretary of War Baker went to
London to discuss with the British au-
thorities the prospects for additional
shipping and also the general subject
of munitions. While there he sent me
the following telegram March %. 1918.
embOdying suggestions from the prime
minister which showed the deep anxi-
ETY. of the British:
81 have just had a long talk with
the prime minister. He urges three
proposals for your consideration. first,
that our divisions in France be placed
Immediately in line to relieve French
divisions for service elsewhere, quiet
sectors being chosen for troops with
least training.
Second, that all available engineer
troops be taken from lines of communi-
cation work and sent to aid of British
engineers preparing positions back of
present lines. 1t is urged that suspen-
sion of our work would be but tenn
porary and that the work suggested is
imperative.
Third, that infantry be sent first of
the entire six divisions to be trans
ported by British in view of present
acute needs Of that army. No answer
to the foregoing is necessary until
see you tomorrow when we can dis
cuss the suggestions fully"
First Division Ordered into Line.
My diary notes the following:
NJ 10
191S.-Held conference with the
secretary of war and General
Bliss yesterday on joint recon-
mendatiOn of military representa-
tives of the war council.
Left Paris this morning for
Chaumonl.
At Petain's request, the First di-
vision ordered to battle line. which
Mr.. Baker said people at home
would enthusiastically approve.
Mr.. Paul Cravath dined with us
this evening, and speaking of
unity, favored placing control in
the hands of committee COM
posed of Marshal Haig, General
Petain and myself
Council Asks Change in Plans.
The situation had become so serious
that the military representatives
seemed to think it necessary TO recon-
mend that all previous plans for the
shipment of American troops be disre-
garded and that nothing but infantry
and machine gun units be shipped un-
til otherwise directed by the supreme
war council This they did i'm the form
of joint Tor Unanimously note, which
was. of course. approved by the su-
preme war council.
Iwas very much surprised at the at
titude Of General Bliss. our military
representative with the council, as
without his consent the joint note
could not have been submitted to the
council.
When the joint note was presented
to Secretary Baker l pointed out to
him and General Bliss that the pro-
posal, if approved by the President,
would place the disposition of Ameri-
can units entirely in the hands of the
supreme war council and take them
quite out of our control, even for
training, and would without doubt de-
stroy all possibility of our forming an
American army.
The secretary was as strongly op-
posed to any such outcome as |, and
after some discussion he dictated his
views in a cable to President Wilson
explicitly recommending that the con-
troll of our forces should be retained
by our commander in chief and that
the note be approved only in that
sense.
Reply From Wilson.
The message forwarding the joint
note with Mr.. Bakers comment was
answered by a cable from Washington
dated March 30. which stated:
"The President concurs in the joint
note of the permanent military repre-
sentatives Of the supreme war coun-
ell in the sense formulated in your No.
81 March %, and wishes you to regard
yourself authorized to decide questions
of immediate cooperation or replace
ment."
1t was thought that this statement,
coming from the President, would
check, at least for the time being, the
demands of the allies that we provide
units for building up their divisions.
but their insistence continued
The Presidents message was fol-
lowed March 80 by a cable from the
department, which stated:
'The recommendations Of secretary
of war to President /. that prefer
entail transportation be given to Amer
fcan infantry and machine-gun units in
present emergency understood and will
be followed"
1t went on to say that these units
pertaining to three divisions, the
Third. Fifth and Seventy-seventh,
would be sent at once, and those of
three other divisions about May L
tTo BE CONTINUED,