Evening star., 1932-08-14
CONTINUED From First Page.)

Tlob nGNV
refuse to carry troops of any other
arm. Accordingly. said to Lord Read
ing: Give me the ships and I will
furnish 10000 men a month" had
already told Ambassador Jusserand l
could ship 10000, and I viSualized
240, 900 men a month as our coming
shipments and knew I could furnish
that number of trained men monthly.
Lord Reading rose, shook hands with
apparent delight and satisfaction, and
told me the ships would be forthcom-
ing. I telephoned Gen. Hines, told him
of my conversation with Lord Reading.
and instructed him to get in touch with
Sir Connop Guthrie concerning the de-
tails. carrying capacity OF the vessels
selected. etc; and put the Opera
tions Division at work selecting the
divisions to 60.
When the first British ships were
about to arrive, Gen. Hines came to
my Office and told me the British ex-
pected the shipment to be entirely in
fantry and machine gunners. I told
him that was out of the question: that
I had told Lord Reading I would not
break up the American program, and
that he then had accepted my PROPOSE
ton to send 10000 men If he would
furnish the ships.
Lord Reading Misunderstood.
The next day, Lord Reading, again
accompanied by Gen. Headlam, called
with reference to this matter. Lord
Reading seemed agitated at finding
proposed to ship 100000 men of all
arms of the service and not infantry
men alone, but I quoted our previous
- M Gac1ir od
to yield. He then asked to see the
Secretary of War, and arranged that.
Secretary Baker had been in Europe
at the time of our original interview.
Gen. Headlam remained in my Office,
and after Lord Reading had disap-
peared into the Secretary's room, said
quietly: IT thought Lord Reading had
misunderstood you when he told me
what he had cabled to Great Britain
concerning his interview with you. He
did not confer with me before sending
it."
The misunderstanding between Lord
Reading and myself of the meaning Of
the word "men" never could have oc-
Cured between military men, or be-
tween Secretary Baker and myself. A
military man in saying. for example,
that we had an army Of 100000 men
in France, would of course know men"
meant soldiers of all arms. But men"
to Lord Reading apparently meant
infantrymen only-in complete disre-
gard OF the fact that I had refused to
send only infantrymen.
U. S. Received Ships Anyway.
It was a fortunate mistake on his
part for the success of the military
tho ching NO
needed. Lord Reading and I worked
in utmost harmony throughout the war
in spite of this misunderstanding After
the armistice he recommended to his
government that I should receive the
G. c. M. G-the Grand Cross Of st.
Micheal and st. George-one Of the
highest decorations in the world.
Gen. Pershing not knowing any of
the facts of the case, has depicted
Lord Reading as getting things out
of the War Department and the ad-
ministration which should not have
been given him. The facts are pre-
cisely opposite. Lord Reading under
stood our difficulties and had a much
clearer vision of the whole complex
matter than Gen. Pershing and at all
times was in complete sympathy with
our efforts, not only by word Of mouth
but practically.
For example, when Great Britain
presented her bill for transporting
troops to France, the transportation of
the soldiers was charged for as if they
had been passengers, at a fiat rate of
$3.50 a man. The men we're packed
in. and we declined to pay this rate,
which we considered exorbitant. An
impasse resulted. Finally, Secretary
Baker, then in France, went to Lon
don, and / sent over Gen. Hines to
meet board representing the British
government to consider the matter.
Price Cut to SS1.75 Per Man.
Lord Reading, who had returned to
England, was head of the British
representatives, and when Secretary
Baker and Gen. Hines met the British,
Lord Reading was i'll, in bed, and the
impasse continued. Secretary Baker,
however, called on Lord Reading, with
Gen. Hines, and Lord Reading agreed
the settlement should be based on the
actual cost of the service rendered, and
that Great Britain would furnish the
War Department with a statement of
such costs
Subsequently this price was fixed at
$81 rs a man, due to the acceptance by
Lord Reading Of Gen. Hines figures,
which were based upon the actual war
risk loss of vessels rather than the
assumption of an arbitrary rate of
per cent on their total valuation. The
actual figure was nearer per cent.
Gen. Hines services in this matter
were noteworthy, and the acceptance
by Lord Reading Of his figures saved
the United States S67,753. .698.70. Lord
Reading had been Lord Chief Justice,