Show BAKER ASKS SEVEN BILLIONS FOR WANTS A LUMP SUM OF A BIL bal LION TO BE SPENT AT HIS discretion expects to disburse only billion a half by march 4 next the rest being in contracts which he asks to be allowed to close washington ns hington secretary baker unfolded his tremendous ordnance program in submitting to congress on may 22 29 an estimate of in cash and contracts in addition to the army appropriation bill ready to be reported favorably by the house military committee the figures indicate an almost land forces program of the great sum asked however secretary baker informed con congress gresl that lie expects to disburse only 1 by march 4 next nest when the present congress expires the rest is in contracts which he be asks to be allowed to close and on which he will make payments as the work progresses he asked a lump sum of to be spent without itemization in hh discretion if this is approved by congress it will be the largest sum ever thus voted an official dwarfing dwar fing the discretionary fund to the president which at the time of its proposal met wide opposition baker explained that ho he was asking only in cash because lie he intended e e as fast as the contracts which lie asks to be allowed to close are carried on to apply to congress for additional cash appropriations thus he said cash and bond money would not be taken from the public until absolutely sol necessary this huge appropriation pria tion atlon goes to the house appropriation committee for action many of its items have been gone over ove r one by one by the committee already secretary bakers plan of not asking for cash until actually needed met tile approval of the appropriations committee members they said it indicated a carefulness ot of expenditures often ignored by officials with immense budgets |