The Washington herald., 1917-11-01
SHELLS BURST
ABOUT DANIELS
AT QUANT|C0
Big Gun Testers Active
When Secretary Reviews
5000 Marines.

Quantico. Va, Oct. 3.-Secretary OF
the Navy Daniels was under fire here
yesterday.
He was virtually bombarded with
14-inch Shells, but escaped un-
scathed.
With Gen. George Barnett he came
to inspect and review the Marine
Corps before it departs for France,
when the gunners at Indian Head,
seven miles up the Potomac. decided
the day was ideal for the testing of
a few guns with I4-inch shells.
The camp here is pitched on high
plateau that juts out into the Poto.
mac like an elbow. Gunners up the
river have the range of the river on
three sides of the plateau, and almost
daily test out their new ordnance as
it comes from the plants.
Today, with Secretary Daniels and
Gen. Barnett busy at inspection, the
gunners opened up on the range. Sew
eral shells were dropped into the Po-
tomac. exploding as they fell within
a few rods of the visitors. Each shell,
with its terrific crash and succeeding
waterspout, caused CONSERVATION
among the visitors until an officer
explained that since July the gunners
up the river had dropped shells on
land only two or three times.
Secretary Daniels put the cannon
ade to good use in emphasizing his
address to the Marine Corps. This
body, Americas 'First to Fight" Is
slated as the next to leave for France.
The Secretary did not say when they
will go, nor, of course, what their
destination will be when they sail.
Of ~
the opening sentences of his address,
and dropped his voice for pause,
a faint "Whoosh" has heard, and
then, just where the Secretary would
have placed a period II he had been
writing, came a terrific explosion to
serve him for both period and ex-
clamation point. Another fourteen
inch shell plunged into the river
about two hundred yards away.
II want to congratulate you boys"
the Secretary said. "On getting into
this favorite service. At the same
time 1 congratulate the country, that
1t has a Marine Corps as efficient as
you have this morning shown your
selves to be. The country will have
faith that when you get to France
YOU will do everything that is asked
of you, with courage. and do it well.
1T has been well said that the Mar
inc Corps, neither soldiers nor sail
ors. can not be drowned at sea, nor
vanquished on land, nor followed in
the air. You will maintain this splen-
did tradition"
5000 Men In Review.
The entire quota in the Quantico
camp. more than 5000 men. turned out
and went through all their PAGES be-
fore Secretary Daniels, infantry. ma
chine gun battalions and artillery
staging veritable war game TO prove
themselves ready for active service
overseas.
Secretary Daniels expressed himself
as gratified at their showing. He
was also pleased with a report by
the chief medical officer, showing by
the camp records only .004 OF one per
cent sickness.
The men do not know when they are
to sail, but interpreted the review
today as meaning they will see early
service. They can consequently gave
Secretary Daniels a rouslng send-off
as he departed.
Secretary OF the Navy Daniels at
tackled the use of the expression. DO
your Bit
do your bit? II there is any word
in the language / despise, that is the
word. You men in uniform are not
going out to do little bits of things.
You are giving your all to do great
things"
He decried the use OF the expression
as summarizing any soldiers contribu-
tion to his country.