The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-05-01


! handling of the wool
4 ARMY OF 5000, 600 BY
j END OF THIS YEAR
i Continued from page Ii
bile race driver and formerly drove
General Pershing's car. His home is
/ in Columbus, Ohio. This was his first
victim.
| In House Tomorrow Morning.
WASHINGTON, May Secretary
OF War Baker will present the govern
ment program OF army expansion to
| the house military committee at ten
o'clock tomorrow morning.
This program will probably be a
blanket affair. giving the administra-
ton power to extend the drawing of
men as far as 1t wishes.
Provost Marshal General CrOwder
will appear with the secretary to show
the status OF the nations draft re-
serves and to give his opinion as to
how many recruits can be put into the
training camps within the next year
without interfering seriously with
necessary industries.
An important meeting OF the war
department war council today with
Chairman Hurley OF the Shipping board,
Chairman Baruch OF the war industries
board and Charles Piez of the en-
Urgency fleet corporation canvassed
the troop transportation system in re.
lation to shipping and material and
found that the nation can take care of
three million men here and abroad
this year and by straining can 60 be-
yond that number.
This confirmed the estimate recent
ly made to the house military commit
tee by General Mccain. It was based
on very careful study by army and
shipping experts and represented an
increase of 100000 over original esu-
mates.
Chairman Hurley expressed himself
as encouraged over the shipping out
look
1t is assumed Baker will tell the
house committee OF the 100000 figure
but that he will seek power to go be-
yond that point if found advisable.
The war department has practically
decided on expansion of existing
camps and environments to care for
the added strength. No new canton
ments will be built under the pres
ent plan.
Incidentally 1t became known that
the department had partially CON-
pleted its list of replacement camps
for filling up gaps abroad.
Camp Gordon will temporarily be an
infantry replacement camp until
Camp Lee is ready and then Camp Lee
will be the nucleus of series of such |
infantry quarters.
Camp Hancock has been decided on |
as a machine gun replacement camp;
Camp Belvoir as the engineer camp; !
Jackson, as artillery, and Meade as |
signal and iaison camp.
Fierce pueIs in Progress.
[By Fred S. Ferguson, United Press |
Staff Correspondent
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY
ON THE FRENCH BATTLE FRONT,
April 30. (night)-The Germans
brought UP additional artillery. follow
ing the arrival Of American forces in /
he line here. Fierce duels are In
progress. One village has been en-
irely wiped out
In the last forty-eight hours, the
iCflll guns nave IdhGu the TOaQS
md the villages in the rear OF the Ger.
nan lines, and have barraged their
ront lines.
The Boche poured In high explosive
hells, in retaliation, the duels con-
inuing through the night. The Ameri-
ans ultimately neutralized the Ger
nan fire.
The American-Frencl front sector is
70 dy-{ ~ Tr,,11 = :
nan attacks. trenches soon will be
and dugouts constructed,
nd it will become the old problems of
rench warfare
There are no Infantry actions here,
kept minor patrol engagements.
While the exact location OF the
american troops before Amiens has
ct been officially announced from
Lmerican sources, the French war Of
ce week ago referred to Franco K
merican positions" between Haneard-
and Hailles.
Hangard is on the north bank of
he Luce river between nine and ten
lilies east and south of Amiens. Hail
IS is on the south bank Of the Avre,
n bend where the river flows d.
ectly westward after converging
nth the Luce. The town is three Z
lilies and half west and slightly
outh Of Hangard. 1t is about seven
lilies and half southeast of Amiens.
he Luce flows westward and sIiehtlyi
outward. 1t Is along the north
ank Of this stream that the allied
ne is supposed to be held. The Avre
ows in a general northwesterly direc-
on, through Montdidier, Moreuil and 1
miens.
About a mile east OF lanyard. and
ack of the German lines. is the i'm
ortant town of Demuin. viIIers-Aux- r
rabies is about three miles south
nd west Of Demuin and two miles