The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-03-01
me /. Printed This Week In Magazine,
From Builder OF keokuk
Dam to His
Father.
SEES NO EARLY PEACE
Great Engineer Believes That We
Should Not Count on Any
EARLY Ending to This
Struggle.

letter printed in the Literary Di-
seat of this week from the Milwaukee
Journal in which Lieut.. Col. Hugh L..
Hooper airs his views OF the war IN a
I,etter to his father. will be OF interest,"
10 Mr.. Cooper's many friends in keo-
Ink. Here is the letter, or excerpts
from it from the Digest:
To those who are looking for an
early end of the war the opinion of
3Iieut. Col Hugh l.. Cooper. who is
With General Pershing's forces In
france. will be something Of shock
Inc writes to his father in Lacrosse.
wis.
"The war, In my opinion, will go on
,or a long time yet, and 1t will be
zreat mistake to think otherwise, and
O prepare otherwise"
Colonel Cooper, who is an engineer
has been engaged for six months in
construction work in France, and In
his letter he gives an interesting &C
rount of some Of his work and expert
noes If wide view of the situation
dds weight to his opinion he speaks
With authority, for he says In his let.
or which the Milwaukee Journal
prints:
am located on the western coast OF
france on port construction, and my
work has been to recommend and in
restigate the places where additional
rort facilities can be built for the
american army. Since my arrival
bere. | have had exceptional oppor-
unities to observe, having Travelled
pyer $4,000 miles.
The French possess qualities OF en-
urance and originality of effort that
he world has not hitherto dreamed of,
md If democracy Is saved (and, OF
curse it will be saved) France will
e the greatest contributor to the re.
ult
The war-game is a wonderful at
air however. A war is like a chain
that if any one of great many
Inks fail, the chain breaks. Follow
hg are few of the important links:
food ammunition. port facilities,
hips. wood. roads, acknowledgements
ailroads, water, doctors, generals,
olonels, aviation, gasoline, photog.
Apply, etc.
The war, in my opinion, will go on
pr a long time yet, and 1t would be
great mistake to think otherwise,
md to prepare otherwise. We as a
emccracy are unacquainted with the
fargame and, of course, have much
learn. But learn 1t we will. To
i've you some idea of the fortitude OF
Pc French, let me tell you of an ex:
erience had the other day. / talked
18th a French woman who speaks
nglish and who has lost three sons
1d twapfv-0rn ronho-o thu vvor-
ne husband and remaining son are
Ill at the front She said: II want
husband and my last son to go, too,
necessary, for the destruction of
aiserdom.' She had a look on her
zee that even blind man could see
as sincere.
The war has cost so much in men
I'd money and property that it will
impossible to conclude it otherwise
ian by one side or the other being
psolutely defeated, and the defeated
de being required to make full rep.
Patton.
IN describing the heroic fighting
lalities of the French troops he tells
tnree Teutons slain with a shovel
an engineer who finally fell with
body full of bayonet wounds.
some OF our engineer companies
ere behind Cambria and were caught
the Germans in counter-attack
uncut any guns. In one shell-hole
ere found three dead Germans with
elr skulls crushed by long-hardled
oVel that was lying broken near by.
e western giant who had welded
shovel had fallen on top of their
au 'nodies--from bayonet Wounds all
er the body. These deeds of hero.
N will live on forever.