Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-17
SECRETARY BAKER WALKS
Three. MILES ALONG
AMERICAN-BUILT DOCKS
Continued from First P.se.)

CONTINUED from First Psse)
banded as they probably would not
have been for a good many years II
the war were not going on.
Secretary Baker watched for some
time in another yard the ASCENDING
and setting up of the parts Of Ameri-
Of them in various stages OF complete
ness. One hundred and seventy-two
have been put together thus far. but 1t
is intended to send out from these
shops LOO.
The Secretary visited remount depot
which for the most part consisted of i'm
mense mule stables. 1t is here that the
Americans have taken up French veteri-
nary practice. extracting the bray from
a mule by slight surgical operation on
the nose. SO that the siivery bray. which
can be heard a mile or two upon silent
nights at the front. will become a harm
less wheeze-not enough to awaken the
enemy and draw his shellfire.
Mr.. Baker visited recently wounded
Americans and talked with them. He
listened to some personal accounts of
day, back aboard the train, Gen. Per-
shing, in discussing the Secretary's visit
said:
Long Urged Secretary's Visit.
Il had long urged the Secretary to
come to France. Now that he is here we
are delighted that he means to take the
time to master the details OF our Situa-
ton, as our chief who carries all our
military effort at home and abroad in
his mind He is seeing with ms own
eyes what We are doing on this size
and his visit is a personal inspiration 10
every officer and man."
spondent: These days have been worth
my trip across the Atlantic in the m
formation and encouragement "hlIn
they have given me. l have seen only
ing depots of the great war plan.
which we are constructing. But nave
seen enough to convince me that we
now have an organization Wnlcn wiz
meet the problem. with its increasing
volume Of demand. OF coupling up the
ports of embarkation at home with the
ports OF debarkation in France.
II find that the written reports have
given me an inadequate idea OF the
difficulties. which the enemy said we
overcoming. After her long and
stout-hearted defense. France could
spare US little material or labor ior
our purposes except by i1l-advised d.
versions from her own organization.
She could offer US land on which 70
raise our structures and the right OF
way for our communications
Pays Tribute to Engineers.
ct should like to pay tribute to the
men who began last summer and 1ail
to bring into being the blueprints OF
great conception, which now is ad-
yauced enough to yield conviction OF
success to any observer, and a tribute
to our engineers and experts from civil
life in all branches who have contin-
ned to arrive to serve with the officers
of the regular engineers in command
of an increasing army Of workers. all
doing their part.
''They come from pioneering peo-
pie and they have brought to France a
pioneering energy. They have turned
marshes into docks, facing waterways
which they will dredge, sent out a spur
of railway track and built warehouses
plants for a system which will dispatch
along the lines of communication to
the front food, clothes. guns. ammuni-
ton and all the enormous amount OF
resources of our country can supply.
to be transported by ships which we
are building.
I'VE owe it to their devotion and Ell
cheney that the troops in action shall not
only wish that every American could see
this work as I saw it / ceased to De an
official, while thrilled as citizen with
creasing force which we shall bring to
the aid of the allied armies in France"
12,oOo in Great Development.
Twelve thousand men are laborfng
on this great development and the un-
dertakings relating to it in the vicinity.
such as warehousing depots. barracks
for troops, hospitals. rest camps and
railway buildings. 1t is like entering
a great American port, except that the
merchandise is all American. not
foreign crate or case being found
among the masses Of supplies being
transshipped for the American front
Secretary Baker spent some time in
the improvised shipyard. where Ameri-
cans are building lighters SO that ships
may be unloaded from both sides at the
same time. He went into the kitchens
providing the food for men. mostly
colored. belonging to stevedore regi-
ments The members of the party
were much better than could be OBJ
tanned insPariS.