The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-12-13
OUR ARMY FINEST IN HISTORY SEC. BAKER DECLARES
Morality and Fighting Power IncOmparable = Should
 Be Utilized.


 Atlantic City, Dec. 13.--The world has never produced an army to com pare in high morality or fighting power with the army the United States sent overseas to put the final punch in the war, Secretary of War Baker told the annual convention 2f the National Hardware Association and the American Hardware Manu- facturers' Association here Wednes- day.
 He gave a summary of the part American business played in prepar- ing America for the big contest, and issued a challenge to critics of the Administration with regard to ex- pend1tures. He said:
 "Congress has appropriated in a year and a half s24, ,O00 100000 for the waging of the war. During the same period the War Department placed contracts amounting to s14,OOO, coo, ,O00. We found it possible, with the sign ing of the armistice, to save through the cancellation of contracts over s2. .O00, GOO, ,OO0, so that the cost of the War Department may not exceed $12, 900. 900 eco.
 we expended this money without corruption or scandal There have been here and there human agencies Goo weak to withstand temptations, ! but Throughout there have been recti- | trde and efficiency, as well as patr1- ! otis1n and zeal. I am not claiming ] anv2 credit for the War Department, , for the results were not the work Of | the War Department, but of the peo- { pie.
 ! Even in the case of the airplane 1 program, of which you have heard ! and read much, there Is something to . be said. We had first to grasp the { extent of the work on which we had ] entered, without a great deal of prep . aration.
 "Yet in the year we developed the best airplane engine that was ever /, built, and had reached the point where we were prodEcing more air : craft in a month than France and ! England, with four years of prepara- ] tion, could produce in six months, and American planes wisl American pi- lots were guarding our men overhead as they moved forward"
 Secretary Bakers story Of the eX-
 
 1sO. GOO men on the 1st of April, 1917, to more t1an 1 900 900 in December of the same -Saer. brought applause. The army had reached 2,00e;030 by March, 1918, and 3,6T6, GOO when the aruistt2e was signed
 'eUndouhtedly,' said MT. Baker, ''Germany made extraordinary efforts to destroy our troop ships with sub &Io z~T-H | guardianship and seaman ship of the American Navy, 2.0O0,0e0 men were transported to France, with the loss of less than 400 men NO finer spectacle ever greeted the hnmau eye than the American Army in France today. When you see the American Army, your heart, if you are a normal American, will be near to the bursting point with sheer pride from patriotic emotion. Young fbrawny, smooth faced, they are an inspiration to every American al home.
 "As you saw them in France under all conditions, in battle array, 1T camp and on the highroads, even ir the hospital after battle, where theil own issue was in doubt, you saw free men who knew why they were march ing.
 "The American army, made 1T America and finished in France, fight ing like heroes and living lige gen tlemen, playing with the French chiI dren. fraternizIng with their parents romping across no mans land witl death staring them in the face, nevel lost its dash for a second. nor did ever hear a whimper from any O them.
 "They liked their little jokes. Why they came up to my automobile, look ed it over inside and out and said Pretty soft for you but when I ask ed them if they would exchang places with me they answered in volley No!
 "These men are coming home. w must ask ourselves what we are go ing to do for them. They do not nee, to be coddled or Tonized. They don like that very much. I have seen mel who have won many honors of wa abashed in the presence of praise.
 These men have been in a grea enterprise, but that is not so import ant to us now as the question of wha WO al SOIIiS lO NO IO present to Ine0 equally great opportunities in peace Historians say we change ou l emotions-a case of action and reac tion. Philosophers are Joking to u to forget our patriotic bias and em bark headlong on 8 course of self interest pursuits. Thed9 soldiers de serves better from us than that.
 These brave boys of ours ar bringing their virtues home wit them. If the opportunity is open, tn man who was brave in battle will b brave in life; men who were willin to die for their country will be willin to work for it.
 ''We have come to the end of tn military part of the war Nobody ca tell how ready the world is to abar don war and write the fruits of tn
 war into treaties. It is too early analyze. But we do know our natie
 both in freedom and in aohievein
 first place in the commercial life (
 the world, has a great future, a gre;
 opportunity.
 we must make America worthy , the cost of war, build up our indu
 tries, realizing the Possibilities of ol community life and recognizing u
 need for cooperation and growt
 through the strength of our peopl
 When the victory of the war is wri
 ten, there will be chapters devoted
 the romance of the part played l business as absorbing as the roman