New-York tribune., 1918-10-15
Secretary Says Presence of
Yankees Has Changed
Allies Strategy
Port and Hospital
Facilities Ample
american Army Has Shown
Capability to Main
tain Itself
Especial Dispatch to The Tribune)

" ANAAAA~ VI OAN, wv. Iii ne pro-
jected programme of troop shipments
to France-250 900 a month-and the
enlarged military programme of this
nation will be pressed forward rapidly
and Will not be influenced by any turn
diplomatic negotiations may take.
BY reason of the steady flow of
American troops to France, the Allied
armies on the Western front have
changed from defensive to tremen-
dous offensive force during the last six
months.
These observations were made to- dav
py Secretary of War Baker in his first
interview with newspaper correspond
ents following his return to Washing
ton from France
The War Secretary dismissed Ger
manys peace offer with this emphatic
statements:
The War Department is press;-.g
forward as rapidly as it can the aug
H' nehtatlon OF the army and its supply.
We are going ahead"
Whole Line Attacked
He described the vast preparations
made in France for the reception Of
American troops and supplies and de-
clared that the change since his previ-
Gus visit IN April lis the change from
the defensive maintenance of the front
10 tremendously aggressive, smash
ing attack all along the line from the
Brltlsh Channel to the Swiss frontier.
w hen went over in March or earlv
april, he said, "our army numbered
fewer than 100000, and now the num-
Der who have gone has been over
l,9Oo 600. That means that from Apri!
until now there has been an enormuus
increase III the American army in
france, enormous IN every way-thc
number OF fighting men and the number
OF service OF supply men--and there
mas been corresponding progress in the,
industrial undertakings which are ne
cessary Tor the supply of our troops.
W hen came back in April one Of
the anxious questions which we had
was the sufficiency of the ports and the
sufflclency of our transportation facili-
ties for getting the material from the
docks to the troops in the Interior
The progress that has been made
IN ports. in building new docks and in
installing American machinery for un-
loading the ships is even more marvel
ious than the start that had been made
when ] was in France last. The facili-
ties for unloading ships have out
stripped the ships, and we actually
have free boarding space in most of our
ports. Tho unloading of ships now
proceeds rapidly and the evacuation of
the material unloaded is keeping pace
with the needs of the supply centres
for troops, so that with regard to the
neans of the service of supply to main
tain the enlarged army am able to
bring back the report that the S. O. S.
has grown faster than the growing
nn1 10
supplies for the army as it now is, but
that it is equal to the projected pro-
gramme of troop shipment and the en-
larged military programme which the
country has on hand"
Divisions of American soldiers are
fighting with the British and with the
French, in addition to holding a very
large sector of the line alone and "are
pressing the Germans back in every
direction" Mr.. Baker said.
THE American army has been en-
larged," be declared, "ard has shown
its capabllity to maintain itself, and
the complete coordination and cooper
alton of the allied armies on the West
crn front have resulted in a change
from defensive to a tremendous Of
fensive."
Hospitals Are Adequate
Secretary Baker told Of inspecting
the American hospital facilities in
France and England and said they
were adequate to the needs of the
army. Special hospitals for surgical
relief, he said, had accomplished Won
derful results in preventing certain
wounds from leaving Distressing dis
fgurements.
"The general condition of the health
of the army in France is admirable"
Mr. Baker added THE boys are
strong and vigorous, and cheerful and
enthusiastic. The army is on its met
tie, and that is also entirely true of
the British and French armies; so far
as | saw them they are filled with
enthusiasm and spirit"
Spanish influenza appeared on some
of the incoming ships while Mr.. Baker
was in France, but hospital facilities
at the ports of debarkation We're am
pie to care for all the sick. Mr.. Baker
left Major General Gorgas, former
surgeon general of the army in France
to complete a thorough trip of inspec-
ton of all the medcaI facilities there
and in England. General Gorgas may
also visit Italv