The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-03-18
BAKER PLEASED
WITH PROGRESS
Secretary of War on Visit to
France Thrilled With Pride
at What He
Sees.
INSPIRATION TO TROOPS
lnspection Is Stlrmriant to the sam
niles and a Revelation to
Official on
Trip.
INSPIRATION TO TROOPS

rIJntted Press Leased wire SefVlco.!
WITH SECRETARY BAKER IN
FRANCE, March 16.- Secretary
Bakers visit to France is personal
inspiration to every onicer ana man
in the American forces, General ref.
shing declared tonight.
~ have long urged Secretary Baker
To come to France" said Pershins.
"Now that he Is here, we are de-
lighted. He means to take time 10
master all details Of our SITUATION.
AS our chief. who carries all tne
military effort at home and ABROAD
in his mind. he is seeing what we
are doing on this side. and MS Vlsit
is a personal inspiration to every
officer and man.
Secretary Baker summed up Tue
results of his inspection to date when
he said: "These days have oeen
worth my trip across the Atlantic IN
tbe Information and encouragement
they have given me. / have seen
two ports, the only receiving depots
of the great war plant we are con
structing, but have seen enough 10
convince me we now have an ofeani'
zation which will meet the proplen
/ with an increasing volume OIL ma
| terials and facilities and couple up
+, the ports of embarkatfon IN the
| United States with American ports
of debarkation in France.
81 find that written reports nave
given me an inadequate idea OF the
! diff1culties which the enemy said we
! couldn't overcome, but which we are
overcoming.
"After her long stout-hearted de-
tense. France could spare us little
| material or labor for our purposes ex-
cent by ill-advised diversions from
| her own organizations. She couio
! offer land upon which to raise our
structures and the right OF way for
our communication lines. l should
like to pay tribute to the men VINO
began last summer to bring into
being blue prints Of this great con-
ception,. which has now advanced
enough to yield a conviction or sue
cess to any observer. ! should IKE
to pay tribute to all our engineers
and experts from civil life In all
branches who have continued to ar
rive and serve with officers In the
regular engineers command, increas-
ing the number Of army workers VINO
are all doing their part.
'They have come from pioneer
/ ing people and have brought their
pioneering energy here. They have
turned marshes into docks. facing
waterways which they VIII drecge.
They have built spur tracks, built
warehouses and the necessary sup
Elementary plant from which we VIII
despatch along the line OF commun1'
| cation food, clothes, guns and am
| all no
of complicated material which the
resources of the United States can
supply transportation.
"The ships are now being built.
ITO their devotion and efficiency
we owe the fact that troops now IN
action shall not lack the means OF
striking blows.
"I only wish every American could
see this work. I ceased to be an
official when I saw this work and
as a civilian 1 thrilled with national
pride and satisfaction over the ever
! Increasing force which we Americans
are bringing to aid the allied armies
in France
Greeted With Cheers.
ABOARD SECRETARY BAKERS
! SPECIAL TRAIN, F,NANCE, Mar. 10.
THAT portion of Franco through
which Secretary of War Baker Is
travelling on his inspection Of Amer
! icas fighting forces, is now seethins
with real American activity. Baker
is greeted by cheering crowds.
The secretary investigated an In
land artillery school where five hun
dred potential officers were inspect
| ed and after leaving these men
who will soon be directing the hurl
ing Of shells at the Germans-he
visited beautiful city in the 70
mantle French chateau country.
Detailed facts and figures were
presented to Baker all day by officers
in charge of the great United States
army organization. The secretary al
lowed himself only twenty minute