Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-03-20
BAKER VISITS
CONTINUED from page One)
some time, praising his gallantry.
Talked with Wounded.

some time, praising his g~allantry.
Talked With Wounded.
He also talked with other wounded
Officers.
The visit to the hospital followed an
inspection of the Toul front. Baker and
his party motored through shattered
villages to division headquarters. y
battalion drawn up by the roadside
was formally reviewed. One Of the vii.
lagos traverSed en- route to the trenches
housed American regimental officers. 1t
was the most utterly demolished of any
visited. The officers lived in stone skel-
etOns that were Once houses. Shells fall
on the village with great frequency.
Every one of its inhabitants is con
stantly tin-hatted and gas masked.
The road to the village winds through
the open country, exposed to enemy fire.
While Baker was in the trenches al
Led aeroplanes wheeled overhead, de-
spite heavy fire from boche anti air
craft guns.
Bakers visit was q surprise to the
men in the trenches. The greatest Sc
crecy was maintained regarding the ar
Iangements for the trip.
Inc SttIttdTN WutG Il uOTION6u OAll-
ccB's uniform pants, civilian coat, raiu-
coat, puttees and ''tin hat" and eur
ried a gas mask. Previously he had
taken a gas mask drill.
After inspecting dugouts and the
front line trenches, he traversed a gap
to Il listening post, nearest the German
trenches. When he returned to the reg
ular lines, he remarked.
Now I've been from the farms to
the factories; from the hu-nes to the
font lines"
lie ehatted with the men, frequently
asking "what part of Ohio are you
frUm?"
Some of the meI recognized the sec
rotary of var and crew up stiffly at at
%tention.
Baker asked the men how things were
going and how they were feeling. The
ultimate opinion was that everything
was "quiet."
Some boehe shells passed overhead
and the secretary inquired what size
they were.
Sentry Was Bashful
A soldier dropped a hammer in the
mud. Baker picked it up. The soldier
demonstrated, but Baker said he was
afraid it would be lost.
A listening post sentry bashfully as
sured the secretary that the '.Ameri-
cans shoot better than the boehes."
When Baker arrived at a certain
brigade headquarters, seven batteries
nearby were being shelled. There were
frequent explosions as The enemy shells
struck in the vicinity.
There was some delay in starting
while a route to the trenches was be-
ing picked 20 avoid iraversimg the Ger
man barrage,
The entire sector was lively with
breaking shells.
There were only four in the party
Baker, a division general, a mayor from
the Press section and a guide.
The other members of the party
were extremely nervous regarding Sa-
kerr IS welfaec, but he was obviously cool
Stopped by Sentry
Entering the communication trenches
they were stopped by a sentry,
The general stepped forward and an
nounced;
s'The secretary of war.
eyes. sirl Yes, siri - stammered the
sentry and snapped his rifle to salute,
As Baker passed, a shell burst near
his automobile. He inquired whether
anyone was hurt. When he was assGr
red there were no casualties, his auto
mobile speeded up to carry him out of
the danger ont.
The party passed American guns that
were Ia action, while machine gun bull
lets whistled overhead.
Returning to the rear, the secretary
visited men who were billeted in a barn.
He clambered up q ladder to the hay
ioft and asked about the men S health.