The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-10-14
The ARMY
Secretary Baker Gives "Full
Speed Ahead" Order.
There Must Be No Letup of
Men and Supplies.
PUT FOURTH LOAN OVER TOP
See Peace Shortly ii People Do
Their Share.
Secretary of War Just Back
From War Front.

Washington, Oct. 14.-'Whatever be
the result of the peace proposals, the
war department must proceed at full
speed with men and supplies, and the
people must support the army until the
boys are back with the fruits of vic
tory safe and assured"
Secretary of War Baker, home from
a seven weeks intensive study of the
western line, brought the above It'd
ings to a nation discussing the Teuton
peace reply.
That there must be no let up in the
unending tide of men, guns and sup
plies on the false assumption that all
is over, was the plain warning of the
secretary and military men surround
ing him.
In other words, as Secretary Baker
put it, 1.-The liberty loan must go over
the top"
Victory for American-allied arms in
a few short months. regardless of
what is done about diplomatic maneu-
vers, was predicted by Bakers asso-
ciates. provided the loan is over
whelmingly supported.
They talked of six months as a linn
it and some even discussed the chance
of peace by Christmas, but with one
accord they said that there must be
no wavering of American support of
its men at this time. Such a weaken
ing, they declared, would be fatal, fob-
bing the gallant armies of backing at
the most critical period of the strug-
gle.
A Solemn Responsibility.
1.-THE people at home have a solemn
responsibility for their share in the
final result" said Baker, adding that
the loan must be Qversubscribed.
Baker came out of the fog of the
Atlantic Sunday forenoon just as the
h hi
around his big, fast vessel. This cor
respondent and a few more boarded
his boat while it was still more than
a dozen miles out of an Atlantic port.
Swinging onto the big craft while
group of wounded or convalescents
''kidded" the party's maneuvering
with a rope ladder, the correspondents
were ushered with a degree of secrecy
to a perch on the bridge where the
secretary was peering for the shores
of America.
Our Boys Magnificent.
Baker seemed worn and weary from
the strain of work and from the i'm
preston of the things he had seen
the glorious dash before st. Mihiel,
the tide of soldiers sweeping out in
the distance from the region of Yer
dun, the wounded coming back.
Our boys are magnificent" he ex-
planned after the first greetings. 'It
y.
Even the men who suffer in The hos
pitals behind the lines smile. All over
France is their-smileL It has spread
the contagion of good cheer" Baker
said.
Everywhere you go in France You
see the men in khaki-clean shaver
youths mostly between 20 and 80, lin
the mustached British or the bearded
poilu or boche. The difference stands
out largely in the ages, for England
and France have been called upon to
inject men far more mature than the
Americans"
"You can see the smiling face right
here" Baker continued, waving to
a group of battered boys about him.
And it isn't merely the joy of home
coming that brings that smile-for
you see it all over FranceP
The secretary's journey across and
back was not without its thrills. for
outward bound they made a detour
to avoid a submarine believed to- be
the one which later torpedoed the
Mount Vernon. and again home-bound
the big fast ship had to swing wide
of its course to dodge two reported
submarines on its course.
Baker was proud of two souvenirs
one a piece of a shell from the Ger
man long range gun that bombarded
Paris, another the picture of Lafayette
givene him by Count de Chambrun, a
nephew of the famous Frenchman.
Speaking of the st. Mihiel drive.
Baker revealed that more than 1000
guns were concentrated there. His
observation car, thirty miles from the
scene, trembled as tho it were in full
motion.
Baker viewed the business purposes
of his trip as highly successful. He
had perfected arrangements for i'm
Continued on Page Two.)