The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-08-14
PRIVATE CAR NOT USED
BY PARTY
War Secretary Spends Twenty
Minutes In Chattanooga En-
Route to Muscle Shoals.
is MET BY COMMITTEE
Many Officials With Him to
Inspect Big Nitrate 4
Plant.


When Newton d. Baker. secretary
of war, arrived In Chattanooga at
1O:55 this morning, he deserted his
Pullman for the engineers cab TO
talk with the engineer about his sol-
dierA son in France.
The secretary Of war continued his
Journey to Sheffield, Ala. where he
will inspect the government nitrate
plant, perched in the cab with Engi-
neer l. ID. Rowland, whose son was
with the Thirtieth division in France.
Secretary Baker will spend several
hours here Saturday inspecting the
government reservation at Fort Ogle-
thorpe.
The distinguished Washington visi-
tor was met at the station by a COM
mittee of Chattanooga business men
| who persuaded him to stop off on his
! return trip Saturday. He will be
here then from o'clock until 10:45
in the morning, when he will depart
for Washington.
Accompanying the secretary of war
on his inspection trip are: Congress-
man e. b. Almon, of Alabama, ref-
resentative of the district in which
Muscle Shoals is located; Gen. Harry
| Taylor and Capt. James M. Hoffman,
of the engineering corps, u. s. A.:
Col. George J. Roberts. Col. J. Fl
| Burnes and MAJ. d. P. Gilliard, OF
I the nitrate division of the ordnance
department, U. S. A, all from WASH
ington.
Mai. Gen. w. NJ. Black, chief engi-
neer and in charge of the rivers and
! harbors work of the United States
government, who was to have accom-
panied the party to Sheffield on the
| inspection trip, was, detained In
:, Washington by pressing business. He
| is represented on the trip by Gen.
Harry Taylor, Of the engineering
| corps. 4e'
To Inspect Plants. r
The party will make a thorough
inspection of the government nitrate
plants at Sheffield and Muscle Shoals,
Ala, and also the construction work
of the great water power dam at
Muscle Shoals.
The Chattanoogans who were on
retary Baker at the station were: p.
j. Kruesi. Mayor A. w. Chambliss,
]. L. Meek, G. f. Milton, Charlton
Howell. II. c. Adler. Robert Martin,
and others, together with Gen. Scott
and his staff, the commanding onicer
at Fort oglethorpe.
No Private Car.
The secretary OF war and mempera
of his marty did not travel in a pri-
yate car but were riding In a Pull
man. The committee from this city
was at the train when 1t pulled into
the Terminal station, and the secre-
tarA came down the steps or the
train with a smile on his face. He
was dressed in a dark blue serge
suit and wore a Panama hat; mis-
necktie was plain black, something
on the order of the regulation army
tie. He is a man of medium built,
about 5 feet inches height, dark
hair and dark eyes.
During his short stay in Chatta-
nooga, the secretary was approached
by l.. d. Rowland, the engineer OF
the train that conveyed him to Shelf
field. Dressed in blue overalls, with
a handkerchief tied around mis- neck
the engineer, who has been with the
Southern road for the past thirty
years, walked up and shook the sec
retary of wars hand, and told him
of his son, Sergt. Chas. ID. Howland.
who was in France with the Thir-
tieth division when he (Secretary
Bakery was over there on his trip.
Engineer Howland said that upon re-
turning to this country his son had
declared that 1t meant great deal
for the boys "over there"
Rides the "cab."
When the war secretary left Chat
tanooga, upon invitation of Engineer
Howland he was seated up in the
cab of the engine beside the engi-
neer in a soft felt hat which he had
changed his Panama for. Secretary
Baker rode as far as Stevenson. Ala,
thirty eight miles from Chattanooga,
in the engine, where the engineer
took great pleasure in pointing out
the mountain scenery.
Stop Here Saturday.
On the return trip through the city
Saturday morning the secretary OF
war, accompanied by the other menu
bers of the committee, will be en-
tertained at an informal breakfast at
the Mountain City club at 1880, and
the same reception committee ap-
pointed to meet the Washington Of
ficial this morning will also be at
this affair. Gen. Scott will not come
in. but Will remain at the camp and
meet the party of visitors at Fort
Oglethorpe. where they will be
escorted over the entire camp by the
In this way the secre-
tary of war will be given the OPP
portunity Of seeing just what was ac-
at the camp during the
war in the way of constructing build
ings and the availability of Fort
for a permanent brigade
post.
After the party is taken over the
camp at Chickamauga park Satur-
day morning the members will re-
turn to the city in time to catch the
l0:45 train for Washington.
Arrives at Sheffield.
Sheffield, Ala, Aug. 14.-Secretary
Of War Baker, accompanied by a
party of engineers and Congressman
E. B. Almon, arrived here this after
noon for an inspection of the work
at dam No at Muscle Shoals, and
the two government nitrate plants.
The inspection will be completed to-