Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-04-21
BURR TO live
IN TRI-CITIES
when RETIRING
Major General Says He VIII Return
to Old Friends Here When He
Leaves Service.
SPEAKS AT BANQUET FOR HIM
Former Command8nt Declares Ills
Vision for Arsenal Transformed
Into Reality.

Major General George W. Burr,
former commandant of Rock Island
arsenal. will return to the tri-cities
TO reside when he is retired from
the United States army.
So he expressed himself Saturday
night when he spoke at compii-
mentary dinner given him at the
Hotel BIackhawk in Davenport. One
hundred seventy-five business men.
manufacturers and professional men
were present
~ Colonel Burr left the arsenal last
night for Chicago. where he will in
spect storage facilities. He spent
four days here inspecting the ar
senal shops and comforting with
Colonel H. B. Jordan. present COM
mandant at the arsenal. He is on
tour of army posts under his COM
mand and is head Of the purchase.
store and traffic bureau of the ord
nance department
At the banquet Saturday he said
he has returned to find his vision of
FIVE years ago transformed into a
reality and the Rock Island arsenal
the "Essan of America which ne
once predicted it would be- Major
General Burr voiced the belief that
the arsenal would eventually be-
come one of the main manufactur-
ing centers in America for war
munitions.
In commenting upon the growth
of the arsenal Major General Burr
recalled the inception of the vision
back in 1914 when the mid west
!, preparedness congress convened in
ne tri-cities. That congress, nc-
cording to the speaker, blazed the
way for preparedness in America
1t was the first awakening.
THE arsenal is the 'Essan of
America 1t is bound to be, be-
cause of it's advantages and location
and it is going to grow" General
Burr said. 81 am sure that the work
already started will be carried
further and that the arsenal will
become the center of preparedness
for peace. because only can we be
certain of peace through being pre-
pared against war"
Outlines Policy.
Major General Burr outlined
briefly the policy of the general
staff in the reconstruction work.
policy in settling outstanding war
contracts to protect the manufac-
turer, or holder of the contract,
against loss mourning though the
cancellation of the contract
Another policy is to bring the
boys home" he said. I'VE had a
huge machine working at top speed
in one direction when the war end
ed. 1t was a tremendous task to
stop that machine and start it again
in the opposite direction, but we are
succeeding. In March we brought
home $4,000 soldiers. in April $50
900 and we expect to bring home
100000 in May. We hope by August
1 to have all the men home who can
possibly return, and we are doing 1t
s1I with our own shipping"
Spend Days Here.
After reviewing briefly the years
he spent as head of the arsenal,
first as a lieutenant, then as a cap
tain, as a major and later as a lieu
tenant, colonel, Major General Burr
spoke. of the spirit of cooperation
and loyalty manifested toward him
by the people of the tri-cities and
asked that this same spirit be ten
dered his successor here, Col H. B.
Jordan.
1.-The happiest days of my life will
be when duty or privilege will bring
me back to the tri-cities. Here l
have spent most of my working
manhood; here 1 would like to
spend my old age. When you reach
my age you do not easily make new
friends. l realize that here in the
tri-cities l have friends, the kind
that wealth will not buy"
Homage to the man and his deed
was paid Major General George
Burr by the speakers who followed
him. Hon. Joe R Lane, as toast
master, introduced Col. H. B. Jor-
dan. commandant at the arsenal;
E. G. Fisher, superintendent of
schools in Rock Island; Frank G.
Allen, vice president of the Moline
Pillow company. and Judge Nathan
ieI French of Davenport
Col Jordan traced the history of
the arsenal from the days of Gen
eral Rodman, who erected the first
buildings at the close of the civil
war, to the administration of Col.