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Show GENERAL WELLS IS lITIiQLO HOME Native Salt Laker Here Following Return From France. Brigadier General Briant H. Wells, chief of staff of tho Fourth army corps, a part of the Second field army under General Bullard, arrived in Salt Lake yesterday to visit friends and relatives after an absenco of ten years. He was accompanied by Mrs. Wells. General Wells was born in Salt Lake December 5, 1S71, and attended school at tltc district ward schools and at the Deseret university. He received his appointment as a cadet to the T.'nited , States Military academy at West Point in ISM. He graduated as second lieutenant lieu-tenant in Ls'J-i, and was assigned to the Second infantry stationed at Omaha, Neb. He served in that regiment and in the Eighteenth infantry, and later in the Twenty-ninth, at several military mili-tary posts in various parts of the coun-trv. coun-trv. For a time ho was adjutant at Fort Doupdas. In tho Spanish American war he went to Cuba, was wounded in the battle of San Juan Hill, and furloughod home. He was instructor of the Utah National guard before ho went to the Philippines. Philip-pines. Three times his duty called him there, and he also served at Panama. He was rapidly promoted iu the earlier period, to first lieutenant, 1S98, and gained his captaincy in seven years from graduation at West Point. On the establishment of the officers' training camp at Plattsburg, N. Y., in 1916, he was promoted to major, and given command of the Sixth training regiment there. He went to the Mexican Mexi-can border as chief of staff, with General Gen-eral Plummer, and was thence ordered to Washington as a member of the general gen-eral staff. When war was declared, and the new army was being formed, he was promoted to colonel, and given command of the 31Sth infantry, at Camp Lee, Petersburg, Va., where he remained until January, 191S. Upon the return from France of General Gen-eral Bliss, then chief of the general staff, Colonel Wells was called to Washington Wash-ington and informed by General Bliss of the latter :s appointment as the American member of the supreme war council of the allies. General Bliss told him that ho was detached from bis regiment, reg-iment, and was to accompany him to France for service at the supreme council. coun-cil. When- General Foeh was given su-. su-. preme command as generalissimo of all the armies of tho allies, Colonel Wells was made liaison officer, at his headquarters, head-quarters, representing General Bliss. This is a position or rank next to the actual commander in the field. The liaison officer is the link of communication communi-cation between the allied armies. His most important function is his supervision super-vision over and responsibility for the methods and systems of communication communica-tion existing within the army. The nature of his duties was that of linking up the various armies, French with American, American with French, British with French and with American, Ameri-can, Italian with French, with British and with American. However, General Wells' duties as liaison officer differed somewhat from the regular duties of that officer. He was tho personal representative of General Gen-eral Bliss to General Foeh, and advised General Foeh as to tho plans of the American army, and the plans of -the allied army to General Bliss. Needless to say, officers chosen for this duty are roquired to have a wide knowledge and experience, together with discretion and authority fitting them for general rank. That Colonel Wells proved his ability abil-ity and worthiness in tliis position of high honor, responsibility and trust, is evidenced by the fact- that on Julv 23, ISIS, he left Marshal Foeh :s headquarters headquar-ters to become chief of staff of the newly organized Sixth army corps and was promoted to brigadier general. He served in this capacity until October 6, when he was transferred to the Fourth army corps, then in line between tho Mcuse and Moselle rivers in the St. Mi-hiei Mi-hiei sector, where he was located until the armistice. He was with the First army of occupation in Germany and loft Versailles the day the peace treaty W'as signed. Gonernl Wells is modest in speaking of the part he played in the great war, but is very emphatic in his statements that the war will mean a new era of civilization. ' ' Greater strides have been made in inventions and surgery and, in fact, all other things that tend to advance civilization, during the war, than could have been accomplished in fifty years of peace," he said. General Wells will visit here about a week or ten days, after which he will return to Washington, where he will be stationed at the general staff college. General Wells is a brother of former Governor Hcbcr M. Wells. He is stopping stop-ping at the residence of Ashby Boyle, 380 E street, whero a dinner party was given in his honor last evening. |