| Show Pershing hig Celebrates Birthday France Urged to Make Him Marshal r. r w ww WW G u. u J I t ti i fI r rz 4 z i s' s t y w. w a Y G ri j 3 th aF Kh rt t r y y Via r J I tf n qs S Y Y ot a i t f l f r c aJ ir 7 4 tf YI ir i r raj b Y u a I r. r ig General John hn J. J Pershing marks mark his birthday birthday Friday T Top p left the g general as he hc is today top right during the days of the World war var low lower r left as a a. c cadet det at West Po Pont Point lower n right asa as a young captain in the U. U S S. army r PARIS PARtS Sept 13 UP General UP-General General John J Ji Pershing commander in chief of the A. A E. E F. F and fifth full ull ranking general in United States history celebrated his seventy-fifth seventy birthday today carrying himself With the same erect military tary bearing bearing bear bear- i ing g. g that characterized characterized him im during durI g the warThe warThe war The morning newspaper selected the occasion of his birthday birthday birth birth- day dayto to urge the French gov government to grant Pershing the baton 0 of a marshal al o of France thus raising him to the same supreme dignity which Foch was given living was a marshal of England Engla d and ot of Poland Among the congratulatory jnes- jnes messages sages sag sages that poured into Pershing's Paris home ome was one from Pr Premier mier Pierre Laval Another was from Marshal Marshal Philippe Pe Petain Lin the only other surviving army commander of the western front General Pershing was the guest of Ji honor nor this afternoon at a cele cel br bration in Pershing hall haU where he presided oyer over the he cutting of of his birth birthday l y cake The Pershing oak committee of of which Je Jean n Fabry is s sh h honorary chairman n started I its movement t today to plant Pershing oak trees in all the French cities dUes and villages liberated by American I troops during the World war The The general general assured friends today that he is in the best of of- health and none who felt the firmness of ot othis his handclasp doubted it WASHINGTON Sept 13 UP P- P American World war veterans veterans' remembered re remembered re- re red today not as Friday the but as u the sev seventeenth anniversary anni amii of of the battle of St. St Mihiel M Many Mahy remembered the day also as the seventy-fifth seventy anniversary pf ot Gene General John J. J Pershing The battle of St. St Mihiel began began 17 17 years year ago yesterday y ste d y September r 12 1918 in a manner described by one by-one one veteran as a a. practice m march It continued through September 16 1918 although virtually completed In two in two Talking of that they said St. St l m marked the first ir tapp appearance of an American army under command command command com com- mand of an ah American general on a European battlefield In addition the half halt million soldiers soldiers sol sol- diers a and d marines succeeded in ia driving ng Germans th from the St. St Mihiel salient and composed the largest argest Jl umber m er o charmed m men n any American general up to that time pad had had ever ever ever- commanded on any field The battle they recalled was preceded preceded pre preceded pre pre- ceded by one of ot the most moat thundering thundering thundering thunder thunder- ing barrages barrages' ever laid d down in history history history his his- tory as the Americans almost were were compelled to win this first engage engagement engagement engage engage- ment on their own in Fr France nce The re real l importance of of San Mihiel Mihiel Mi Mi- hiel hie was a moral one said Lieutenant Lieu Lieu- tenant Colonel Colon l Frank Whitehead But it iea really ly was only a practice march The sector had been a quiet quiet one one and had been had been occupied by the tho Germans ever er since 1914 M Many ny of ot the Germans in the lines were tired tro troops ps having h been teen sent senti there here thereto hereto to rest The sector was chosen b by by- General Pershing as s he did did not wish to begin on a 1 part of the line that was too formidable St. St Mihiel sank into rc relative u unimportance i ja fa a few days later when the Americans went into action in stronger segments segments segments seg seg- ments on the western front At St St. the half million mimon A Americans and d an-d- f Frenchmen n under General Pershing captured prisoners prisoner's took field guns and came into possession of oJ vast supplies badly needed by the Ger Ger- mans American casualties were |
