Show t. t i V Gene ral Pershing r- r V OlympIc Mee m ir PARIS J ran Jan n. n 13 IL-A IL A mammoth military V Olympia Olympic meet to be held In Paris in I May Mayor or June under the auspices of th the j American army for athletics from all the tho allied silted fighting forces is projected In inV V plans announced last hut night General Gt Penning Pershing the American commander In chief who Is taking a IL keen Interest In La Intha Lathe the tha plans Is s sending a personal letter to f th the commanders In chief of the armies 1 t of or all 11 nations nation with whom m the tho United S States tes has been associated during the f V war Inviting the officers and men to participate t Twenty-one Twenty allied countries will be bet bee asked e to take part and It t Is planned that I the games will s any f other r athletic athletic ath ath- I r letic competition ever eier conducted In the history of sports The games will win b be financed entirely by the American arm army la Ie cooperation with the welfare agencies now operating with It The French government and and- the French army have given their approval of ot the V plan and have haTe promised their hearty cooperation V G General r Pershing's letter o of l invitation vI t hh I V to toG the French h ho hs Is s a duplicate rl cate cats of ot those sent to the commanders of ot other armies folio follows follow The Th officers and men wen of ot the American American Ameri ri merican can expeditionary forces being keenly appreciative of ot th the splendid relations which exist edt among amon those who have borne borna t arms ann in the tha great common cause and r V which la in Ui the pr nt Instance have hava so happily developed into such deep feelings I of ot mutual respect and ana admiration are most anxious to preserve and strengthen th this relationship at h In every way possible Now that settee active cU military operations II ns have ceased they believe belleva that nothing could be ba more conducive to this end than to gather In friendly competition on the field of sport representatives representative of ot the armies of ot each cacti of the nations which have so long been associated together In Inthe Inthe inthe the stern stem struggle for the right Accordingly they have decided to or organise or- or gants an athletic meeting to be held In Ia the tha Colombes es stadium I Paris arl during the month of May nay or June 1919 In which officers and men of or all these armies shall be eligible to take part As All commander In chief of the American Ameri Amen can expeditionary force forces I have the honor therefore therdore to Invite through you jou their commander in chief the officers and men of the armies of France to participate participate par pan In the cont contest t and to express the tha earnest t hope that many of them may do so la that the ties tlell of ot the tha much cherished spirit of comradeship which have hava sprung up from the gallant Joint efforts t of ot our forces on the battlefield may thus thui be ba even more closely cemented Respect Respect- t- t fully JOHN Je J. J e PERShiNG g Individual prizes already have hava b been en n provided for and will be ba or of artistic merit with symbolic designs It i is probable that t team m trophies also win t re be pre pre- pre pre- seated |