Show v General Pershing's of i he A. A E. E 0 r. r Y 1931 tri In sit lt U countries b by Iry- the North American newspaper per AlI Alliance world 13 By r General ener l 1 1 rights reserved the Reproduction ID in whole or In out JUt art prohibited Serie Senke J John 0 h n J P ers hn 1 q 9 CH CHAPTER TER Continued 1 pointed out that re regardless ardless of ot the depressing conditions and und the very ery argent urgent need of ot men by the allies their plan was not practicable and that thi even It If sound In principle there was not time enough to prepare our men as Individuals for tor efficient servIce service service ice under a new system with the strange surroundings to be found In Ina Ina Ina a foreign army array Here Foch said You are willing willingto to risk our being drIven en back to the Loire I said Yes I 1 am willing to take tale the risk Moreover the time may come when the American army will Ill have to 0 stand the brunt of this war and und it Is not wise to fritter a away wa our resources In this manner The morale of the British French and Italian tallan armies Is Islow islow low Jow while as you rou know that of the American army Is very high and It would be a grave mistake to tn give up the Idea of or bull building ding an American army In all Its details as rapidly as us j possible Cant Budge Him an Inch At At about this Juncture ure Lloyd George M. M Clemenceau and Premier Orlando of Italy evidently e becoming Impatient walf walked d Into the room Milner Milner Mil Mil- ner met Lloyd George at the door and said In a stage wr whisper l per behind his hand You cant can't budge him an nn Inch Lloyd George then said Well Nell how Is the committee getting along Whereupon we all sat down and Lloyd George said to me Cant you see eee that the war will wm be lost unless we we get this support which statement statement state state- ment was echoed In turn by Clemenceau Clemenceau Clemen Clemen- and Orlando In fact all nU five of ot the party attacked me with all the force orce and prestige of ot their high But 1 I had already ady yielded to their demands as ns far as possible without disrupting the plans toward which we had been striving for over a year and find a continuance of May shipments Into June without any uny provision for transporting artillery and auxiliary and service of supply troops could not be granted without making It practically Impossible In ill the future to 1 e ave an American army After I had gone over the whole situation again and stated my position position tion they theY- still stilt Insisted whereupon heron I I struck the table with my fist and andru ru C a 4 v A. A E. E F. F Phone Girls said ald with the greatest possible emphasis emphasis em em- Gentlemen emen I have e thought this program over very deliberately and will not be coerced This ended the discussion In committee commIttee committee com com- and when the council reconvened reconvened reconvened recon recon- M. M Clemenceau stated that the question of American troops would be betaken betaken taken up again the following day When the council met for the afternoon after noon session of the second day the discussion of ot shipments of at American personnel was at once resumed General Gen Gen- eral el-al Foch spoke at length repeating repenting previous arguments and giving gi a rather grandiose dissertation of ot the allied situation and the dire things that would happen unless the Americans Americans Ameri Amen cans agreed to the proposal of the council Lloyd Georg Georges George's s 's Challenge Mr Llo Lloyd George ge In turn spoke at that the 6 some me length He lle asserted Germans hoped to use up the British and French reserves before their own were exhausted and that the British had already called up nearly men for t their leir army and navy and und had extended their age limits to all allmen allmen allmen men between eighteen and fifty years ears I jf mf age If It the United States does not come to our aid uh he said suld then perhaps perhaps perhaps per per- haps the enemy's calculations will be correct t. t If It France and Great Britain should have to this defeat would be honorable for they would have fought to their last man while the United States would have hu to stop without having put Into line more than little Belgium Possibly realizing the unfairness of or orthe the comparison he be quickly went on onto onto onto to say suy that he was wag sure I was doing and the emergency meet r my y b best st t 19 j that General Pershing desires tha the theold should old aid brought to us by hy America with the creation not t be Incompatible as rapidly as asoo of the American army possible counting on the existence exist exist- I I too oo am and I am counting ence cote ol of that thai army urmy on It this very year to 0 deal the enemy the final blow But to do the theames allies ames will have to hold out until August Au Au- gust CHAPTER Speaking In the name of ot the American American Amerl Amer Amer- l ican an army urmy and In the name of at the American people 1 told the supreme war council during the second da day of Its session at Abbeville May 2 1918 1313 I want you to realize that we weare weare weare are read ready to hear bear as large a part as possible of ot the burden of ot the warWe war We nil all want the same thing but hut our means menns of ot attaining It Is different from yours America merlc declared war Independently independently of It the allies nilles and she must face fuce It as soon as ns p possible with a powerful powerful powerful power power- ful army There Is one capital point to tn which I wish to call your attention That Is the lance importance to the morale of our soldiers of fighting lighting under our ou own n flag America Is already anxious to toL L know noc where her army Is The fie Germans Germans Germans Ger Ger- mans hn have ha e once more started astron a n stron strong cane campaign sign of propaganda In Inthe Inthe inthe the United States the purpose of ot which Is to fO Insinuate that the a allies 9 have ha so little confidence In the American American Amer Amer- ican troops that they are obliged to distribute them among their own divIsIons divi divI- Tells of American Pride The he American soldier Is as proud as any other and the time will soon come when hen our troops as ns well as our government go will ill ask to fight as an autonomous army under the American Ameri Amen can high command I und understand that In Prime Minister MinIster Minister Min Min- ister Lloyd Llord Georges George's proposal we shall have to examine the situation again In June before deciding for July That is n all l that I can agree to at present to show my desire for solidarity ity with the cause of the allies Lloyd George had bad previously tak taken n up a revised program submitted by myself and after some discussion he proposed that America give us Infantrymen Infantry Infantry- men cud rond machine gunners In May May May- thu the same sonic number In June Jun with a supplement sup sup- of ot Infantrymen and machine gunners If we scrape together er the tonnage to transport them He further propos proposed d that the situation situation situa situa- tion be examined again In In June before before be be- fore tore deciding whether there was reason reason reason rea rea- son to extend to July the program decided decided decided de de- de- de upon for tor May and June He then called on the tile council to accept his plan Inasmuch as the proposal submitted by Lloyd George contemplated the shipment of the numbers mentioned in British tonnage leaving American shipping entirely free for us to use as we should decide an agreement was soon reached substantially as asset asset asset set forth In the following cablegram to the secretary of ot war Following agreement adopted by supreme war council May 2 at Abbe Abbe- ville cable more In fn detail later It Is the opinion of ot the supreme war council that to carry the war to toa toa toa a successful conclusion an American army should be f formed as early as possible under its own commander and under Its own flag Then It was thought the war would run jo 1919 In order to meet the present emergency It Is agreed that American troops should be brought blought to France as rapidly as allied transportation facilities facilities fa fa- will permit and that as far faras faras faras as consistent with the necessity of building up an American army preference prete preference be given to Infantry and ma ma- gun chine-gun units for tor training and service service service ice with French and British armies with the understanding th that t such infantry infantry infantry in in- fantry and machine-gun machine units are arc to tobe tobe tobe be withdrawn and united with their own artillery and auxiliary troops into divisions and corps at the discretion discretion dis dis- dis of at the American commander in chief after consultation with the commander In chief of the allied armies In France It Is also agreed that during Ma May preference should be given to the transportation of Infantry and ma ma- gun chine-gun units of ot six divisions and that any excess tonnage shall be devoted devoted devoted de de- voted to bringing over such troops as may be determined by the American Amerlean Amer Amer- ican lean commander In chief June Juno Shipment Up to Pershing It Is further agreed that this program program pro pro- gram shall be continued during June upon condition that the British government government gov gov- shall furnish transportation I for tor a minimum of ot men In May and men In June with the understanding that the first six divi divi- divisions of ot Infantry shall go to the BritIsh British Brit Brit- ish for training and service and that troops sent over In June shall be allocated al al' allocated located for Cor training and service as the American commander In chief may determine It Is also further agreed that If It the British government shall transport transport transport trans trans- port an excess of at men In June such excess shall be Infantry and machine gun units and that early In InJune InJune inJune June there shall be a new review of of the situation to determine further ac ac- ac- ac tion As stated In a cable from the secretary secretary sec sec- of at war received May 12 this agreement provided less les priority for Infantry and gun machine units than recommended by the supreme war council It was certainly much more favorable to tile formation of ot otan an American army urmy than thun we had rea rca reason reason son to expect c. In view of at the recommendations contained In note No 18 of ot the military representatives which as we have ha seen had bud been heen practically approved by the President In n the excitement over our agreement with the British the full purport of ot this commitment was not emphasized by bythe bythe bythe the allies aIlles during the discussion Pooling of Supplies Another matter taken up Informal Informal- Informally ly Iy with the prime ministers after the conference was that of pooling allied supplies 1 I explained Its advantages and emphasized the sa saving Ing In tonnage that would result Mr Llo Lloyd d George and Mr Orlando did not commit themselves themselves themselves them them- selves entirely but accepted It In principle principle principle prin prin- ciple as M M. Clemenceau had done and each agreed to designate an officer with business experience to meet with us at an nn early carly date dute to study the question With this he beginning at least a step had been taken toward our objective even en though the principle might not be e. e extended as far as we thou thought ht de de- A few days later M M. M Clemenceau Clemenceau Clemen- Clemen called a meeting In tn his office of ot the representatives Gen Sir Travers Clarke acting for the British and Col Charles G G. G Dawes for the Americans CHAPTER On the heels of all wi the clamor for nothing but Infantry and machine gunners gunners gunners gun gun- ners I 1 received a n request from Marshal HaIg Halg British commander asking artillerymen This fully bore out a prediction I had cabled Washington that the allies would be asking artIllerymen artillerymen artil artIl- before long It Il will be readily understood however however how how- cv ever r that once th the allies had made a demand for Infantry and machine gunners gunners gunners gun gun- ners they all aU Joined In concerted effort to bring It about regardless of ot what their real needs might be In reply I reminded Marshal Haig Halg that the Abbeville agreement giving priority to Infantry and machine-gun machine shipments would prevent the arrival of ot our artillerymen for some time In fulfilling our part In military cooperation cooperation cooperation co co- co- co operation we had already alread gone far tar beyond beyond beyond be be- yond the mere recognition of the principle principle principle prin prin- ciple of unity of command and had begun to bring over hundreds of at thousands thousands thousands thou thou- sands of men almost regardless of ot the tho organizations to which they belonged that they might be available In the event of ot extreme necessity It was was my custom throughout the war as both a duty and a pleasure to visit the troops as frequently as possible possible possible pos pos- sible to keep In touch with the state of ot efficiency and the morale of ot officers and men As Bundy's Second division with Harbord and E. E M. M Lewis as us brigade bri gade commanders was leaving the quiet sector south of at Verdun en route to the billeting and training area to finish preparation for battle the moment moment mo mo- ment meat was opportune to make a brief Inspection I had an opportunity to talk with a number of ot the officers In command of ot smaller units I especially discussed the question of ot supply with officers charged with that duty I visited Harbord's brigade of ot marines marines marines ma ma- rines and found those I In Inspected In good shape and their billets well kept The troops of ot the division that were seen on the march especially the trains did not look so well In an army like ours the care are of animals Is difficult to teach artillery artillery artillery artil artil- lery looked welL The entraining at Ancemont was carried out In tn an orderly orderly orderly or or- derly and systematic manner General In whose corps the Second had bad been serving spoke very highly of ot the troops The favorable Impression obtained of ot this unit was very soon to be confirmed on the battlefield battlefield bat hat where Its distinguished service was to make Its name Immortal Frequently Had Guests During the first few months at Chaumont Chaumont Chau Chau- mont I occupied quarters In the town but later Inter M. M de Rouvre placed at my dIspo disposal al his beautiful chateau some same three kilometers awa away My headquarters mess was limited to the few officers oll cers with whom I was most Intimately associated and consisted of my personal personal personal per per- aids the chief of staff and one or two others Nearly always there were a few guests at meals Invited from among the visitors both French and American can who came to Officers from French general headquarters were frequent guests and we were always glad to have them As a rule there was teas a ban on everything everything every every- thing In the way of shop talk and the rule was rarely broken and then only when we had special guests seeking enJi enlightenment enlightenment en en- Ji or r Information regarding our policies and activities There was one subject that would always start a discussion and that was the relative value of ot the different arms each being represented by at least one officer Harbord and I 1 were both from the cavalry and the cavalry airy alry member of ot the staff starr felt that he had at least a u. u sympathetic audience The Infantry aid however always held his own In any discussion as no |