Show M Genel-al Genel Pershing erg In s X X Story Y of the A. A Eo F 0 S x XH X X H Copyright 1931 in all II countries b by North r- r oo co New Newspaper Alliance Wor Wo World d rights right By J j General X Including the Reproduction la to whole bole or orb orlo In p part rt prohibited Service U JoIn John no Ilk i. i P Pershing iY I Ing j I ng X X JL JI Continued CHAPTER PTER A final decision cannot be bea A eh-A on oa that subject That will e eyl I pad id a LM depend uPon the degree deSree of InSon In In- ent Son of the units In the crisis Sat actually confronts the allied that st tb armies miles It Is electives effectives that t we lack Inck of employing these units The e to he handled In due 1 Is j a question their em e and aad according to OU dp leney pershing p J 1 I would like to have the conditions under which these units ire are to be employed determined now time during which the there ther tad and Dj to fix the and aDd brigades will be used re r regiments ments separately Foch Foch Make Make your proposition on that subject j 1 then explained the details of the system that was heln being followed where OUr divisions dh were In training with the French find and the plan n agreed reed upon I with lib the British I added Unit It WitS was fully tolly understood that If an emergency should arise while our troops were In training they would go o into ns as part of the divisions with which they were serving Pershing Refuses to Consent General Foch Foeh then lIel t lIels s said shI hI I 1 do not doubt the excellence of I the method but In the crisis through h which we are passing I return to the decision loD of ot the supreme war council and aDd 1 J ask you yon to transport during May lIay June and July Jul only Infantry lend find machine gun units Will you consent Pershing Pershing-No Pershing No I do not consent I 1 propose for tor one month mont to ship noth nothing lag ing but Infantry and machine gun units toils and after that the other arms and nd service of the rear troops to cor cor- respond Foch lf Jf If you adopt the plan I propose propose pro pro- pose you would have by July 31 more inore American infantry You Pershing-You You said just now that you ou would furnish the artillery and even tien artillerymen which would be Joined with our Infantry to complete cur lur divisions Then why not consent to transport transport our artillery ery personnel along with our Infantry 1 Foch Foch I I repeat repent that that It Is the Infantry Infantry In In- fantry of which we have the greatest at this time I J would like to tobare tobare tobare bare General miss fuss tell us the considerations consid which led to the decision taken by the supreme war council at nt Versailles ersa es Bliss Tike The The collective note recommended recommended mended to the United States to send only Infantry until the war council should give instructions to the contrary The fhe government of the United States in conformity with this note Dole and with the recommendation of Secretary B Baker ker consented to this plan lan AS far fur as ns the employment ment of the units on OD the front is concerned the question should be decided by General P Pershing according to a agreement agree agree- ree- ree In neat ment t with the com commander In ln chief to hose army they may be attached Foch Fears Disaster Pershing I 1 l have been discussing Ms this question of training our units for th the tue last eight months first with General GenEral Gen- Gen Eral j Petain and then with Marshal Marshala a The method agreed upon leads lends naturally to the formation of toted ted American divisions General Foch said he wished to see American divisions constituted and andEn En American army formed as large as Possible but the time policy he be was wasen then en advocating would have made It possible to form an American army without serious delay If It ever er Conot Continuing Con Con- he said nut But ot do not forget f that we are In lu lue th the we e midst of a hard battle If we do doter not t take al Steps to Prevent the t ter which h t Is threatened at present the theto American to I army may arrive In France 0 to find the British Lr pushed into the a and the French driven back bethe bea beto be- be nd a d the tle Loire while It tries In vain to organize on lost th battle fields over the grav graves o of allied soldiers was assured that It was fully 11 understood that If an emergency II n arise r I se wIllie while t our troops were In trai l n I th raining inIng ng with the British BrUsh or French they tb their er would WOId S lQ go Into the battle and and do dobers e r Part bers J. J F I then gave hIm the mum nura- ers t to b be e shIPPed during May and told toM M treen him that a It had nad been agreed bethe be- be the British sh and ourselves to toI con consider der 1 I inS the Question for June later n informed g formed him that the British stile shIp be authorities now thought It would months In Possible 8 e withIn the next three to transport to France VI Our Troops Surprised th tack lack ck at reference to the German Germa at at- Seicheprey on the Twenty Twenty- slits it 1 division Sl n the nIght of April 21 20 chapter at the tho beginning of this Per n Germ German that poInt was the focus of a ae ra raid fald 11 u coverIng a three kilo meter mete e r f front extendIng ns west from the thee de i e It came during a heavy f fog EO it and was a complete sur- sur to our Ur tro troops considerably consid- consid Ps- Ps who were take ken y outnumbered Seicheprey was was Vas as r by y the enemy but Dut operation co giSton re throughout the dl dl- and the original ordinal front was reI recaptured re- re tap captured red on the following Allowing day I IB In n in 8 affair we lost one officer Enlisted Isted men men klI killed d 11 officers sted e men wounded 30 officers collated r e men en E g gassed and nn-d five officers enlisted I M d m mf n missing and pris- pris The h hc losses oases of the enemy In killed and wounded were reported as ns even n greater CHAPTER The question of f the I Ie shipment of American troops and rJ particularly their allotment t to th the allied cd armies had assumed ver very great Importance 1 In the minds ds of the I allied 1 leaders Accordingly n a session of th the supreme supreme su su- preme war cour council was called n at Ab Abbeville Ab- Ab beville May l. l 1 1518 1918 and und Premier Clemenceau Cle- Cle CI ef e- e opened the meeting h by y referring re re- I f ferring forthwith to tn the previous roe rec- of If the councils council's oun lIs lI's military I nry representatives as ns to the dl disposition I tion n of f t American troops Time Tile military representatives he b begun began egan expressed the opinion In their Joint note No 18 IS' IStl tl that lat only oDly Infantry In In- fantry f and run machine units should be sent to France for tl the Ie present Since I then the lt agreement between Lord Milner and find General Pershing signed at nt London April 24 1918 I has a Intervened This agreement makes male a change e. e It had been understood understood at Versailles Versailles Ver Ver- sailles that America would s send d dI I men per ler month which the e French r and md English E h armies would s share tre equally Under r the Milner Milner- I fer Fershing hing agreement ft It appears none go t to France The file French Fench have not been bee consulted We ml might ht suppose that in iD compensation the American troops arriving Ing In June une would would be given to France But It now DOW appears they are also to join the British I wish to t pr protest test that this Is not satisfactory 1 J am not discussing the figure of I men meD I 1 am prepared to accept that these men go to the British In May I 1 am asking to receive the same number of troops In InJune June There are close to Americans In France at present but only five he divisions or about men can be considered as combatants That Is not a n satisfactory satisfactory satisfactory satis satis- factory proportion Milner Defends Agreement Lord Milner arose much Incensed at M. M Clemenceau's statement which he con considered quite unjust M 1 Clemenceau has hns Intimated he asserted that there was something m mysterious about the London agree agree- agree agree- Y 9 Balloon Observer Aloft meat ment 1 believe that an explanation Is necessary Ue lie appears to believe that the agreement we signed Is a war councils council's reversal re of the supreme decision I know only of a joint note embodying the recommendations of the military representatives but It Is of no value without the approval of the governments Besides M M. Clemenceau seems to tobe tobe tobe be under the Impression that half balf of the American troops were to go to France and the other half halt to Eng Bag such de land lund 1 do not recollect any All that General Pershing and 1 have urged Is that Infantry and should be sent to machine gunners France We IVe had no Intention of de de- depriving depriving France of any American troops 1 I do not know that anything their allotment allotment allot allot- d regarding has been sn said ment on arrival In France We simply sim aim simply ply wanted to halten their coming Pershing Upholds Independence agreement with willi In In making the had In to 1 Interposed 1 Lord Milner rapidly as mind bringing troops as the existing situa stun possible to meet correct tion Lord Milner er Is quite In stating that there ther was no agreement agreement agree agree- of Amerl- Amerl allocation ment meat as to the the time British or con troops either to French armies There Is no agreement agree agree- and ment between my g government American else that a n single anybody soldier shall be sent to either the British French or There is la In existence an agreement George eorge and I myself myself my my- myself between Mr Lloyd Llod should be self that six divisions brought to France M. M I 1 spoke to him m will remember that sp forthe for tor to arrange range about going to London LoDdon the time shipment of ot American an nr troops to because France and that he approved their arrival I 1 also ulso it t would expedite It about Petain spoke to Genel Genet General al Clemenceau Is IB Insistent remembered my M. M Clemenceau his Iris disregarding of It t but speaking sneaking prevIous approval continued his obing ob- ob saying Informed that noth We have been at Versailles decided on jog ing ng had been beeD but ut something has been decided on at nt London and nd France was closely concerned con- con In to this It was decided that six divisions should go Ju to the British Well yeu I will not argue about that You ou announce to us us' us artillery for tor the month of June Where four are In alliance two o of them cannot act Independently No Nothing has been provided for France FranceIn In June Tile The appointment of General Foch as commander In chief Is not a mere decoration This post involves grave rave responsibilities he must meet meet the present situation he must provide for tor forthe forthe the future I 1 accept what has been done dODe for May Iny but I want to know what Is Intended Intended In In- tended for June M. M Clemenceau said suld the French had not of received certain specialists they had asked f for r and and also q quoted from the conversation 1 had held beld with General Foch Foell with reference nce to sending over troops In May and June Mr Lloyd George then said I 1 am of M. M Clemenceau's opinion The fhe Interests of the allies are identical Iden iden- Identical we must not lose sight of that otherwise the unity of command has hns no meaning We must consider what is best for the common cause What Is the situation today The British army has had heavy fighting and aDd has suffered heavy losses All available drafts have been sent to tox x France and we shall send a all l who are available In May and June This would be the case even eveD If It all nU the Americans who arrive In Europe during these months should be assigned assigned as as- signed to the British army At present certain British divisions divi have been so severely handled that they cannot be reconstituted General Foch will remember the num num- num um ber Yes ten Foch answered As we Ve cannot again put them inline In Inline line Mr Lloyd George continued they must be replaced by new units The Germans are now fighting with the object of using up our effectives If they can do this without exhausting exhausting ex ex- ex their own reserves they will sometime deal us a blow which we shall not be able to parry In the meantime I 1 suggest that the decision for the allotment of the American troops for June be taken up when that month arrives In May 1 in fact either of oi our two armies may be hard pressed That Is theone the theone theone one which should be re It ItIs ItIs Itis Is not desirable e now to decide how troops arriving In June should be al nl al- al Foch Also Cites Frances France's Need To this Foch Foeh replied It Is undeniable that the British army Is now exhausted so let It receive Immediately re enforcement In May But lately the French have bave had grave losses notably at Montdidier dier and both during the last few days have been fighting shoulder to shoulder So American aid Is now needed almost as much for France as asfor asfor asfor for Great Britain Above this question question ques ques- tion of aid to the French or t to the British Is aid to the allies ames We Ye Ve are agreed that the American army Is to re-enforce re th the British army at once In June we we too shall need Infantry and machine-gun machine units So let us make the agree agreement eDt for June JUDe at nt once by saying the same shipment of Infantry and aDd machine guns as for May If there Is tonnage available we shall devote it after for that to the elements necessary filling up the American divisions I Iam Iam Iam am sure that General Pershing with his generosity and his breadth of view will grant gaDt the fairness of tub this view and will extend for tor June the agreement decided upon for May Whereupon Mr Lloyd George gave support support- to the principle saying saIDI that British recruits would not ot be available available avail avail- able until August and he understood France when It was the same for both would be able to furnish their own recruits He then asked that the theMay theMay theMay May program be e extended tended over June In which b M. M Clemen Clemenceau eau Joined P Pershing Insists on Own Army In reply I I said I 1 do not suppose that we are to understand that the American army Is to be entirely at the disposal of ot the the French and British commands M. M Clemenceau said that of course this was not the Intention Continuing 1 I said Speaking for my government and myself I 1 must Insist upon our Intention intention The tion to have haye our own army principle of unity of command must prevail In our army It t must be complete complete com com- under Its own command I 1 should like to have a a date fixed when this will be realized I J should like to make It clear that all American with the British troops are not t to be as there are five divisions with the French now and there will be two more In a short time the May As to the extension of agreement to June I am not prepared arriving In InJune InJune inJune to accept IU its The troops June will not be available for t the e front before the end of July or the middle of August So we have the whole month of May ahead before deciding whether an emergency Is likely to arise In June 1 I have explained explained ex ex- to Lord Milner and General 1 Foch why 1 i do not wish to commit the time American array army so long In ID ad ad- vance If It need be I 1 shall shull recommend i ithe the extension Into June 1 I can caD see no reason renson for It now CHAPTER I am nm commander In chief of the allied armies In France said General Foch and my appointment has been sanctioned by the signature not only of the British and French governments |