| Show FI fine ne paris fr ari s tribute e for gen I 1 J bershing friends honor chief of U S forces in war while still living washington A memorial to general era pershing Is heing being built in paris end and thus at least one of the great of the allied forces in the world war is to be honored in appropriate prop fas fashion lilon while he Is yet living says the chicago dally daily news pershing hall ball the central feature of the A E F memorial in the french capital Is on its way to being an accomplished complis hed fact although a majority of people in the united states have not yet learned that it was even planned the reason that it la Is not a well known and widely heralded project Is this very fact of general pershing being a live and active person for this reason the raising of nf the money to build pershing hull hall has been kept more or less a secret how a halt million or more dollars can be raised secretly la Is one of the interesting things about the creation of pershing ball heres the story here Is the file tale of what Is being done to build a pershing memorial while pershing Is alive and not embarrass pershing in the course of the enterprise some time ago five prominent and wealthy men of wash ington I 1 D C V pave gave a n luncheon at the leading hotel of the capital city the guests were some fifty men and a few women excepting only half a dozen these guests were all million millionaires the very top crust of wealth power and prominence of the nations capital the five hosts were john hays hammond retired capitalist dwight dayis ex secretary of war ogden mills assistant secretary of the treasury trubee davison Dav lson assistant secretary of war for aviation and robert fleming president of largest bank the guest of honor was general summerall chief calef of staff of the united states army no mention of this gathering appeared in the newspapers mr davis presided general summerall Summer Siim meraH spoke in a comfortable comfor tible intimate way because he be was not speaking publicly but chatting with a chosen group he told a good deal about general pershing as the outstanding american of thia generation era tion and a good deal about per abing as a man and a friend it was a delightful talk mr air philip stapp who Is the active worker in the pershing hall plan then explained what the memorial plan la Is and suggested that friends of general pershing in washington would wish to have n part in it it if so checks can be sent to mr davison there ans no appeal for funds no public meeting ng just the quiet luncheon but since that event mr davison has been receiving checks their total has not been reported yet A slin itar luncheon nt at the barkers bankers club in new york resulted in more than in checks A quiet mailing of letters from mr office in new york has brought in many in any more thousands and general pershing Is not being embarrassed by having a public money raising campaign going on to erect a memorial to him united states center in parla paris the memorial which Is being alus tl us quietly but effectively filin financed need Is the ou outcome of the pilgrim pilgrimage nee to franca 1 made in by the american le agton there Is a post of the legion in parts and while paris was host bost of the legion the idea of an A E F P memorial building was developed cal francis drake an american better known abroad than at home although per cent american despite his business residence in parts paris fostered the plan the late into ambassador myron T herrick warmly approved it the legi legion n sponsored it A dramatic touch wro was s given to herricks interest in it because after his recent death a letter dictated typed but not yet signed was found on his desk it was addressed to john flays bays hammond in washington and commended to mr air hommond the support of the pershing hall project mr air hammond needless to say Is giving it his support to start the JC A IS F memorial in paris american and french residents there raised A handsome private home located near the amer lean embassy emi lassy was purchased find plans for its remodeling find and for large additions including what came to be known as pershing hall were devel aped then colonel arn drake ke came came to the states lost last fall enlisted the aid of mr stapp and others othera formed an american Ameil can corporation under american legion auspices to handle the work and started the quiet money raising campaign over here more titan ling has been raised and more money will be contributed throughout this ac activity little ling lias been publicly said of the plan it if you want to contribute to the pershing memorial you have to know who Is handling it or wait to be asked or get in tonch with american Ame legion headquarters or find out the address of colonel drake in parts paris or mr air stapp in new york or now that this story Is in print contact mr air trubee davison nt at the war department in wash ington the whole affair Is so different from the usual american way of raising money for memorials or char atles or endowments that instead of an army of solicitors pleading with the public for funds people who have heard of pershing hall and A E F memorial have actually been trying to find out how they con can give money to it because they want to have a part in this lifetime tribute to the commanding gener general generalou alof of our greatest army there being no promotional staff no publicity campaign no high sounding committee the whole thing Is just reversing the usual money idea yet it Is gathering in funds bite satisfactorily can enjoy honor the memorial itself Is to center around pershing hall which will be one of the finest rooms in any building anywhere decorated with war paintings and stat statuary forming the center of a real A E F museum and capable of use for assembly purposes on public occasions numerous other new salons are being added to the memorial structure as originally purchased the army navy and marine corps each having baying its own rooms the welfare services of the A B H IF planning others and some state and special groups entering into the scheme of a complete comple tG american center overseas which Is to be both a solemn memorial ine morial structure in its large balls and something of an american club in a broad sense ns as well ambassador herrick wrote tt to mr hammond Ha romond it will be another american embassy meaning a clearing house for americans abroad general pershing Is the last living comma commander ader ln in chiet among the allied forces only hindenburg of germany otherwise surviving among the final leaders of the great armies of the conflict halg haig of england jacques of belgium datz of italy and finally foch of france have passed on Pers bings place in history remains to be fixed but his stature as a gr great eat lender leader grows steadily as more and more of the true history of his task tash Is known he commanded a greater army than any other american a force far exceeding grants he commanded it in a foreign I 1 land a n d across the ocean further fart lier from his base of supplies than any great army ever fought fou glit and he organized zea trained and led it to a n glorious victory over a stout and daring foe general summerall calls him the outstanding american lei I 1 n of our generation and declares that he carried one of the heaviest responsibilities ever placed on the shoulders of one human being and carried it very well indeed whatever the ultimate valuation of general pershing he Is destined to see in his lifetime at least one great permanent memorial erected in his name and dedicated to ills hs accomplishments ments lie ile doubtless will receive this tribute as quietly almost silently as he mav es about his own present duties which tire lire those of chalman of the commission in charge of amer can cemeteries and battlefield markers and monuments deeply and warmly appreciated by his friends pershing remains but partially known to the american people because bec aue despite his fearlessness of armed foe or of it great responsibility he Is a little e bit afraid of praise and public acclaim the pershing hall pl plan 96 has moved ahead quietly because his friends we ills know ifill his sensitive spot beneath the grim visage ol of file soldier I 1 hence Peri perching hing hull hall must he 68 accomplished without disturbing pershing |
