- " - ' " : . - . APRIL 16, 1931 My I By (Ccpvright, 1931, in all countries h the North American Newspaper Alliance. World rights reserved, including the Scandinavian. Reproduction in whole or in part prohibited.) CHAPTER IV My first and my only meeting wit President Wilson until after the a mi slice occurred on May 24, 191' when 1 called on him with Seeretav of War Baker. After some control sation with Mr. Baker on shippin; Mr. Wilson turned to me. "General, we are giving you sotr difficult tasks these days," said th President, "Perhaps so," I replied, "but tltt is what we are trained to expect, M President." The President then mentioned m experience in Mexico and inquire about my acquaintance with Franc< I had expected him to say somethin about the part our army should pla in the war. hut, hp said nothinir. Promised Full Support Upon leaving, I said: "Mr. Pres dent. 1 appreciate the honor you hav conferred upon me by the assigt meni you have given me, and I rea ize the responsibilities it entails, hi you can count upon the best that in me." To this the President replied: 'General, you were chosen entir* ly upon your record, and I have e\ i ery confidence that you will succeed you shall have my full support." The President then asked me t convey to the King of England an to the President of France his greet nigs and best wishes. His manner \va cordial with his poise and hi:, air n f determination. His assurance of confidence in m was gratifying, but in the diffieul situations that arose later regardin the manner of aiding the Allies, h was inclined to yield to the persist | ent importunities of the Allied rei resentatives in Washington. In the actual conduct of operation I was given entire freedom, and i this respect was to enjoy an expe rience unique in the history of Amei ican wars. Letter Making Him Chief May 27, 1917, the day before was to sail fronr New York, Secre tary Baker sent me a letter of ir structions concerning my commanc authorities and duties in Europe which is quoted in full: "The President directs me to communicate to you the following.': "1. The President designates you to command all the land forces of the United Stales operating in continental Europe and in the TIniLed Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Including any part of the Marine Corps which may be detached for service there with the army. From your command are excepted the military attaches and others of the army who may be on dutv directly with our' several embassies. "2. You will proceed with your, staff to Europe. Upon arrival in Groat Britain, Francfe or any other countries at war with the imperial German government, you will at oneo place yourself in y communication with the American - embassy and through its agency with the authorities of any country to which'-the forces of the United States may be sent. "0. You are invested with the authority and duties devolved by the law, regulations, orders and customs of the United States up on rne commander ol uhy army in the liold in time of war and with the authority and duties in like manner- devolved upon department commanders in peace ? and war, including- the special authorities and duties assigned to the commander of the Philippine Department, in so far as the same are apolicable to the particular circumstances of your command. U. S. Forces "Separate" f the combined forces, the identity of which must be preserved. This fundamental rule is subject to such minor exceptions in particular circumstances as your^ judgment may approve. The decision as to when your command, or any of its parts, is ready for action is confided to von. ?nH von will exercise full discretion in determining: the manner of co-operation. But, until the forces of the United States ore, in your judgment, sufficiently strong to warrant operations as an independent command, it is understood that you will co-operate as a component of whatever army you may be assigned to by the French government. "6. You will keep the department fully advised of al! that concerns your command and will communicate your recommendations freely and-directlv to the department. And in general you are vested with all necessary authority to carry on the war vigorously in harmony with the spirit of these instructions and toward a victorious conclusion. (Signed) -NEWTON D. BAKER." Party Sails in Secrecy Cn the date of my sailing, M 28, 1917, my party assembled ^XPERII GENERAL JOHN J. >y Governors Island, New York. All had - been instructed to proceed with the utmost secrecy, evert wearing1 civilian clothes until they were aboard the steamship Baltic. Although we ourselves stole sii lently out through the fog and down I the bay, the large number of quar:h termnsters' and other officers stars tioned near New York dashing around: 7. in uniform rather ostentatiously that y day really amounted to an announcer* ment something out of the ordinary was happening. But it must be said to the credit le of the press representatives that they te were moat discreet, as the papers generally published nothing about us it until we were in Europe, r. During the voyage most of mv time I was spent in conference with the y heads of staff departments rcgardd ing their duties and plans. - In the Danger Zone ? June 6 the Baltic began to zig-zag and we realized we were in the danger zone. Next morning an escort of two American destroyers gave us i- something of a thrill and fully ree stored confidence. No submarines 1- were observed, however, and the 1- weather was perfect throughout the it voyage. is We steamed into Liverpool June 8. A cordial reception awaited us, with a guard of honor from the Roy? al Welch fusiliers. This selection had - a sentimental significance in that the 1; regiment not only fought against us at Bunker Hill but fought beside us| o during the Boxer rebellion in China. | d As we stepped off the gangplank the! band played "The Star-Spangled | s Banner' to welcome us, this being! if the first time in history that an American army ever was received of-! e ficially in England. It A royal coach attached to a speK ciai train took our party to London. e At Euston station we were welcomed by Lord Derby, secretary of state j J_ for war; Field Marshal Sir John French, General Lord Brooke, Walter s Hines Page, the American ambassa-; n dor, Admiral William S. Sims, and many other British and American officials. r King George Not Optimistic I Was received by King George at X Buckingham Palace on June 9; liis !- Majesty was in the uniform of a TTiieJfi marshal and lie talked with me in democratic fastion for a few rninutes before the other senior mem' hers of my staff were presented. The Charles G. Dawes in War-time K in;\ expressed K;s pleasure that America had come into the war, and dwelt upon the fact that Anglo-Saxon} people were united at last in a com-j mon cause. !. v "The Anglo-Saxon race must save j I civilization," he added. I Certainly His Majesty did not ap-j ! pear optimistic over the outlook, and (asked me numerous questions about America's preparation'for war. Leaving the palace, we wenl to our embassy and during an informal talk Mr. Page remarked, how happy he was that America was at last in the war, and added: "Now I am able to hold up my head and look people squarely in the eye." Through his ^service as ambassador he was beloved and honored by the British people, who admired his virile personality, but many Americans did not approve of his rather apologetic attitude toward his own country prior to our entry into the war in aid of the Allies. Admiral Sims Not Satisfied I had a talk with Admiral Sims. | who was not in personal command of our fleet serving with the British navy, but remained in London with an office at our embassy ar.d directed the movements of our naval vessels, especially destroyers, from there. He was not satisfied with the snpnnvt Kirvi from L.. J ? , v.. mxu iiuiii ui/iuc, ami tuiiiplained that the Navy Department had not sent all the destroyers asked for. He said the department seemed to fear attacks along our coast and did not realize the danger to the cause in the enormous destruction ot merchant shipping going on in European waters. The admiral's report of these losses .was nothing short of startling, but he thought they might be checked if he could have a sufficient number of destroyers. Without more of this class of vessels, Sims was not sanguine over the propects of protecting our transports. However, he made it clear that every possible effort would be made to that end. CHAPTER V I was a guest at luncheon at Buckingham Palace on June 11, 1917, wit! the American ambassador, Waltei Hines Page, and Mrs. Page. The King, the Queen and Princess Marj Were present. There was an air ol charm and simplicity at the palac* ay that permitted a freedom and intiat macy in the conversation. The plair , .. THE WATAUGA DEMOCRAT?RV ^nces . PERSHING, Comma Parade o the First Am fare was quite in keeping with the! food^ situation throughout England. After luncheon the King, the ambassador and I stood near a window overlooking the garden which, his Majesty explained, instead of grow I ing flowers, was producing potatoes. ; The King told of the Kaiser's visit j to London a few years before and I how he had brought his chief of sc! cret service along and put him up at one of the hotels to leai \ all he j could while the Kaiser himself was a guest at Buckingham palace. His Majesty spoke bitterly of the inhumanity of the Germans, dwelling especially on the night bombing of London. Pointing to the beautiful statue of Queen Victoria just outside the window, the King suddenly exclaimed: "The Kaiser, God damn him, has even tried to destroy the statue of his own grandmother." For a moment 1 wax surprised at! his words, hut I quickly realized that I it was a solemn expression of profound indignation, and not prolan-' ity. I Calls on Chief of Staff After leaving the palace I called on General Sir William Robertson, chief of the imperial general staff. He was a rugged, heavy-set, blunt soldier, of Scotch descent, whose record in the army had been exceptional in that he bad risen from the grade of private to his then high position. As he sipped his tea I explained oar plan for the organization of our I armies by using the small regular force and the National Guard as a nucleus. As the British themselves ' had gone through the same experience two venrs before, X stressed the J fact that it wouid take considerable , .time. 3S.38e?S8i8! 'to i Like all the British officials, he . was much in favor of having our ] forces serve wil.h or near their own. . He pointed out that we were both ' Anglo-Saxons, spoke the same Iangunge, and gave other reasons to support his views. It seemed necessary to explain in j detail that as the American navy was i working with the Eritish navy we should probably plan to place our 1 army beside the French if there was : to be any.; preference.-it appeared logical that we should do this, as we were to operate on French soil, and use French ports, railways and mai terial. The main thing, I went on to say was to form our own army as soon as possible for use wherever it seemed best. No British Aid :n Shipping { emphasized our lack of tonnage and told him that we must have additional shipping if We were to bring over an army worth while, but his I' reaction to this was not encouraging. He said he thought it was entirely out of the question for them to proI vide us .with any British shipping, as they were already-in sore straits to find Vessels for their own national necessities. I called on Mr. David Lloyd George the- prime minister. He went right to the point and asked when troops would be organized and trained and the numbers we -expected to send over. He was cordial enough and expressed a desire to assist us in every possible manner, but when I stressed I our need of ttwidonpo ?? - ? " 1'' 111K ^ ^ ^ Fit . ' L/mft Bh IE )?L :< I * Jr ' H^S ord Miyor of London Welcoming aWfffflWgy'BBB Ty'^a ERY THURSDAY?BOONK, N. C. n the W mder-in-Chief of the Am ___ ^ 'h icrican Troops in Paris. our troops he did not seem to he particularly interested and gave little hope that the British would be able to furnish us any shipping whatever. Under the circumstances the apparent unconcern of the British as to our need of shipping is not difficult to understand. They were seriously alarmed regarding their own food situation. It seemed to me, however, that they had allowed their pessimism to carry them too far in the direction of hopelessness. At the; moment, they cotld see no relief for the future and no prospect of aiding us in tonnage. Great Ovation in France After leave-taking calls and numerous informal visits, conferring \n ith \arious leaders and making one trip to a training camp, our party left dune 1 :i for Folkestone and A-iiiui-e. ?ai Douiognc we again received an impressive welcome, and a few hours later vvc- wc-re in Paris. E?lhc officials who met. us at tht station included M. Paul Painlove, ixiinistev of war; Marshal Joseph Jotfre, Rene Vivian, Major Genera! Fuch, then chief of staff, and United Slates Ambassador William (J. Sharp. many ??thers. The station was packed and the atmosphere seemed electrified with pent-up enthusiasm. Outside dense masses lined the boulevards and filled the squares along the route to our hotel, the Crillon. Cheers and teers mingled as men and women shouted acclaim. Women climbed into our carriages screaming "Vive l'Amerique" and threw flowers until we were buried. It was said that never before in the History of Paris Had there been such an outpouring oi people, I^was to sec its parallel when the armistice was signed and on two other occasions. once when President Wilson Arrived and later when the victory parade took place, July 11, -1&1&. At Napoleon's Tomb Although I was very anxious to jet to work, it was necessary for me tier make certain df Tiffin 1 cnUc -SwA attend a few entertainments that J had been planned for us. The Frenchj suggested that we should first go toi Napoleon's tomb in Les Invalides. 1 We were taken down to the crypt,; where I was handed the great key I and was asked to unlock the heavy) wrought iron entrance door. We were1 shown uniforms and the baton that belonged to Napoleon and then His sword. Our veteran escort reverently removed the sword from the case arid offered it to me, as if to transmit some of the genius of the great captain. So much of French sentiment and tradition 'are associated with this tomb and its treasures that every one who visits there with Frenchmen must share their feeling of profound emotion. This incident, move than any other connected with my reception, impressed me with the martial spirit of the French people. Find* Poincare Rejerved I called next to |iay my respects to President Po incare and to present greetings from President Wilson. "The French people are very happy," he said, "that America is in the war. Your coining is a great satisfaction to us." jSSvSsjj I9L -$&gg|gj ^"* ^'j..<,\* ^4 I General Pershing to British Soil. ' -' ^^Cr'C-'.-^j:,; f -j^S38tj?r'-''. ' "" SsXarai ?12$ ^^gr^r^ll rORLD ierican Expeditionary Foi He inquired generally about our plans, seeking, as they all did. some assurance that we should soon be in the trenches. His attitude was rather formal and reserved, but he at once impressed me as a man of ability and force Petain "Mont. Agreeable" A visit to French general headquarters at Compiegne was made, primarily t.: meet General Petaini and the officers of his staff. Petair. is above medium height and weight.; He wore a full mustache, slightly; gray, and was then about sixty. He' has a kindly expression and Is most; agreeable, but not especially talkative. His keen sense of humor became apparent from the jokes he told aij the expense of some of his staff. Qui conversation after luncheon was almost entirely on military affairs, including America's probable part in the war, which, as matters stood, pave littie promise of becoming efI tectiye until the following spring. My impression of Petain was ?aj vorable and it remained unchanged | throughout the war. Our friendship. which I highly treasure, had its be| ginning at this meeting. At the luncheon there were several general officers, among whom was Major General Franchet d'Esperey, then in command of a group of armies under Pelain. He was considered one of the ablest and most aggressive officers in the French army and was *ery popular with his men. A;, we wished to get & glimpse of the actual front he took us by motor as near as possible without drawing the fire of the enemy's artillery, although at that time here was littb activity 011 that part of the front. The point of observation that we reached was opposite St. Quenlin, which was then within the enemy's lines, and which was later near the center of the great German drive of 1018 against the British. On the return trip the chauffeur, after being cautioned several times, continued to drive at a somewhat dangerous speed, which so exasperated the general that he finally. invearenefi tne chauffeur with violence. whereupon the speed was greatly reduced. CHAPTER VI As soon as the- formalities incident to our arrival in Paris wore over?and I madr them brief as possible?we pot down to work, as Pershing In Tin Hat. it was urgent that wei should begin j at tfnc'i to lay the foundation for liic development and employment of the American army. ? To expedite liandline the many questions that must arise, especially I in our relations with the French war ! office, which controlled practically 1 all industrial facilities an;tran3Poi> tation, it was War Minister Paul ! Painleve's idea that there should he I a group of French officers placed at j our disposal. Marshal Joffre was designated as S head of this liaison group. The instructions received by Marshal Joffve from the minister of wav were transmitted to me in a polite note. Naturally, it was pleasing to think of agmg associated with Marshal Jofire. but I thought The adoption of the plan at this time wouitj only add an exua channel through which requests must pass and that this would complicate rather than simplify matters. The scheme indicated that a sort of tutelage was contemplated, which ) also made it objectionable. I Only Beginning of Difficulties j In my opinion, it would be more j expeditious to utilize the French of! ficers on duty at my headquarters I and develop a workable system through experience. I explained my J views to M. Painleve and readily ar j ranged for the officers of our supI nlv nSwrfv>i* - -* - '* '' ,r... v.o^uio w twner uivectiy. with the chiefs of the corresponding: bureaus of the French organization. But this was only the beginning and we soon found that we bad much to learn of the diffic<ies of dealing with French bureaus, either directly or indirectly, j There was no question that binder I the great enthusiasm the afteriibon oi our arrival there existed serious despondency among all classes. The terrible strain of the previous years of continuous fighting, with heavy losses, was telling against both the French and the British. Temporary success in different theatres of war had-brought small comforts, followed as they nad been all too frequently by disastrous reverses. With actual conditions in mind, one could fully understand why the Allies had been so insistent that a contingent of American troops he immediately sent to France to bolster their morale. While not yet prepared to do any fighting, we could! and did furnish men for Service behind the lines. We also provided rawi material and certain manufactured! supplies as rapidly as possible and 'financial aid without stint. THBEE __________ War rces U. S. Inaction Shows Effect The move serious the situation in Fiance, the move deplorable the $?ss of time by our inaction at home appeared. it is true that a committee at the war college in February had presented a brief outline report on the organization of a limited force, yet no comprehensive general plan had been considered for the formation or employment of such a force, much less for a larger one. It was finally decided we -lumVi use the ports of Bordeaux and St. Xazuirc. It was likewise estimated that the rail lines leading to Lorraine sector, with collateral routes available, could be improved t meet our ne6ds. Then it became necessary to determine the sector where our forces, 1 fighting as a unit, would be more ! effective. After lengthy study and j consultation with Allied leaders it i was logical to conclude that from liiv pureiy military .standpoint, the employment of the American armies oil the Lorraine front would prove the most beneficial. In conference with General Petain, who had reache t , the same conclusion, the decision was j made accordingly. It was necessary to have a parj ticulur sector in mind to plan dcfij riitely ami construct requisite rail and distributing facilities. It was ! tatively understood between General j Petain and myself that the American | sector should include the St. Mihiel j salient. I suggested that the first i American offensive would naturally I be its reduction. He fully agreed, j Place of Red Cro*s Decided Major Grayson M. P. Murphy, the i head of the Red Cross in France, and : his assistant, James H. Perkins, .called at my headquarters June IT, I to discuss co-operation with the j army. It was decided the Red Cross j could best handle its work if given a semi-official status, so Major Murphy was attached to my headquarters. It was the French situation that gave me the gravest concern. Pacifist sentiment was prevalent In France and in many quarters there I was talk o-1 a peace parley. 1'hLs I pessimistic and despondent mood of j the people further depressed the morale of their armies as men at the front contemplated another winter of suffering and distress for their families. To help meet these conditions I suggested to Major Murphy that the first task of the Rod Cress should be to aid needy French people. As a result he and Perkins oroposed that funds be distributed to soldiei-s' families wherever necessary. When the idea was presented to I Oftttftrni l- - Si""""" ' " oy * * pressed tne keenest appreciation and at once nn| dertook through his military |fiinanimation to obtain the necessary data. The Red Cross arranged to make 5,000,000 francs (nearly $1,000,000) available to be distributed by local charitable agencies as rapidly .as information could he furnished as to where funds should be sent. Sees First Troops Arrive I went to St. Mazaire June 28 to meet the advance, elements of. the First Division and inspect the feS.t? The first suction of the First. Division convoy had brought to St. Na zaire the headquarters* the Sixteenth fnfantry, two battalions of the 2Sth Infantry, one battalion of the Fifth Marines and some motor transport troops and stevedores. To see the naval transports and vessels flying life American flag in the harbor gave us all a thrill of pride. It was a pleasure to meet the naval commander, Rear Admiral Albert Qleaves, who was to have general charge of the convoy system. The regiments of the division had all served under my command at one time 01: another. They were now, I however, copiposed of a large peri rentage of recruits and would have | to go through u long period of trainj ing. After a few days spent in the cantonment at St. Naznire the infa.n- if try of the division was sent to the training: area of Govulrecourt, north ':^-r1 of Neuf chateau, and the artillery to Valdshon, near Bel fort. Arrival "Tipped Off'* Major General William L. Sibert, who had won distinction as an engineer in the construction of the Panama Canal, was in command of the First.Division. . I The two infantry brigades were commanded by Brigadier Generals R. L. Billiard and Omar Buddy; both of whom had uiany years of line service behind them, i had known nil three of the general officers, as we were cadets together at the academy, although all belonged to classes ahead of mine. It had been arranged that the regulations restricting reference to'the Allied Armies by the press should apply to the American forces. But to my utter surprise the French and British papers, in their eagerness to let their people know that the elements of the American array had , really reached France, carried full accounts of the arrival of this con{ v#w iMSsS~ ~ - p..US me port 01 debarkation, the designation of units and the number of men. Tighten on Censorship ; The publication of this piece of ! news was in open controvert#on of : the censorship rules and called for immediate, step's" to prevent farther infractions. My vigorous protest resulted in our placing in the French press bureau an American representative. to whom all matter regarding our army was to be submitted for approval. There is no doubt, however, that the suppression of news prevented j our people from obtaining a clear I and contemporaneous conception of I the great and often brilliant achievei merits of our armies and left such ! knowledge to be gleaned from meager accounts by participants or from the later writing of historians. It was I unfortunate that such rules had to ] be enforced as otherwise rnuen that might have been published at the rime 1 may never be known, but there was | nothing else to be done without se1 rious risk. (Continued nnxt week)