The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-10-08
The French FRONT
CONDUCT OF AMERICAN TROOPS
ON FIRING LINE CAUSING NO
WORRY TO COMMANDER.

With the American Forces in the
Field in France (via London). Oct.
showing pictures give you an err
(roneous idea that Gen. Perslfing Is
titles. His face on the screen seems
shadowy with lines or WEAKNESS.
The truth is that our commander in
France hasn't a good camera"
| have never seen a healthier,
brighter, fresher executive than Gen.
Pershing, whom | have just left. aft
er a first visit to American general
headquarters. There are no hollows
in his cheeks nor depressions about
his eyes. His color Is that of a boy
in a swimming pool. He rises brisk
ly as he shakes hands. giving you a
fine smile. then seats himself in a
comfortable way. certainly not the
demeanor of an exhausted or worried
man.
When | told him | had heard from
the English drill sergeants hat our
men are catching on to European
trench warfare with amazing quick
ness. he laughed in top humor. He
knows. as | suspected. that the army
of America is going TO give the allies
battle line more than hoped for
strength. in MASKING out the heathen-
ishness of their enemies. While !
was at headquarters, a private rail
way car was delivered to Gen. Per
shing for use in inspecting his scat
tered units, and for occasional trips
to the front. The a has sleeping.
dining and office compartments.
Little Red Tape.
There was no traditional army red
tape or European ceremony about my
| seeing the general. One sentry ex-
amined my pass and then I was free
to stroll at will. An aide told me
someone was seeing the general and
would be out in a minute. When the
someone came out. l walked in. Aft
er my talk, | rambled about the busy
headquarters. stopping in several of.
fices. all of which have signs on the
doors. | was refused information al
no place and there was only one room
where l was politely told I should no
enter.
The men in the training schools re
fleet the health and buoyancy of theil
popular leader. We probably have
never had an army with Sc low a sicl
rate. Led by magically agile British
sergeants. our infantrymen are romp
ing through their trench warfare
training. None of our regulars wer'
tender young men when they LANDED
them as hard as manganese steel ant
as quick as cats.
Willingness Is Keynote.
, Il never saw such willing workers
would you listen to 'em sing" on
professor In bayonetting said to me
!, THE singing was the wild cry of tn
charge and came from exposed
, teeth.) "A hearty lot. 'Twould b.
a pity to overdo 1t and give 'em al
they want. When / tell EN- to g.
over the top and rip up the German
swine, they carry on like old timers
In all the months l have given I,
bayonet training I have neve see
the stuffed dummies of German
gouged to pieces so quickly"
Grisly as this may sound in soft
hearted American homes. the ma,
spirit OF "go-after-the-brutes" i'm
pregnates the air at our variou
! American schools and camps and it
; the only way to fight.
{ when will they be ready for tn
y front?" I asked several times. TIL
answer always was. LAS soon as the
haven't anything more to Learn
When sthey are good enough to b
teachers themselves. Then they'r
going to show they all are trenc
school diplomats"
The complete English system |
given u infantry as best suited t
American temperament. The stat
officer who gave me this informatio
also said that America would cor
tinue to regard infantry marksmar
ship, in which we probably excelle