The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-05-27
GENERAL PERSH|NG
 LOOKED UPON AS
 MAN OF THE HOUR
In Giving Him Honor of Leading First Army to France Wilson Shows
 His Confidence
By HIGH ". ROBERTS

Washington, May 26.-(speciai) The Villa hunt in Mexico, admittedly veritable farce, should not be "held against" J. J. Pershing.
 After one has seen the general who will lead American troops to Europe, studied the man, seen his movements and heard him express himself, the fact strikes home at once-for the Villa joke, red tape in the departments, lack of cooperation in the departments, in- efficiency in the departments, the one or the other or all of them, were le- sopnsib1e.
 WOULD HAVE TAKEN VILLA
 There is no doubt in the mind of the make study of General Pershing that had he had his way in every particular, the Mexican bandit would have been captured and his force absolutely de- stroyed. The truth is not known Years may elapse before light is permitted to flicker into the present dark places Even at this late hour only the in veterate student of American history knows that but for interference by the Richmond government ''Stonewall, Jackson, on the day following the first battle of Bull Run, would have taken Washington and probably the Lincoln cabinet
 General Pershing is the man of the hour. As such he is the most interesting parsonage in Washington. He is the American man of destiny" It is he who will have the honor of striking the blow for the maintenance in the world of the democratic idea of gov ernment It will be his function to an- nihilate the vandal horde which Joffre turned back from the very gates af Paris. He will take his place on the | firing line with Haig and Petain. If
 he succeeds he will be the preserver 1 of universal liberty, and will be ranked With the immortals of profane history. PEOPLE SHOW CONFIDENCE | The administration, probably aware
 of the part it played in Mexico, has
 absolute confidence in the American
 chseftain The people, knowing his han 1 dicaps thrown around the force in Mex 1 ico, have absolute confidence in Per 1 shing Citizens of Washington, who re- gently have seen him and heard him, l believe that the general will strike heavily and effectively when his full 1 force is in the trenches of France and | Flanders.
 1 Until the beginning of the hunt for Villa, that unfortunate day when Wash 1 ington instructed it's general to take | the bandit dead or alive" General Per- shing was little known to the Ameri-
 can public. Yet his career had been one of consistent. rigorous and successful ksefvice. He was born in Missouri in 1860. He was educated at West Point
 and was immediately ordered west. There he became engaged in battles with the Sioux and Apache Indians the most bloodthirsty on the American con tinent. Later, he followed the army of Kuroptakin in the Russan-Japanese campaigns, and represented the Amer l ican government in the internecine fratricidal struggles in China. He was with the American forces in Cuba when the Spanish yoke was broken, and later fought the Moros- in the Philip pines His next active service was in Mexico. That service, it is generally be- lieved, would have been crowned with success but for handicaps which are
 not yet explained and for years to
 ceN'e it is probable will not be ex- plained
 KNOWN AS BLACK JACK" 1 The general Is known in army circles
 as Black Jack" Pershing. He is tall but closely knit, moves and walks with
 that agility which characterizes the
 man of the outdoors. the athlete who
 has never 1et up" in his training. His conpleXlOn is dark, put there IS d | sparkle, perhaps a flash, in his eye
 which seems to light up his entire countenauce. He speaks rapidly, crisp 1 tly--though not curtly and abruptly. In
 his tone and manner of speech. there l is determination, positiveness, finality
 but not unkindliness. He has given 1 the impression in Washington that he
 will go to France convinced that with
 the assistance of the American govern
 ment he can achieve great things. but
 that he carries with him fine appre-
 citation of the prodigious task with which he has been confronted.
 General Pershing has drained the cup
 Of bitterness to It's dregs. Some years ago, he married the beautiful daughter
 of Senator Warren of Wyoming Tn a
 burning building in San Francisco. Mrs