Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-11
American Officers, However,
Think Hopes viii Not Be
Realized for Months.
PRESSURE or STRUGGLE FELT
Army Men Want Joffre Back at the
Front--"Morale" the Problem That
10 Confronting the Foreign
Beiligerents - How the
Censorship Works.
BY LINCOLN EYRE.


Correspondent of the New York World
Paris.A few minutes before the
special train bringing General Pershing
and his staff from Boulogne rolled in
to the Care du Nord the other day a
trainload Of "permissionaires"-
diers on leave from the front-arrived
at the same station. The "poilus,"
leaning out of their dusty third class
coaches, caught sight of Marshal
Joffre standing on the platform wait
ing, with M. Ribot the premier; M.
Viviani, minister of justice, and other
dignitaries, to welcome the American
commander in chief to the capital.
give Joffre |" shrieked a "permis-
sionalre," and the cry was taken up
all along the line of dense-packed
cars.
Its he who spared our lives In
useless attacks" shouted a bronzed,
bearded veteran, 1--WE want Joffre back
at the 'front.'"
Yes, yes" yelled his companions,
I'VE want Joffre, who doesn't waste
our lives Give us Joffre''
The Problem of Morale.
Fortunately the cry, which could
not have failed to reach the ears of
the prime minister as well as the mar
shall, died away In the excitement Of
General Pershing's arrival. To those
who had heard, however, and who are
aware of the situation on the front and
In the interior of France today, its sig
nificance was not lost. To me 1t meant
that after almost three years Of In
cessant slaughter the "poilu" has
learned to distinguish very clearly be-
tween leaders who sacrifice their men
uselessly and those who, like the victor
or the Marine, never make move with
out counting the possible cost In lives.
1t was, moreover another bit Of evil
dence that there is no more important
problem among all those at present
confronting belligerent governments
than that of morale" The spirits of
the men In the trenches, as well as of
their wives, sisters, sweethearts, pa
rents In the rear, must be kept up to
the mark. Every day increases the
strain upon soldiers and civilians In
nations. Tight-strung
nerves are spanning apart everywhere
In the cities and villages, far from
the ring line, as much as In the zone
Of the armies. That is why the COM
ing of Pershing and his division is of !
such Unreasonable value In the never
teasing propaganda going on over all :
France to maiAtain at the necessary
evel Frances determination to win 1,
he war.
American officers, who have sensed :,
his insistence upon the greatness of ,
he aid to be provided by the United :
States are a bit fearful that expecta- :
ions difficult Of realization will be =
lroused among the French army and
'eople. They know the obstacles that =,
lie In the way Of immediate military n
cooperation on grand scale and feel :
hat great many months must elapse =
efore the weight of American arms ;,
an make itself felt in the fighting. =
Allow for FrlghtfuI Strain. =
To-day our principal preoccupation n
lust be the prevention of that lassi. q
1de and encouragement which. as II
ur enemies hope, will weaken our +,