The Dolores star., 1917-07-13
heyON france

00NOwN to his men variously as
JM Fighting john" Kitchener
~ Pershing and BLACK Jack" the
man who commands the first American
division in France Is the Ideal type Of
American soldier. The grim lines Of
his mouth indicate the qualities which
have made him successful in war. The
PershinE smile when II illumines his
face hints of those other qualities
which have endeared him even to his
foes.
Major General Pershing-he won his
two stars for the conduct Of the expe-
dition into Mexico-is a chivalrous SOL
der. He is the type who fights relent-
Iessly until he has beaten his enemy
and then helps him. His fellow off,
GERS say that he attained his present
rank because he ''soldiered hard" and
II is a pretty good sign that he has
fairly won his rank when he is 80 gen.
orally well thought of by the officers.
over the heads Of 800 Of whom he was
advanced from the grade Of captain to
that Of brigadier general by President
Roosevelt.
The Ideal American Soldier.
General Pershing began to be the
ideal soldier on the day he entered the
United States Military academy at
West Point. He graduated as senior
cadet captain. which Is the highest
rank which can be attained at the
academy.
He was Immediately appointed sec
ond lieutenant In the Sixth cavalry
and. under Gen. Nelson A. Miles, plung-
ed into the thick Of the fighting against
the Apaches. He had not been In the
saddle full year when General Miles
complimented him In orders for
marching his troop, with pack train.
over rough country. 40 miles in 46
hours, bringing In every man and ami
NAL In good condition"
In Mexico General Pershing more
than lived mp to the record Of DASH
ing cavalry leader which he establish
ed - q second lieutenant in 1857.
The campaigns against Geronimo
taught Pershing his first lessons In real
war. The kind Of fighting he learned
from the Apache and Sioux campaigns
stood him In good stead when he
tackled the Noros. How modern
armies night. or did fight previous to
the present war. he learned In Cuba
and as military attache and observer
with the Japanese armies In their war
against Russia.
In 1889 the young Lieutenant Per
shing won commentator again from
General Miles when. as commander of
Troop A Of the Sixth cavalry, he took
ten men. rescued band Of cowboys
who had been captured by one hundred
hostile Indians, captured number Of
horse thieves who were among the In
dams, and returned with his party to
Fort WinRate. without having fired a
shot, lost single man or killed an
Indian. That IL typical Of the man.
He IL the true American soldier. He
does not kill when he can win with
out IL
The experience Pershing gained
chiefs caused him to be sent to the
Dakotas in command of the Sioux
scouts, in the wars against the rebel
lious Sioux. After this period Of fight
Ing he became military Instructor in
the University Of Nebraska, where he
took the degree Of LIB, and in the
early nineties he was sent to West
Point as an instructor.
vaior At e caney.
When the Spanish-American war be-
gan the young lieutenant became res
tive and begged to be sent back to the
line. He was assigned to a negro
regiment and won commentator in
orders for his work at Ell Caney. A
more substantial reward for his valor
came, after he was sent to the Philip
pines, in the form Of captains COM
mission.
1t was In the Philippines that BLACK
Jack" Pershing did his greatest work
and won gio,y for himself and the
American army. A little more than
ten years ago the United States faced
a tremendous problem in the Philip
pines. Almost incessant warfare had
existed between Christians and Mos
lens in the archipelago since Magellan
was slain during the voyage in which
Europeans first circumnavigated the
globe. Spaniards, British and Ameri-
cans SO far had failed to settle the
oroblem. Its entire weight was shift