The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-06-15

l The HreSlQenJ ana OJIleI 4dI-SIS lCSu men in America know that victory for Germany would mean that this country would either have to submit to German dictation, sooner or later, or choose the more glorious part of fighting to her last dollar and her last man for liberty.
 Americans Being
 Heartily Greeted
 RAT AJ.-GEN. JOHN J. PERISH 4V0 ING, who is to command the American expeditionary army in France, having gone through the GUS tomary social paces prescribed by military etiquette for distinguished officers visiting foreign nations, is now taking up the serious work of the campaign just ahead of him. No representative of the United States and no hero of any country was ever received with more unfeigned rejoic- ing than General Pershing.
 Few commanders of the civil war are left among the survivors of that bloody conflict and those who happen to be living have long since retired. Of the regular army generals in ac- tive service today Pershing has seen more hard soldering than most of his brother officers. When fighting was to be done he has been right to the front. His has been strenuous life and he looks every inch the hero. That he will make an ideal warrior in his supreme command is taken for granted Certain it is that every man in his army will delight to fight un- der his banner.
 The French and the English, as we'll as the people of the United States, have unbounded confidence in his ability and that goes long way in compelling signal achievement. The allies have not a few able generals, but it will be no surprise if General Pershing proves to be the greatest of them all. In the meantime America appreciates the high honors paid Gen eral Pershing on the other side of the Atlantic.
 The American commission, headed by Elihu Root, now in Petrograd for the purpose of conveying expressions of good will for the new Russia and offering substantial aid in building up a republican form of government in place of the old autocracy, met with enthusiastic demonstrations as they proceeded by rail through Si- beria, and in the Russian metropolis they are being received with charac- teristic cordiality. Until President Wilson announced his purpose of send ing this commission to Russia Ger man intrigue for a separate peace was about to succeed. Russian lead CTS there were who were resolute in their determination to hold out for democracy, but without the aid of the United States, proffered promptly and whole-heartedly, the unhappy na- tion would have been lost to the allies.
 MT. Root is a constructive states man and past master in diplomacy. He will be able to do for the Russians what they could not do for them selves. He will undertake first to get at the bottom of the troubles and next to tranquilize the land and help set up liberal constitutional gov ernment on enduring foundations.
 Just how long it will take Russia to recover herself and get in good fighting shape cannot be foretold now, but there is reason to hope that she will do her part nobly, and like the American adventure in France, make the United States glad of the role it is enacting in the world war for humanity.
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