The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-12-23

CHRISTMAS WITH
18TH DIVISION
Pres. Wilson to Be Guest Of
the Yankee Soldiers
Wednesday
WILL DECORATE
GENERAL PERSHING
Visited Red Cross Hospital at Neuilly
Yesterday, Shaking Hands With
More Than 1900 Wounded Soldiers
Four Hours Spent With the Men.

PARIS. Dee. 23.-Probably the most
impressive moment during President
Wilson 5 visit with the American
troops in the field Christmas day will
occur when the President will decorate
Gen. Pershing with the American Dis
tinguishcd Service Cross. Later he will
personally pin medals on scores of Yam
kee fighting men, officers, and privates.
| Although Gen. Pcrshing has decorat
cd many, including Gen. Bliss, there
/ has been no one here hitherto with au-
thority to decorate him. President Will
son viii perform this function as com
Imander-in- chief of the American army.
The ceremony probably will take place
at Iongres, near Chaumont.
The President is scheduled to leave
| Paris for Chaumont on Christmas eve,
arriving at Chaumont Christmas morn
ing. Then he viii motor % miles to
Longres He viii review 10000 men,
comprising picked battalions from Il
score OF divisions resting in the back
area, as well as veterans who fought in
the various offcnsives aad who are be-
ing brought back in motor trucks from
Germany.
The review will last several hours
The President viii take his Christmas
dinner in the field with the commander
and staff of the Goth division. lie will
eat from an ordinary mess Kit. and he
meal viii he extremely simple and DEM
ocratic throughout
In the afternoon the President will
attend reception ut Gen. Pershing 5
headquarters at ChaumoRt when he
will be introduced to three army stats,
Christmas night the President is
scheduled to leave Chaumont in special
train for a French channel port. where
he will arrive on the Goth. He viii
cross the channel in a British warship,
arriving in London, by way of Dover,
at go in the afternoon.
President Wilson yesterday visited
the Red Cross hospital at Ncuilly.
where he shook hands individually and
talked with 1900 seriously wounded
Americans, for the most part survivors
Of the Chateau Thierry action.
lie passed more than four hours in
the hospital, visiting every ward and
tSttBlia4S az tNEi btdS4At A<diFl III
| visited the French Hospital Val dc
Grace.
, Speaking Of his experiences at the
I American hospital. the President said:
. u went through the American hos
pital at Neuilly with the greatest in
5 terest and greatest qualification.
1 found the men admirably taken care
, of and almost without exception IN
/ excellent spirits.
$ Only very few of them looked
I really i'll, and l think that their moth
4 ers and their friends would have beer
a entirely pleased with their surround
$ ings and by the alert look in their eye
t and the keen interest they took in cv
q erything about them.
Il am sure they will go back {,
their loved ones At home with a new
feeling Of Joy, alike in their recovery
and in The fine service they have beer
able TO render
r Going 10 the American hospital will
the expectation of remaining an hour
the President found four hours all too
short, as he felt that he could not dc
s part without speaking with every man
and he expressed regret only at hi
inability to clasp the hand of every
American soldier in France.