El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-10-19
No Flaw In Pershing
ShOwn By Publicity
The American COmmnnderinehief
stands As OF Fine Character
And Great Ability A. An
officer and As n Man.
DE- MADISON c. PETERs.


L OF the worlds publicity. Millions
Of eyes are focused on him, th'
searchIight Of observation is turned
upon him. yet all the intensive ligni
thus cast upon him reveals no stair
upon his character, no defect in his
mental caliber.
It shows a brave. strong, deter
mined. conscientious man, ever ready
to do his duty at any risk, man VINO
fully realizes the responsibility which
rests upon him as commander Of the
American forces at the front
That sense of responsibility is the
greatest factor in American success
and will bring victory TO our army
Pershing feels that he is responsible
Tor every man in the American army
from general to private, responsible
to themselves. to their families, tC
their country
What His DetraetOrs say.
Some bitter things have been SAID
Of Pershing by unthinking people II
has been said that Pershing is tyran-
nical. domineering. naughty. stern
proud. vain. selfish. unfeeling, cold as
an icicle with no heat OF human sym
pathy about him. that he repels IN
stead Of attracts and that those I'M
der him both hate and fear him This
is the criticism OF those who know
not the man.
What His Friends Say
Those who know Pershing viii tel
YOU that he is one Of the most human
Of men, with a heart beating warm
for the good of humanity and over
flowing with the milk OF human kind
~ a
considerable, beloved hv all who have
relations with him, the very idol OF
his men, the highest type OF a Chris
tian gentleman
His whole career bears out the
truth Of this description From his
entrance into public life as military
man he has borne himself in such a
way as 10 disarm hostile criticism
His life has been one Of brave en-
deavor. overcoming obstacles. acting
in conformity with honor and honesty
true in his relations TO his fellow men.
In this connection it may be stated
that Pershing is a deeply religious
man. He is q 32nd degree Mason and
relfeiousIv a Methodist. but has a
broad outlook in regard to religious
matters and makes no distinction
whatever in regard to UNCONVENTIONAL
affilfation. No man has ever been
asked by Pershing what religion he
has or at what altar ne kneels-
His BOyhOOd.
Pershing didn't want to be gen
eral He wanted to be a great man,
but his ambition was 10 be lawyer.
And he did become a lawyer. but after
he became a military man, though he
has spent most Of his time fighting
he didn't inherit his fighting qualities
His father was a quiet, humble store
keeper in q small way in La Clede.
Missouri where the future general
grew up from q tow-headed. freckle-
faced. blue-eyed, mischievous. prank
playing urchin into a strong. SELF
reliant boy who faced the world with
a stout heart and was ready to depend
on his own eXeruons to make his
way in the world. He got such edu-
cation as a country district school
could give him and at IS started out
to teach school himself in the village
OF Prairie Mound. in his native state
He had occasion to whip an unruly
the teacher. but the teacher did the
thrashing and did IL so well that ne
made up his mind to 60 IN for thrash
ing. so he took an examination for
the military academy and passed As
a result OF passing that examination
he is commanderinchief Of the Amer
lean forces in France
But PershinE had TO earn his pro-
motion. He began by fighting In
dams in the west. He helped TO
round up the old bloodthirsty Geron-
imo and his band Of cut throat
Apaches in Arizona He fought the
Spaniards in Cuba. but it was in the
Philippines. in the Islands OF Luzon
and Mindanao that Pershing earned
most Of his fame. II was hard job
to conquer the desert Moros and make
them good Americans. He did It and
his name became a bye-Word amongst
them. They vet swear by him His
greatest exploit in the Philippines.
the exploit which made him a
rigadier-general. was the capture Of
the great fort Of Bacolod- By the
destruction OF that stronghold he de-
stroyed the power Of the sultan Of the
province and paved the way for
American supremacy
Pershing also was I'm China and
Japan During the Russo-Japanese
war he was with KuroHi. the Japan
csc general. in Manchuria, as a mill
tary attache. assigned by the United
States TO the japanese government
for the purposes OF study and OBJ
servation.
It can be truthfully said Of Perish
ing that "his cheek the Arctic cold
has chilled and torpid suns have
tanned" His strenuous life in many
lands has made him look older than
he really is-he is 50. He is gray.
grim and Wrinkled. Personal sorrow
has had something to do with aging
him in looks beyond his years. In
1915, his wife and three children were
burned to death at the Preside in
san Francisco
Pershing's great-great grandfather,
Pfoerschin. Gin French,
silk. in German. peach) came from
Alsace. where he was born within
sight or the Rhine and settled in
Wesmoreland county. Pennsylvania
Some years later this name was
changed to better suit the English
language to Pershin. and still later
the final 'g- was added. The Pershins
in Pennsylvania TO this day speak the
Pennsylvania-Dutch dialect.
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