The Butler weekly times and the Bates County record. (Butler, Mo.) 1918-1950, 1918-12-12
FERSHING SAYS DEEDS OF
MEN ARE IMMORTAL
$oldiers Have Earned Eternal Graft
ssf tude Of Our Country He De-
A clares in Review of Americas
gs Part in War.

lsWashington, Dec. 5.-A summary
lof the brilliant fighting Oh the Amer.
idan Expeditionary Forces in France
Iia contained in a report by Gen
i lPershing to the War Department
1lIHade public by Secretary Baker
|jEWithout semblance of boasting. the
.IAmerican commander details the
stbyilliant campaign through which the
ltroops under his command passed
land without hesitation he credits
them with turning the tide against
,Ethe Germans at critical moment.
E The report OF Gen. Pcrshing is
l preliminary i'll its nature and covers
Itee operations only UP to Novem-
er 20. However. il furnishes an
teresting side light on one feature
tA the campaign, in that it indicates
That Gen. Pershiug had hand in
3teaching the decision to strike in
tthe direction of So:ssons when the
Herman Chateau Thierry offensive
Ihad established the deep Marne sail.
lent
III Pershing says OF this: But the
{enerny was taking chances and the
Iyulnerability of this pocket to attack
might be turned to his disadvantage.
ISeizing this opportunity to support
my conviction, every division with
isany sort If training was made avail
able for a counter. offensive. The
Eplace of honor in tho thrust toward
Scissors III July IS'w was given to our
Ist and end divisions, in company
with chosen Frensh divisions"
Concerning the lncttle OF his men
the general says: .5-
81 pay me supreme tribute to our
officers and soldiers OF the line,
When think Of their hcroism, their
patience urder hardships. their un-
flinching spirit of offensive action. l
am filled with emoti' n which | am
unable to express. Their deeds are
immortal, a.id they have earned the
eternal gratitude Of ',ur country"
Pershings depart.re for France to
pave the way for the army that was
to smash German resistance on the
Meuse, and give vital aid to the Al
lies is dealt with in the opening OF
the report. The section devoted to
combat operations tells the story
|of fighting by the man who direct
ID it, =.
zEucounters before March II Of
this year in which American troops
participated, are viewed by Pershing
as a part of their training and he
dismisses them briefly. On that
date, however, the great German Of
fensive was launched and a crucial
situation quickly developed in the
Allied lines, which called for prompt
use of the four American divisions
that were at that time equal to any
demands of battle action"
The general says: The crisis
which this offensive developed was
such that our occupation of an Amer
ican sector must be postponed On
March 2S | placed at the disposal vi
Marshal Foch, who had been agreed
upon as commander in chief OF the
Allies armies, all of our forces. to DC
used as he might decide. At his re-
quest the first division was trans
ferred from the Toul sector to a po-
sition in reserve at Chaumont cn
Vexin. As German superiority i'll
numbers required prompt action. All
agreement was reached at the Abbe-
vile conference of the Allied pre-
miers and commanders and myself
on May by which British shipping
was to transport ten American di-
visions to the British Army era,
where they were to be trained and
equipped, and additional British
shipping was to be provided tor as
many divisions as possible for use
1.-THE First Division had gone into
the line in the Montdidier salient on
the Picardy battle front on April 26.
Tactics had been suddenly revolu-
tionized to those of open warfare,
and our men, confident of the results |
of their training. were eager for the
test. On the morning of May 28 this
division attacked the commanding |
German position in its front, taking |
with splendid dash the town of CAM
tigny and all other objectives, which |,
were organized and held steadfastly |
against vicious counter attacks and
calling artillery fire. Although local,
this brilliant action had an electrical
effect, as it demonstrated our fight
ing qualities under extreme battle
and also that the enemy's
troops were not altogether invincible.
"The Allies faced a crisis equally
IS grave as that of the Picardy Of
fensive in March. Again every
AVAILABLE man was placed at Foch's
and the sd Division. which
1ad Just come from its preliminary
raining in the trenches, was hurried
o the Marne. Its motorized ma
:hine gun battalion preceded the 9TH
r units and successfully held the
oridgehead at the Marne, opposite
Chateau Thierry. The ed Division.
n reserve near Montdidier. was sent
" motor trucks and other available
transport to check the progress OF
he enemy toward Paris. The, di-
,ision attacked and retook the town
md railroad station at Bouresehes
md stnrdily held its ground against
he entmys best guard division4. i
I'm the battle Of Belleau Wood,
vhich followed, our men proved their
and gained = strong tacti-
= position, with far greater loss to
~ eiemy than to ourselves. On
- 49, Al - - ~--~. ~~os~~>oA - 4,