The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-11-22
WHITTLESEY GIVES
ALLPRAISE TO MEN
Hero Of "LOst Battalion" Mod
estly Disclaims Honor at
Williams Club Dinner.
LIONIzEs THE PRIvATEs
Also Tells of Wonderful
Training Americans Received
at Hands Of French.

Not a word OF the Forest OF Argonne.
Of his Lost Battalion" Of his 20 TO
helly' reply to the German demand that
the trapped Americans surrender did
Lieut.. Col. Charles. w. Whittlesey OF
the s0Sth Infantry say to the 500 WILL
Jams College men who made a jubilant
fuss over him az their guest OF honor
at the wifhams Club. 291 Madison ave-
nue., last night.
He talked about the wonderful train
Ing the French gave the Americans.
about the fneness OF williams men he
had seen at the front. ana most Of all,
about the American private soldier and
how that's the chap that ought to be
lionized. And when he sat down a dis
appointed visitor who hailed from Cor
nell and therefore had special privilege
shouted
But did you tell them to go to hell?'
Whittlesey modestly nodded his head.
But did they GOT" demanded several
Williams men OF unsuitable curiosity.
What Whttlesey replied nobody knows.
for a hundred voices slammed back the
answer:
They sure did"
Going Strong Mt Midnight.
Then everybody shouted over and over
the Williams yell with Whittlesey's
name at the head OF 1t, and packed
themselves around him to shake his
hand, and were still at It when THE
SUNS investigator had to come away to
make an edition and save his eardrums
Chick Whittlesey. williams '05. doesn't
like to be called hero or anything
like that, but when he got back from
France week or so ago. 10 find that
little AFFAIR OF the Lost Battalion In
everybody's mind. GONE williams class
mates bounded him until he had to
promise to appear before the club on a
special war night" as soon as he had
visited his parents in Massachusetts.
He kept his promise last night. Lieut..
Adrian de Pachmann OF the French mill
tary mission was another guest. Like
wise 10 Elliott OF the Signal Corps who
composed The Long, Long Trail" and
| took with him to the clubhouse q double
| seXtet Of soldiers. They sang not only
the Trail" but La Marseillaise" in
| French and The Star Spangled Ban
ner" in American. not to mention a
| full volley OF Williams songs.
No matter what Lieut.-Co! Wh!ttlesey
says about the reply he flung back al
the Germans in the Argonne Forest. the
popular version Of II is the true one.
1t was u command. a malediction and a
prophecy combined" said F. r Woods
president OF the club in introducing the
guest OF honor.
Tells of French Kindness.
whittlesey said that the American
armies appreciate fully the debt they
owe to the French Cor the patient and
| skilful training our men got before they
| were ready for the front but that the
French themselves never mention II and
sneak only OF the splendid qualities of the
Americans. He told homely story or
| two to picture the kindness Of the French
Lieut.. Whine Dobson was Sick he
| said. land 1t happened that there was
nobody In his billet 10 look out for him
| So two little girls adopted him. They
! were IL years old-Georgette, from a
| city, and Yvonne. n shy country girl
| They lowered around protectingly and
| showed Winnie's 'striker'--a private sol
| dier-how to sweep the floor properly
One day when / came in and praised the
| little girls for the help they had given
| Georgette looked AT me with shining
| ewes and then looking over at Winnie
Dobson said, My first American
He told OF some OF the Williams mer
Rt the front whom many OF the diners
| knew-Ted Bartlett, Meredith Wood
Lieut.. Brewer. Alan Rogers and Capt
| Belvidere Brooks OF the Sosth, who wa'
killed-"our best officer-far and away
the best Captain we had" said Col
! Whlttlesey,
Praises Enlisted Men.
you don't hear enough OF the en-
listed men in France" he went on. TN
afraid we didn't think much about then
at first. They W re just ordinary Amer
| lean boys when the went over, but nov
| they're changed. and the officers hav,
adopted different attitude towarC
| them. I can't describe the fondness tina
We acquired for them as We saw then
day after day doing their work withou
l Nd 4,