Omaha daily bee., 1918-09-01
RELIGIOUS SIDE
OF YANk LEADER
TOLD BY REAVIS
Nebraska Congressman Sees
Side of Pershing Character
Not Usually Known to
Civilians.
By EDGAR c. SNYDER.
Washington Bureau,
Omaha Bee, 1911 q Street

Omaha Bee, 1911 q Street
Ever since Congressman c. F.
Reavs of the First Nebraska con-
gressional district returned from six
weeks tour Of France and the western
battle front, / have been immensely
interested in his impressions and OBJ
servations. Mr.. Reavis. in addition to
very keen logical mind. has. what is
so rare in the lawyer, strong view
of sentiment running through his
makeup and when he gets to talking
of the evenings on shipboard. while
crossing to and from France. under
heavy convoy. or the nights and the
star shells over No Mans Land. to
say nothing of the boom OF the heavy
guns and the, rattle of infantry, he
brings to the telling an observers
keen appreciation of tie particular
events coupled with here and there
touches of human interest that irresist-
IDLY appeal to the attentive listner
The other afternoon Mr.. Reavis
told me of visit he made to General
Pershing, and the angle of that talk
he had with our great soldier, Jack"
Pershing, think will bear repeating.
Mr.. Reavis tells OF side of Perish
ing's character, not generally known,
and that is his religious side.
Revises Usual Order.
"The response made to the message
of the federal council of churches in
America by General Pershing. where
in he said: The invisible, uncon-
conquerable force let loose by the
prayers, hopes and ideals of Christian
America is incalculable, is entirely
characteristic of the man. have
never known a man more deeply re-
ligious than he. nor have ever
known one whose sincere belief in di-
vine interposition in the affairs OF man
finds more free and frequent express
sion," said Mr.. Reavis.
~ am frank to say that was some
what surprised to discover this, for
my experience with army officers had
led me to believe them to be very
practical and materialistic, and in full
agreement with the Napoleonic
theory that the Lord is on the side
of the largest battalions. If ! were
to hazard an opinion it would be that
the general reverses the order in the
belief that a just and righteous cause
attracts defenders, so that in the end
the largest battalions are on the
Lords side. This view, in any event.
finds corroboration in the fact that
about eight-tenths Of the peoples of
the earth are enlisted to oppose the
purposes OF the central powers.
''In the early hours of the morning
of July II. after the many tasks OF
the day were laid aside, after con-
sidering with his staff the numerous
reports brought in by messengers
rushing from the front, and after the
daily bulletin had been dispatched to
America, | sat in his chateau and
talked intimate things with General
Pershing.
Has Beautiful Home.
"His home, one of the most beauti-
full in France, was gratuitously turned
over to the United States by a
wealthy French gentleman who
buried two sons in the first year Of
the war, and who himself was so
wounded that never again will ne
walk the shady lanes which run
through his magnificent forests. The
beams and timbers in the wonderful
old room in which we sat were black
with age, and the brooding shadows
far up in the arches added an air OF
mystery II not of romance to the
scene. From far off toward the front
came the boom OF occasional artillery
fire like the mutterings of distant
thunder, inhaming the imagination
concerning the supermen who were
battling under the stars. But they
were not supermen to the general:
they were just his boys.
Wants More Chaplains.
az want more chaplains,' he said,
"and I want them under my personal
control. / have the chaplains' school
near my headquarters so that may
keep in close and constant touch with
it. want to exercise an advisory
il not directing control. / want these
fine boys of ours to understand the
ideals for which they fight; l want
them to know that they are crusaders
from over the sea entrusted with the
noble task of saving the civilization of
this earth. ~
"And above all his voice was very
quiet and earnest as he said this,
above everything except winning the
war, / want those who return home
to be better physically and morally
than they were when they were sent
to me.
Many other things were talked Of
during the night but this thing was
said so earnestly that it is outstand-
ing in my memory. | am so heartily
in accord with the generals views that
| am glad to give them publicity, and
to assure those who are so greatly
interested in the welfare of our
soldiers that the moral influence sur
rounding them is just as strong as a
highminded. religious and moral man
can make it."