The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1918-06-24

The Chicago Tribune and tho Okanome
City Times)
SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE. June
2-Delayed )-Since my first visit tc
The newly arrived American troops
back of the British lines three weeks
ago great progress has been made by
arrangements for completing their train
ing and putting them into the fighting
There was necessarily some confusion
at first, These troops were rushed
over to give General Foch the price
less element of reserves with which TO
buttress his armies against Won Hin
denburg's effort to destroy by a sud
: den overwhelming attack
The London and Paris governments
made such representations 70 Washing
ton cas- to convince President Wilson
and by, and with, consent of Secretary
Baker and General Pershing, the old
plans were set aside and new ones, in
volving radical changes were substi-
tuted. These were carried out with n
promptneS and efficiency characteristic
Of America when thoroughly aroused
Gum as hHtllCau bnlNhs
All OF the foregoing has been stated
heretofore, but there has been modi
fcation OF the necessarily hurried plans
The arrest OF the German offensive gave
an opportunity for 4 careful rc-cxam-
ination by General Pershing, who, with
the full approval of both the British
and French, has put order and system
into the general scheme of American re
Inducements, concerning which in the
early stages the time element had to be
treated as paramount As before, Amer
lean infantry and machine gun units
will be equipped here with artillery and
other accompanying services, but under
the revised plans our troops will, to
much greater extent, he kept together
as American units. While General
Pershing fell in CALAMITY with the al
lied demands growing out of the Ger
man offensive, he never gave up his
original idea of maintaining the Ameri-
can army as such.
Pershing Clings to First Plan.
While many others felt that tho plan
OF brigading American troops with the
British and French meant absorption Of
American troops, General Pcrshing per
haps somewhat obstinately clung to the
original plan Of a main American army
with its own port and front and lines of
communication, The development of the
great battle rendered iixity Of front
impossible, but also pointed the way for
retaining American identity wherever
the units might be serving.
Something like the revolving plan
by which the new troops whcrcyc
landed IN France may he pasSc,
through various stages Of trainin,
service in quiet sectors and final
holding the line on an active front. re
tanning their American divisional idcn
ti,y, has been involved, and is workiu
well. Constant movement is one
the best means of preparing new me,
Brigading with our allies goes on in
4 the same, but the tendency everywher
ID 10 put our men in "on their own
Results Show II.
1h1s has been accentuated by the fiji
performance Of our troops in PicarC
oed o the Marine, which strengthen,
3 (be talies' morale away beyond the in
nediate results achieved. important
tbese were
General Pershing stubbornIy adhere
to his own scheme Of training men Il
open warfare in the face of contrar
advice, when he first arrived in Franc
And he especially insisted on rifle prsC
tice. IL ever a generals judgment wa
vindicated. General Pershing's was
the showing made BY his infantry on III
Marine. II Is these practical results tina
have modified European militar
opinion. Where's, a few weeks ago, tn
Americans were usually thought Of a
admirable raw material" they are nov
elsssed as shock troops. Everybod
wants to see them holding their owl
Inc, under their own officers. with Gen
.raI PersldnR in personal command
Pershins Has Own Headquarters.
And this latter wish is already real
ked for, as forecast in these dispatche,
Pershing has established his headauar
iers. Nothing could make NOR
strongly for Americsnization. An in
fluenee with which we are being brouel
INTO increasingly close contact is N
canadian. visited General Currie. II
canadians commander in chief. an
spoke as always with admiration ar
Fellowship for Our troops. He thinl
they will be the very best. The mo
" laaadiAns can hays 70 do with n