Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-22
PERSHING'S PLAN
FOR ARMY WINS
Modifies Brigading Scheme
and Starts Building Inde-,
pendent Command
HAS ALLIES APPROVAL
BY CHARLES H. CRAsTY
Special Gable to Euening Public Ledger
Copyright, 1918. bv Ne,o York Times Co.


Somewhere In France, June q.
Since my first visit TO the newly
arrived troops Of the United States back
Of the British lines three weeks ago.
great progress has been made in ar-s
rangemen,s for completing their traiIi-,
ing and putting them into the fighting.
There was necessarily some confusion
at first. These troops were rushed over
to give General Foch priceless element
of reserves with which to buttress his
armies against Hindenburg's effort to de-
stroy the Allied armies by a sudden over
whelming attack.
The London and Paris Governments
made such representations to Washing
ton as to convince President Wilson.
and with the consent Of Secretary Baker
and General Pershing. old plans were set
aside and new ones. involving radical
changes. were substituted. These were
cheney characteristic of America when
thoroughly aroused
Hurried Plans Modified p
All Of this has been stated before. but
there has been a modification of these
necessarily hurried plans. The arrest
of the German offensive gave opportunity
for a careful re-examination by General
pershing. who, with the full approval
of both British and French. has put
order and system into the general scheme
of American reinforcements. concerning
which In the early stages. the time eie.
ment had to be treated as paramount.
AS before planned, the American In
fantry and machine guns units will be
equipped here with artillery and other
accompanying services. but under the
revised plans. our troops will be kept
together as American units to much
greater extent.
while General Pershing fell in gal
lautly with the Allied demands grow
ing out Of the German offensive. he
never gave up his original idea of main
tanning the American army as such.
While many others felt that the plan
of brigading American troops with Brit
ish and French meant absorption, PERISH
ing clung, perhaps somewhat obstinate
ly. to the original scheme of a main
American army, with its ports and front
and lines of communication. -
The development Of the great battle
rendered the fixing Of this front I'm
possible. hut it also pointed out the WY
for retaining American identity
wherever the units might be serving.
Revolving Plan Working well =
something like revolving plan by
which new troops, wherever landed In
France. may be passed through the va
rious stages of the training service in
quiet sections and finally hold the lire
on an active front. retaining meanwhile
the American divisional identity, has
been evolved out of the conditions and
Is working we'll
Constant movement is one Of the sbpst
means cf preparing the new men
Brigading with the Allies goes on just
the same, but the tendency everywhere
is to put our men in ION their own"
This trend has been actentuated by
the fine performance of our troops In
Picardy and on the Marne. which has
strengthened the Allies morale far
beyond the immediate results achieved,
important as those were.
Pershing has steadfastly adhered to
his own ideas of training men for open
warfare in the face Of contrary advice,
when he first arrived in France, and
he has insisted especially on rife prac-
tice II ever q generals judgment was
vindicated Pershing's was in the snow
ing made by our troops on the Marine.
II Is these practical results that have
modified European military opinion
Whereas a few weeks age the Americas
soldiers were usually thought as "ad-
mirable material" they are now classed
as shock troops. Everybody wants to
see them holding their own line under
their own officers, with Pershipg In gem
eral and personal command. This latter
wish Is already realized, for, as forecast
in these dispatches. General Pershing
has established field headquarters.
Nothing could make more strongly for,
Americanization. IA
Good Canadian Inhuence ~
An influence with which Americans are
being brought into increasingly close
contact is the Canadian. visited Gen-
eral Currie. the Canadian COMMANDER
in-chief, and he spoke. as always. with
sincere admiration and fellowship of
our troops. He thinks they will be the
very best The more the Canadians.
have to do with Americans the more
both will like It, As General Currte
said, after minutes talk about base
ball. they feel thoroughly at hcms
together. was proud to hear General
Currie's good opinion of our troops, foxs
! had just left British general who.
said:
"Currie commands the finest corps IN
existence today. BY common consent it
is the corps d'elite Of all the armies.