Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-01-31
iCTURES u. s. ARMY
AS PRIDE OF NATION
Frederick Palmer, Pershing's
Chief Intelligence Officer,
Describes Force
PRAISES COMMANDER
General Busy at Desk or on
Inspection Tours of
Men
NEW YORK. Jan. 81.

NEW YORK. Jan. 81
Major Frederick Palmer, former war
correspondent, General Pershimg's chief
intelligence officer. speaking before the
League for National Unity at its meet
ing here at the Metropolitan Life Build
ing, promised absolute openness of re-
ports when our soldiers really begin
fighting in France. Some secrecy is neces-
sary in regard to the movement of
troops, he said. but nothing Is to be
hidden about soldiers when they get
to work
'If you hear little news from our
force In France at present" he said. at
Is because their training is much the
same as that of any other training
camp because we are simply building
now. But when there Is action the peo-
pie will have every detail. 1t is their
army. They have a right to know
about IT,"
The former war correspondent early
In his address took occasion to hit out
at the croakers at the national capital
Two pictures come TO my mind this
afternoon" he remarked. "One is OF
John Pershing. the builder, resolute and
determined, at his desk at headquarters
or on one of his inspections--a man who
has no time for pessimism The other Is
the hotel lobbies In Washington. where
gloom of late has been the fashion. fed
by whispered tidbits of black rumor IL
had my way would sentence all pessi-
mists to stevedoring for Pershing in
France.
I'm those lobbies you hear talk that
we are losing the war, which is the best
prescription for losing it. We are not
losing the war. We are winning the war.
Can any one say that We are losing the
war when Germany can send no ship out
on the surface of the seas-when Ger
many is bottled up with all the world
against her?'
BEST IN L. S. HISTORY
Major Palmer told of the preparations
the American army was making to "be
ready in big way and thoroughly for
our great task"
He said:
For the first three months it seemed
as IL we were making little headway,'
and then gradually the picture began
developing out OF the plate. until IN IN
form. Such progress was possible only
under centralized military direction. for
our army in France is not run by COM
mittees or boards or councils. John Per-
shing is supreme. In France he has
built for us a general STAFF which is now
so co-ordinated that It is capable OF
looking after the organization of a big
army in action. Men OF ability are find
ing their way to the top"
The American expeditionary force in
France was described by Major Palmer
as 'the best disciplined, most self-re-
specting and orderly in conduct. the best
trained and organized our country has
He added that 'if reports which come
to us in France are true the German
staff takes the new American very seri-
Major Palmer paid tribute to Presi-
dent wilson-"a man who has true steel
In him. a man who means to fight to
the end and win"
His typed speech as he read it was
a careful account of what has been
done so far by America in the war. a
summing up Of the difficulties and the
needs, and while no names were used
something of a rebuke to those indi'
viduals who have been shouting for sem
sational action.
FOLLY OF VOLUNTEER PLANS
Listeners had little doubt as to whom
General Pershing's spokesman meant
when he said:
eat the beginning we might have
dispatched hurriedly gathered band of
wars against ' partly w trained foes, m and and
1t might have gone into the trenches at
once with the flags flying. 1t Is easy
to go into the trenches. but 1t is difficult
to get out alone il YOU don't know now
to fight. We might have sent other divi-
sions into the trenches to be eaten up in
detail without ever getting the foun-
dation for real army. Or I'VE might
have skinned our regulars and sent
one crack regular division, Offered en-
tirely by regulars, who could have gone
into the trenches In few weeks. but
that meant sacrificing the only experts
we had for training, organizing and
drilling our new army.
Instead, we distributed our army ex-
ports over tie great force we We're form
Ing out of a male population that knew
nothing OF war except what 1t had read
Our regular officers had to go to school
in Europe to train reserve officers, who
In turn had to train other officers. Only
. soldier can realize the enormity Of the
task"
Secretary Baker, Major Palmer in
sisted. had measured up to his job In
every way
Samuel Gompers. who presided at the
meeting. turned to Major Palmer at the
end Of the lstter's speech and said:
II think ! may say with much as
message to the fighting men in France
that We are with them 100 per cent.
There is no mental reservation in the
pledge Of the American Government, with
the support of the syreat mass of the
American people. that every part of man
power. of all our resources will be laid
at the feet and given into the hands OF
the men who are fighting In France and
who will fight in France.
when you have driven the Invaders
back TO the confines of their own ac-
cursed. unhappy, monarch-ridden coun-
try then, and not until then, shall we
listen to their proposals of peace. United
In sentiment and In fact the American
people. with the brave people of England
and OF France-aye. and even of raw
ished Belgium and outraged Serbia and
Rumania-will fight on as best we can
at home, and confident that under
Pershing with a free hand, cooperating
with the leaders of the armies of our
allies, under the general direction In
spirit OF that great statesman, that
spokesman. that leader, that tribune OF
the democracies of the world, President
Woodrow Wilson. all will be well with
Ii republic"
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