New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-27
BY Frederick Moore
No,c York Tribune
SpecidL Cuble .ScrUicc


mas present to the American troops
and the American people his guarded,
but nevertheless definite, announce
ment to the troops to-day that the
object for which, according to his opn
ion, America entered the war will
probably be achieved. His words
were:
II know what you and the people at
home expect of me, and I am happy
to say to my fellow countrymen that
do not find in the hearts Of the great
leaders with whom it is now my priv
ilcge to cooperate any difference Of
principle on fundamental purpose"
1t was stated before he came to
Chaumont this morning that he would
make an important statement and if,
as he now seems confident and has
reason to expect, the Allied leaders
accept this proposal of 81 League of
Nations, to-day's speech on the wind
swept Nosges plateau will probably be
recorded in history as an epoch making
one
President Speaks Bareheaded
With barred head, the President stood
ON an improviscd wooden grandstand
on the rainsoaked and windswept
fields that rolled away as far as the
by the trcelined roads Drawn up IN
company lines before him, the troops
formed an open square. and although
he spoke clearly and plainly and with
out an effort at oratory, his words
seemed hardly to reach the soldiers
ears. and were applaudcd only by about
a hundred officers and civilians grouped
up around him on the grandstand.
Possibly an Error
1t may have been through an error
that the troops mustered out for this
memorable Christmas review were not
instructed to cheer the President, who
received an ovation only from those
off duty, who gathered on either side
of the grandstand out of curiosity
But perhaps the long, cold wait in the
dismal weather and in the mud, which
was d foot deep in some places, be
numbed the spirits, as it had the bodies,
of the American warriors who faced us
We, the correspondents had left
Paris at II, by special train, placed at
our disposal by the French govern
ment, while the Pres dents train left
at midnight. Thus we arrived before
the President. At the little Vosgcs
village, where the beautiful chateau
is located which forms General Per
shing's headquarters, we saw General
Pcrshing arrive, meet President Will
son at the train and lead him through
decorated with French and American
colors and trimmed with Christmas
trees, to the army motor cars. with the
small blue Presidential flag flying in
front, through d line of veteran troops
blueclad Frcnchmcn on one side and
khakclad Americans on the other
The motor cars then conveyed Prcsi-
dent Wilson and General Pershing, fol
lowed by party, to the Hotel de Vile
and after a few minutes visit to the
Mayor the party rccntcrcd the cars
and proceeded through crowded streets
Of the cheering Chaumontesc out ON
long country roads, speeding rapidly
through the romantic villages of old
stone cottages with rcd tiled, often
moss grown, roofs. Before the cottages
the inhabitants gathered alongside tho
American soldiers who arc quartered
there.
Several hundred country people and
perhaps thousand doughboys from
villages stood in the open
plains and cheercd President Wilson as
he alghted from the motor car and
proceeded to the grandstand.
Pershing's Speech Brief
General Pcrshing read very brief
speech, welcoming President Wilson, af-
Ter which the President Mrs Wilson,
Ambassador Jusserand and his wife and
French and American officers and the
newspaper spondents, some seated
and some standing behind him-doffed
his silk hat and delivered an address
in such simple form that the com
ment Of most of thea hearers when
speaking to the others was did YOU
thank he said anything of particular
importance ~ 1t was not long re-
view, made brief because of the weather
conditions and the necessity of speed
ing the President on his way, but it
was one thrilling to the hearts of the
little group of Amer
leans witnessing it. Men with wound
stripes on coatsleeves could be seen
in hemetted lines that passed in re
view in company formation, sinking
at times knee deep in slough and caus-
ing the lines to bend, falter, and at
times even lose a man, who stuck
or fell in the mud. The mules that
dragged the machine guns were re-