Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-01-31

4 v
meant to the American I'VE are here
for business, and our business is to
| tight" It thrilled the hearts of
General Pershing's people Mt home,
and the modesty of 1t filled them
with glow of satisfaction.
| Another dramatic phrase which
stirred the patriotism of the Ameri-
can people was that attributed to an
American commander at Chateau
Tnierry, when he responded to the
advice of French commanders to re-
treat. by declaring: The American
flag has been compelled to retire.
This is uncomfortable. We are going
to counter attack"
| These statements have been at
tributed to Major General Robert j.
Bullard and to Major General Omar
! Bundy. Some observers have re-
garded this incident as the turning
point of the war. From that time
the Americans advanced. The VIC
tory OF Chateau-Thierry followed.
and thereafter the German army re-
| treated.
Vice Admiral William S. Sims,
commanding the American naval
forces in European waters, was ask
ed when the first Yankee warships
arrived in England early In May.
1917: When will you be ready for
| business?" He replied: We can
start at once. We made our prepa-
| rations on the way over"
There was n dramatic moment, a
great crisis in the worlds history
when General Pershing placed the
American army under the command
of General Foch who had just been
made commander of all the Allied
forces, but none of the phrases that
General Pershing used were widely
quoted as epigramatic. One of the
words, infantry, artillery, aviation,
all that we have is yours. Dispose
of 1t as you may DESIRE"
The retort OF Major Charles Whit
tlesay. commander of the lost bat
TALON" of the American army in
the Argonne forest when the Ger
mans surrounded his isolated COM
mand and their commander demand
ed its surrender, was fone of the
wars historic phrases, GO to hell, !"
he replied.
The first great battle of the war,
the battle that stopped the Germans
at the Marne, ELECTED from the lips
of Marshal Joffre the historic wordss,
The hour has come to advance at
all costs; to die where you stand
rather than to give way"
ECt&AA1S ~EeHI SOuktnanu
General, afterwards Marshal Pc
tain. inspired his weary troops at
Verdun by an order of the day con-
cluding with the words, courage, we
will get them"
General Foch commanding the
French army in the first battle of
the Marne had, been almost over
whelmed by the onward sweep of
the German forces. In q memorable
message to Joffre he said. MY
right is crushed. My left is in re-
treat / am attacking with my CEN
ter"
He did attack and drove a wedge
thI ough the German lines that
started their retreat to the Alsnc.
The people of Paris were stunned
b. the rapidity with which the Ger
mans advanced in their first rush
toward the French carital. The rail
way stations We're besieged, hut the
great majority of the people knew
they must remain. In this tragic
commander of the city, inspired
confidence and cheered the faint
hearted with his watchword, ITO the
very end" The populace took up
the cry and Gallieni with his army
played a signal part in hurling back
the legions of Won Kluck i: the
Marine.
No less inspiring but born OF less
tragic circumstances was the saying
OF General Gouraud who, upon en-
tering Strassburg after the iibeca-
ton of Alsace and Lorraine, decllr-
ed, ''rhe. day of glory has come
flight to the End"
Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig,
commander in chief of the British
armies in France. gave utterance to
an appeal in addressing his soldiers
which stirred a responsive chord in
the hearts of the Allied peoples
through the world. For three weeks
the enemy had battered the British
line in a desperate effort to separate
them from the French and drive
through to the channel ports. Day
after day the British had been driv-
en- back. On April IS, 1918. Marshal
Haig called upon his men for one
last effort.
Every position must be held to
the last man." he ordered. There
must be no retirement. With our
backs to the wall and believing in
the justice of our cause, everyone of
us must fight to the end"
When Vice Admiral Sir Rosslyn
Wemyss went to tell the German
commander of the naval terms of
the armistice, one of the Teuton ad-
mirals said: 1T is inadmissable that
our feet should be given up without
having been beaten"
1T had only to come out" was
the laconic retort of Admiral We
myss.
Later when the surrendering Ger
man warships were escorted by the
British fleet into British waters.
Vice Admiral Beatty's historic signal
after enemy fleet had been moored
read: The German flag is to be
hauled down at 3.57 and is not to be
hoisted again without permission"
Premier Venizelos, spurning the
German Ambassadors invitation to
side with the Central Powers. when
Monastir and a part of Serbia was
offered to Greece as a German bribe,
replied: YOU ask me to dishonor
my signature. to dishonor my coun-
try and to violate its obligations
towards Serbia and, as remuneration
you offer me part of the corpse of
that which 1 am expected to kill.
My country, sir. is too little to COM
NIT so great an infamy."
FuN