The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-31

STARTED AS PRIVATE
RETURNS A GENERAL
Brig. Gen. Cole Welcomed by
Bride and Delegation
From Boston.
LED IN BIG OFFENSIvES
Man Who Ran Against Mccall
for Governor Won Great
HOnors in France.
LED IN BIG OFFENSIvEs


after serving as Adjutent-General Of
Massachusetts. and resigned that office
to run for Governor OF the State. TO
have won the command OF an infantry
brigade and lead that brigade through
the three great American offensives in
France-the second Marne. st. Mihiel
and the Meuse-Argonne and finally to
have returned homo as the head OF the
advance party of what he says In the
greatest division in tho whole A. r. F.
and to be met at the pier by the wife
Re married a few days before he went
overseas-thoss are Just n few OF the
things that made Brig. -Gen Charles Fl.
Cole OF Boston, beam on the throng Of
newspapermen. friends and Boston
political leaders who SURF 'unded him
three deep at the Hotel Knickerbocker
all yesterday afternoon.
After serving as Fire Commissioners
and Police Commissioner of BOSTON he
was appointed Authenticated OF Mac
sachusetts by Gov. Mccall in spite Of his
different political faith. and after serv-
ing one term he resigned and made an
unsuccessful race against Mccall for the
Governorship. In April. 1917, he en-
listed an a private in the Ninth Massa-
chusetts Infantry, and when the Ma
uonal Guard was federallzed he was
appointed Adjutant Of the 101st Infan-
try with the rank Of Captain. few
months later the Twenty-sixth Division,
was organized from the National Guard
OF the New England States, and Capt.
Cole was appointed Brigadier-General
and placed in command Of the Fifty
second Infantry Brigade.
Restored to Command by Pershing.
He held this post until within a few
days Of the signing Of tho armistice,
when he was relieved of his command
by Brig.-Gen. Braneford, who had sue
ceeded Major-Gen. Edwards In command
Of the division. Inquiry into the matter
at headquarters resulted in Gen. Cole
being restored to his command at the
order of Gen. Pershing. lie arrived in
New York yesterday on the Aquitanla
and will go to Boston this morning TO
begin the arrangements for the recep-
ton of the Yankee Division at that port
some time next month.
Shortly before his division was or
dered overseas in the fall OF 1917 Gen.
Cole married Miss Grace Blanchard Of
Brookline. She was at the pier TO greet
him yesterday, as were his brother
George a. Cole, the latter's wife and
daughter and the generals cousins, Mr..
and Mrs. Frederick Lawley and Mr.. and
friendA
Gen. Cole wears the CroiS de Guerre
with PALM but every time any one sug-
rested that he tell some particulars
about the exploit which won him the
decoration he remembered another bit
Of valor on the part OF some of his men
along the Marne or in the Argonne.
The battle OF. the Marps--the second
battle 1of tho Marine. that is-was the
greatest battle In history, Gen. Cole said
yesterday. because when 1t was ended
the Huns were beaten. I'VE didn't
know just how long It would take 10
fnish the job.' he said, but We knew
that it was like Gettysburg in the civil
war-that the enemy had failed and
that the end was only question OF
time.
Went over the Top angling.
"A battalion from my brigade cap
tured the frst town taken by the Ameri-
cans after the Marine offensive began.
Major Southerd of Bangor, Me, led his
men forward, calmly smoking cigar. At
tho beginning of the action he d!scov-
cred that the barrage was behind him,
so ne ordered his men forward and In
thirty-ave minutes they had taken the
village OF Torsey. in spite OF heavy rine
and machine gun nFe.
They are the people VINO are entitled
to the credit in this war;" he went on,
the men and the Junior officers who
were with them. At St Mihiel our men
went over the top laughing and smok-
ing cigarettes. Our artillery prepare
, ton was so thorough that we captured
thousands OF prisoners in their dugouts
before they knew our advance had COM
menced."
Gen. Colo paid enthusiastic tribute to
the French, both the army and the civil
ian population. He declared that the
French staff work was beyond praise
and said that In service under four
French conps commanders he had never
found anything but enthusiastic. intelli-
gent and energetic cooperation. The
French officers who served as liaison off,
GERS on his staff were extraordinarily
capable, Gen. Cole said, and he never is
sued an order without consulting them
He praised the French army supply sys-
tenn too, and related several instances
when he had secured supplies from them
when they could not be obtained In time
from the American authorities.
French Good Instructors.
Much of the credit for tho success OF
the division. he said. was due to the
training which they had undergone at
the hands of the French. AT Neuf-
chateau," he said. "when We were about
70 begin our training We were addressed
BY Gen. Caste,neau OF the French army,
and he told us that all their experience
I'm four wears of war was at our dis
posai. We are not such good teachers
as the Boche,' the General told us, but
the lessons he gives are very expensive.
You viii lose many thousands OF brave
men in learning from him what we can
teach you here"
That the men of the Twenty sixth d.
vision are in splendid physical condl-
ton. Gen, Cole declared, was proved
when Gen. Pershing inspected the entire
orranzation before their departure to-
vsrd the embarkation points. The In
spection, which lasted several hours. was
held IN q pouring rain. he said. and
there was no increase In the SICK list
next day as result.
Gen. Cole refused to discuss politics.
national or local. For one thing. he
said. he had been away too long to know
ANYTHING about the situation. And
ten. ne added with a smile. I'm still
In the army" His first thought he said,
was 10 get 20 Boston and give what
heIp he could toward the plan for well
coming the Yankee Division. which Is to
Boston and New England what tho
Twenty-seyenth.t the Seventy-seventh and
Rainbov all rolled into one. are TO New