The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-09-18
GREETINGS EXTEND
ED BY CUMMINS
AND GILLETTE
Former Speaker Clark Then
Presented the Formal Res
olution of Thanks, Which
Was Framed in Very Few
Words and in a Very Di-
rect Fashion.

Washington, d. G., Sept. ls. Standing
In the chamber of the House of Repre-
sentatives with the full membership of
the Senate and House about him, and
with galleries crowded with admirers,
General John j. Pershing received to-day
the formal thanks of Congress for the
services he and the officers and men he
commanded in France rendered during
the great war.
Senator Cumins, as president pro tenn.
of the Senate, sat with Speaker Gillett,
and extended the first greeting.
General Pershing," he said "it is my
high privilege to extend to you the sin
cere and cordial greetings of the Senate
of the United States. The message /
have the honor TO bear is not greeting
alone, but an earnest welcome and hearty
congratulation upon your safe and vic
torious return to your native land. Nor
is it welcome only, but it is full of
deep appreciation for the tremendous task
you have SO wonderfully and worthily
accomplished
sfYou were called upon to assume the
unreasonable responsibility of com
manding the greatest body of soldiers
who ever marched under the American
flag, and you led this superb invineible
host of our brightest best and bravest
boys, to the very summit of military
fame and national glory. While our tears
are flowing and our hearts are breaking,
as we solemnly remember the tens of
thousands who sailed away with spirit
so resolute and courage SO perfect and
who will return never more until God
calls us all on His judgment day, we re-
ceive with unbounded joy and undying
gratitude those who have passed un-
harmed through the perils Of the cruelest
war in the history of the world
"Your entrance into France, followed
by an army which exceeded in numbers
and surpassed in daring the most enthu.
siastic supporters, was the most impress
sive spectacle in all the annals of war
fare, for America hastened to the aid
of that stricken but defiant country in
way and to a degree never before wit
messed and which has no parallel in the
records Of the nations of the world A
little more than year later with a
purpose which never faltered and spirit
which never failed, the United States
had accomplished its mission, and when
the day of armistice dawned it had won
the admiration and held the confidence,
esteem and affection of every country of
the earth whose people loved Justice, re-
vered liberty and honored manhood.
Upon that day the name and fame of
the American soldier and the nation of
his allegiance had risen to the highest
point ever attained in the cause Of hui
manity, May the Ruler of the universe
help us to maintain through all the
stormy years to come the respect and
faith which you and your gallant army
SO magnifcently won for America and
beloved institutions"
Speaker Gillett
Speaker Gillett followed:
when one of the marshals OF Louis
XIV" he said, "came to take farewell of
his sovereign before leaving for a cam
paign, the friendly monarch said to him
Go and fight my battles, and ] will pro
tect you against your enemies at home,
to which the blunt soldier replied; Sire,
would prefer that you should protect
me from my friends. | can protect my
self against my enemies And / wonder
If our distinguished guest, under the CON
stant fire of receptions and reviews and
compliments to which he is exposed, win
mot feel like Npraying for protection
against his friends Certainly, he needs
none against his enemies, for in this
country he has none'
After paying tribute to the men of the
american army, Speaker Gillett said,
turning to General Pershing;
"0f all the details of your peneralship
and your strategy we are not now quail
fed to Judge. But we do know that you
were gloriously successful And we know
that you had abundant opportunity for
glaring mistakes You were surrounded
by pitfalls. Far from your government
in foreign land, you had to rely upon
yourself. Even in what You said, you
must be prudent, you must not depre-
cate your allies while vindicating your
own country. There was every chance for
errors. But, sir, if you made them, either
in policy or in statement, we have not
heard of them. You have
seemed to us not only a successful gen
eral bending all his great powers without
favor and without leniency to the one
stern purpose of victory, but you have
also seemed wise, discreet, restrained
far-sighted man And sir, | may add
that to those of us who knew you it is
fefreshing but not surprising to find that
after all the supreme power, the high
station, the lordly associates and tho IN
stinted compliments to which you have
been accustomed, youehave developed nei,
ther arrogance nor atfectation, but that
o.