Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-05-01
18TH BOYS SECOND
! TO NONE, SAYS MUIR
Commanding General Expresses
Pride in Iron Divisions
Accomplishments
C0NFERS AT DIX ON PARADE

Is what Major General Charles II. Muir
thinks of the Twenty eighth Division.
General Muir went to Camp Dix to
day to confer with Major General Hugh
Y. Scott concerning the possibility of Il
parade of the Iron Division hero with
out hardships TO the boys, breaks
through his traditional Scotch rrti
ccncc to pay tribute to his fighters.
kindly. wrnklcd face. scanned with
the hard days of exposure when he
violated army regulations and went up
in the lines to help his boys forward,
breaks into smiles when he Is reminded
that he is Uncle Charlie 10 the boys.
Sure, know it, he smiles. ITS
good enough for me.
But get this down and got il right
I'm partial. I know. but the Pcnsyl
rania Division that ! commanded left
France second to none in the American
cxpcditionnry forces.
"Only thrcc divisions sustained
greater losses and they were regular
divisions that reached France long be
fore the Twenty eighth.
My boys were only out of the fight
ing from July 10 November for three
weeks. and that was when they were
changing their positions. The rest of
the time they wcrc under constant fire
and were in the battle Of the Marnc.
The OurcQ the NCslc, the Argonnc and
the WoevrC.
"They were fighters second TO none
In France, aud feel that it is my right
to say that
Over Top in Argonne
"Upcle Charlie went over the top
IN the Argonnc, Drawing court martial
aud official displcasurc. but ready to
show his lads that he was with them
to the end.
Say" he expoStulatcd, when this
incident in his career somewhere III
France was rccitcd, ''dont have mo
saving too much Of that kind of stun
or my friends will think that I'm get
ting bombastic.''
.'Well,' he added. 'if you must know
I'll tell you the truth. | was down
in the Argonnc up in the front lines
where there was some hghtIng, ana
there was quite little Scrnpplng go
ing on about mo. If YOU want to say
that it was going over the top why
that's up to you.
''Hc did it. though murmurcd II
staff officer wearing the silver leaves
of lieutenant colonel. "lf YOU say
over the top you won't be jarring tho
facts any.
General Muir took a potshot, too, at
many q German aviator who flew over
the Yankee lines, dropping his haming
death and explosive murder on the
lads from the Keystone state.
Pretty Darn Tough
Pretty darn tough. too sighed the
wrinklcd old fighter. aimed ut three
of those Hcincs and never got one of
'cm. Used to be a dandy shot, too, but
never prncticed on ayiators. ! was
sorry hadn't when I missed those fcl-
lows
General Muir, in dealing with tho
achievements of the Iron Division, made
the following formal statement:
THE Twenty eighth Division was
under my command from the time ] as
sumed command at Camp Hancock early
In December. 1917. I went across with
them to Calais the following May. They
then had about three weeks additional
training behind the British lines east
of Boulognc. Then they were sent TO
point near MeauX, and given addi-
tional training with the French until
the end of June, 1918.
''We began by putting small units
into the front line, graduly incrcas
ing their size. BY the time of the
last German drive in the middle of July.
we had several companies in the front
line and the remainder. less the ar :
tilery. in the second lines of the first
position. The artillery joined the re-
nainder of the. division at the Ncslc
river and remained with it until it
came out of the Argonnc fight
THE artillery was then sent to the
Ninety first Division for its final cam
paign with the British in Flanders. re-
joining the main division just before
1t left France.
On Front After July
From July l until the armisticc,
November II. the Twenty eighth was
in the front lines, in whole or in part.
except for about three weeks, when
it shifted from the Neslc to the Ar
gonne, then to point opposite Metz.
Being in the front line and being at
such important points, its losses were
necessarily heavy.
only the First, Second Third and
Fourth Divisions suffered heavier
losses, and they lad gone to France
much earlier than the Twenty -cightA
n ''The division always acquitted itself
in creditable manner, and | was i'm
pressed with it from the beginning 70
the end. | believe | have the right to
say that when the armisticc was dc!
clared it was second to no division in
France"
General Muir declined to talk parade.
II am going to Camp Dix" said he.
land j shall talk over the plans with
General Scott. lie undoubtedly has
made plans which he will outline to mo.
Until l can talk with him / can say
nothing"
General Muir was cited for three
decorations, the Distinguished Service
Medal, the Croix de Gucr$e and the
British cross of st. Michael and ST.
George.