Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-10-08
AmerIos's 0reat-
est Soldier
by
Harold r. Wheeler

army court nor board Will revoke such
an appointment If the offlcer IN ques-
ton happens to get marrleu.
THAT was enough for JACK.
| az made arrangements all in a day, |
invitations were issued and on Janu-
arv 26. 1905. Jack and my daughter
were married In the Church of the
Epiphany, by the Rev. DR.. Randolph
| II. McKim The next day they started
| for Japan" Such was Pershings ro-
nance DR.. McKim is still alive; he
still il past of the Chmurch of the
Epihany. l called upon him at his
home in K street, Washington. He
! recalls the marriage; he never solem-
nized happier one in his life he told
me.
wedding OF Captain John Joseph
Pershing and Miss Helen Frances
! Warren.
President Roosevelt and Mrs. Roose-
welt attended. So did all the celebri-
ties of the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES for
eign ministers and scores OF army
and navy officers.
| Charles e. Magoon, the one-time
governor of Cuba and of the Canal
Zone, one of "The Three Musketeers,"
was best man. The maid or honor
was a classmate of the bride at
Wellesley, Miss Anne Decker Orr of
| Pittsburg
| Among lHe uStlSTC was thdt NAV
and gallant army officer who vast lost
on the Titanic. Captain Archie Butts
Other ushers were Ma jor General Gro
zier, lately commanding general of the
northeastern department with head
quarters in Boston; Colonel Sidney A.
Cloman, A. F. F.: Colonel George w.
Kirk patrick Fort Riley Kan: Major
General William G. Gaan, A. r F; and
rigadier- General William Lassiter, A.
f. F.. Rear Admiral Andrew 7. Long,
L. s. N; Captain Roscoe G Bulmer,
L. s. n; Captain Mark, Bristol, Z. $.
N: and Brigadies General Charles L.
McCawley, u. S. Marine corps
Following the wedding there was n
reception at the New Willard hotel.
Tokyo honeymoon days for Captain
John Joseph Pershing and his bride,
who had been Miss Helen Frances
Warren daughter of United States Sem
ator Francis Emroy Warren of Wyo-
ming We're destined to be short.
The Russian Japanese war was In
progress and almost Immediately upon
their arrival In Tokyo. where Pershing
had been detailed as military attache
to the American embassy in Japan he
assigned as an observer to go TO the
front with the army command by Gem
eral kuroki.
Pershing remained with Kuroki's
army from March until September.
1905. The report which he made to
the war department of his observations
was recognized as one of the best of
it's kind ever submitted by United
States army officer. | was told by
government officials in Washington
that his analysis of the campaign was
mastery, an eXemplar of a wonderful
and keen insight into the strategic and
tactical operations of the Japanese.
Pershing, after leaving kurokis
larmy continued as military attache at
Tokyo until October 1906. Lloyd G.
Griscom of New York, the same widely
known diplomat who was our ambas-
sador to England In 1898, who served
in the Spanish war and who went to
France as an officer with Pershing in
the world war, was, at the time, our
minister to Japan-later ambassador
and Pershing and his wife lived with
Mr.. and Mrs. Griscom at the embassy,
There were, OF course, the usual social
functions which attach to the life of
embass Pershing and his wife met
the emperor of Japan-the emperor
and countless princes and dignrtaries
.PERSHING BECOMES A FATHER.
On September s. 1905, came a great
event in the life of the Pershings. Their
first child was born-Helen Elizabeth.
Later there were other children-Annf
Orr born March %, 1903, at Camp John
Hay in Benguist province of the Phil.
ippine Islands; Francis Warren, born
June "a, 1909, at Cheyenne, Wyo., and
Mary Margaret, born May IL, 1912. at
Zamboanga on Mindanao OF the Phil
ippine islands.
Soon after the birth Of Helen came
another great event. Pershing was
made brigadieY- general; made so by
Roosevelt, then president, who jumped
Pershing over the heads of $50 other
army officers who were his seniors.
How? Why?
Roosevelt was never one to forget.
And it will be remembered that in 1908,
as | have written, he felt that PERISH
ing's work as a captain in Mindanao-
Pershing's subjugation of the Moros-
merited promotion. 1t will be remem-
bered, also, that without authorization
to promote a captain to a colonelcy-
, to promote any officers to any rank
below that of a general officer-Roos-
evelt, in a message to congress that
year, had asked congress to give him
such power, and at the same time had
said:
; Moreover when a man renders such
, service as Captain Pershing rendered
/, last spring in the Moro campaign, 1t
ought to be possible to reward him
: without at once jumping him to the
grade OF brigadier- general"
!, Roosevelt meant these words.
But congress did not vote the au
1908, nor in 1904, nor in 1905, nor In
, 1905. Roosevelt would not wait longer
I He felt that the army and that the
, country needed Pershing's services in
the capacity of general officer.
: know this. l talked with Colonel
, Roosevelt about the matter in the Har-
ward club in New York shortly before
his death.
:, PROMOTED BY ROOSEVELT.
, SO it was on September 20, 1905
I Roosevelt, actuated by what he be-
llieved a paramount duty, sent to con-
!, gress the nomination of Captain John
Joseph Pershing to be a brigadier-
4 general.
n What stir!
4 Those officers of our army who rec
ognized no stronger tenet, no strictel
Y fiat, than the long esta blished custom
!, of promotion by seniority, arose to pro.
test They organized lobby to try
L To Inn of the a nn0inf [.