Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-03-26

approximately $4,000 men on a plain
near Montigny- sur-Aube. From the
reviewing stand, profuse with Ameri-
can and Belgian flags and bunting,
the king and queen followed the in
speCtion and review with the most in
tense interest and afterward expressed
their enthusiastic admiration for the
Wildcat divisions fine performance.
Hard-Luck Division Review.
General Pershing Tuesday after
noon completed an intensive inspec-
ton of the American army of occupa-
ton, lasting five days, with bril-
liant review, which elected the COM
manders unqualified praise of the
Hard Luck division, which drew the
toughest area in conquered Germany,
after having had its fighting record
practically buried by the marines and
other units more fortunate in pub
licity.
The review of the forgotten Fourth
division occurred on cold, bleak,
windswept plain lying in the snow
covered, pine-sloped hills of the
Rhine hinterland. Conditions of the
review closely approXimated real mo-
ton warfare, for in order to appear
en- masse before the commander the
Fourth had to be assembled from all
parts of an area of 500 square miles
Some of the battalions had to hike as
far as forty miles, and for three days
the bulk of the division bivouacked in
snowed-in shelter tents in the Ger
man forests the night before the re-
view.
Men Singled Out.
But General Pershing's pleasure
over the feat Of the Fourth more than
repaid the men for their efforts. At
ter infinitely inspecting the well-disci-
plined ranks, the general emphasized
his wish that every man should go
home knowing accurately when,
where and where he had fought, and,
if wounded, when and where and what
he was doing at the time, and that
every man entitled to a wound stripe
should wear it, and should be justly
proud of it. He singled out for dis
tinction one veteran buck private
with two stripes, thanking him
warmly, both personally and on be-
half of the American people. He laid
emphasis also on the clean, sanitary
record of this and other American di-
visions
The review ended with a tableau of
almost religious solemnity. Deeply
moved by General Pershings eloquent
tribute to the Fighting Fourth, the
division commander, Major General
Hersey, said he thanked God such a
commander had been sent abroad
with the army. Then the 10000 fight
ing men of the Fourth literally took
off their tin hats to General Pershing
and stood with barred heads breaking
finally the dramatic silence with the
greatest roar of cheers that had
greeted the commanders ears from
the American army of occupation.
AS indicative of the superlative
morale of the troops who have been
living under the most trying condi-
tons in the occupied territory of Ger
meny, the Fourth and Second were
the only divisions which did not ask
of General Pershing en- masse: when
are we going home?'' although the
general had been able only to hold out
hope to them that they would go
home in the not distant future.
The only rbyhatted, cane-carry-
ing, understanding civilian privi-
legged to witness this or any other re-
view of the army of occupation was
Frank Hitchcock, ex-postmaster gen.
eral and former republican campaign
manager. He conveyed the impression
that he had no political motive in Wis
itine the Rhineland simultaneously
with General Pershing yet he dogged
General Pershing's boot-heels for ten
miles of inspection and declared HIM
self tremendously interested in all he
had seen and heard.
Mr.. Hitchcock saw General Per-
shing at his best this afternoon, and
on leaving for Cologne and Brussels
he undoubtedly carried with him the
conviction that General Pershing has
acquired the art OF public speaking
and of swaying his audiences, and
particularly that he Is sending the
army home with deep, vivid and ia
vorable membranes Of his person
atty 1t IS estimated that to date Cen
eral Pershing has reviewed more than
/ 600, 600 men of tie American expe-
-.