Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-09-08
GRAND FORKS HERALD. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1918.

'PERSHlNC MADE /
GREAT SOLDIER
OUT OF HIMSELF
CONTINUED from page ~
Made Fine Record.
It IL recorded officially Of Pershtng
that, at the beginning 'of his career,
for instance, he was complimented by
General Miles. his commander-in-
chief in the Geronimo campaigns. for
marching his troop, with pack train.
hours, bringing in every animal and
man in good condition" Until he
reached command rank Pershing al
ways was q cavalry officer and records
Of the war department show more
than one honorable mention for his
conduct during his ten years service
in the department Of Arizona. In the
Spanish war as an officer of the Tenth
cavalry he was promoted for. gallantry
at the battle Of Ell Caney to be a ma
jor in the volunteer army and after q
short detail in Washington in the bu-
rea of insular affairs was Ssent out
to the Philippines as adjutant-general
Of the department Of Mindanao and
Jolo.
That was the turning point in
Pershing's career. He began to take
his profession! of arms more seriously
and to display, the powers Of concen-
tration upon difficult problems that
stood him in good stead in the great
campaigns that were to follow in Eu-
soldierly qualities, General Leonard
! Wood, who was his superior officer
at the time, selected Pershing to or
ganize' and conduct a campaign
against the Moros who for centuries
had successfully resisted all attempts
Of. the Spanish army to subjugate
them.
Up to that point something Of a
parallel may be found in the careers
Of Wood and Pershing. Each had
made brilliant regulations as Indian
fighters and each had been picked by
President Roosevelt for extraordinary
promotion because of their high prom
made Wood a ~brigadier general in
1901 and he made ..Pershing, then a
captain, a brigadier general in 1906
to the absolute CONSERVATION of the
old line Of the army because it in
volved the Jumping Of both officers
over many hundreds Of their seniors.
Pershing justified the confidence
| l1lAl "OOu lkAO 11llpOSOu IA ! J. III 41AS
Moro campaign. There was q Sultan
Of Bacalod with unknown thousands
of followers intrenched in the marsh
es and mountains Of the tropical ISL
ands behind heavy forts of palm wood.
logs and giant creepers and thorn
bushes woven into what was supposed
to be impregnable defenses. Pershing
and SO we'll had he organized his lit
tie force consisting of a battalion OF
infantry, a squadron of cavalry and q
section Of artillery that in two days
the Moro's strongholds were cleared
out and the Island of Mindanao was
soon placed under Pershing's military
governorship.
Sent to the Border.
When he returned home in 1914 he
was given g short rest in San Fran
cisco. Trouble began on the Mexican
border and he was sent there in COM
mand of the Eighth brigade, charged
with the special duty of running down
or driving off Villa. His expedition
penetrated many miles into Mexico
and army officers believed that the
ultimate capture Of Villa was prevent
ed only by recall orders from Wash
ington where the authorities decided
that they were unwilling to continue
a military policy seeming certain to
involve the United States in regular
war with Mexico.
When Pershing was chosen to com
mand the American forces in France,
he took with him many Of the brown.
ed and hardened veterans of his Mex
i lean campaign and these men formed
the nucleus of the famous First divi-
sion Of the American expeditionary
force.
A terrible tragedy had come into
Pershing's life during his Mexican
border service through the logs of his
wife and three of their little children
who were burned to death in theil
home at the Preside, in San Fran
cisco, during his absence.
His life became hard and stern; not
towards his soldiers. however, but ir
the regiment he imposed upon himself
and in the objects he had marked fol-
attainment. He threw himself into his
work with a passion that commanded
success, evidently seeking relief from
his private grief in public service. Il
was said of him in France that he was
never tired; he could be called 'upor
any hour out of the ~twenty-four fol
consultation or direction without com.
plant on his part in contrast will
some of his famous colleagues in the
entente armies. ].
Believes in Teamwork. {
Pershing believed in teamwork: he
knew that whatever success the Ger
mans ndQ dLLd1neO was through incl
unified command Of the armies of the
central powers. So he was not only
willing but anxious to see The same
principle adopted by the entente
armies. He sank his private ambitions
and freely rendered the services OF
the last American soldier and all his
army equipment to General Foch al
the most critical point In the cam.
paign. There is said to be no doub,
that his example affected the Other
commands and went a long way to.
wards bringing about the u%nifcatior
Of the entente armies under Marsha:
Foch. !
1t was until Pershing was Ger.
tain that the plans he had made with
the assistance Of his own staff for q
successful campaign into Alsace-Lor.
raine had behind them the: support Of
8. sufficient number Of American sol.
diers that. Pershing. felt justified Ii
taking complete command of an i'm.
portanto sector of the line of. battle
with the full assent Of Marshal Foct
and with the result that the American
army broke the morale Of the Ger.
mans and brought the war to an end
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