The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-09-19
CONGRESS PRESENTS
OFFICIAL THANKS TO
Gen ERAL PERSH|NG
ADDRESSES BY SENATOR CUM.
MINIS, SPEAKER GII.LET AND
FORMER SPEAKER CLARK

Washington, Sept. Outstanding in
the chamber of the house of represent.
atives, with the full membership of the
senate and house about him and with
galleries crowded with admirers, Gen.
John j. Pershng received today the for
NAL thanks of congress for the services
he and the officers and men he com.
manded in France rendered during the
great war. To few Americans has it
fallen to be thus honored; to few sol
diers of any nation has been given to
hear leaders chosen of the people speak
such high praises of their services for
that people as General Pershing heard
today. There was an air of solemnity
about the scene more eloquent than
words to tell its full meaning.
Senate and house assembled in their
respective chambers. Then the senators
marched in pairs through the old corri
doris of the capitol to seats on the front
benches of the house. Senator Cum.
Minis of Iowa, as president por tempore
OF the senate, sat with Speaker Gillett,
and when General Pershing had been
escorted to the floor before the speakers
desk, facing great American flag
draped on the wall, it was Senator Cum.
minis who extended the first greeting.
General Pershing," he said, lit is
my high privilege to extend TO you the
sincere and cordial greeting of the sen.
ate Of the United States. The message
] have the honor to deliver is not "a
greeting alone, but an earnest welcome
and hearty congratulation upon your
safe and victorious return to your ma
tive land Nor is it a welcome only. for
1t IS full of deep appreciation of the
tremendous task you have so wonder
fully and worthily accomplished. You
were called upon to assume the immeas-
urable responsibility of commanding the
greatest body of soldiers who ever
marched under the American flag; and
you led this superb. invincible host
of our brightest, best and bravest boys.
TO the very summit of military fame
and national glory"
Giliett Praises General
Speaker Gillett followed, saying in
part:
Human nature loves to personify its
ideals. 1t loves hero and hero wor.
ship. And so we all rejoice to see
personitied in the commanding general.
the gallantry, the high purpose, the un.
conquerable determination of our cru.
sadlng army. Those boys were our bra.
vest and best For those who fell
we render fearful homage. For those
who return maimed and crippled we
owe tender care and support But for
the great army which has come back
disciplined in body and character, hav.
ing bravely offered the supremest sac.
ritice, for them | have indeed
gratitude and admiration, but my
strongest emotion is envy.
They will be our heroes. \
And in you, sir, their commanding
general, we like to see typfied the
spirit Of that noble army, the cour-
age, the selfreliance, the endurance,
the chivalrous daring which made
them mvincibe. As their fit repre-.
sentative, we representatives of the
people welcome you home. But |
would not indicate that our welcome
to you is entirely impersonal. OF all
the details of your generalship and
your strategy we are not now qualified
to judge. In due time that will be
adjucatod by history.
"But we do know that YOU were
gloriously successful. And we know
that you had abundant opportunity
for glaring mistakes, You were sur.
rounded by pitfalls. Far from your
government, in a foreign land, you
had to rely upon yourself. Even in
what you said you must be prudent,
you must not deprecate your allies
while yindicating 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.
Champ Clark Presents Resolutions
The formal resolution Of thanks
then was presented to the general by
former Speaker Champ Clark.
"'Grim visaged war hath smoothed
her wrinkled 'front.'" he said, "and
peace, with healing in her wing, like
gentle spirit now is brooding DER
a sore and storm-rocked world God
be thanked; and you, General Perish
ing We're a master workman in this
wondrous and blessed transformation
a consummation so devoutly wished
by all peoples, kindreds and tongues.
4
Extraordinary military rank should
be conferred only for extraordinary
services in the field In apprecia-
tion of your services, the congress,
voiclng the sentiments of the Ameri-
can people, have conferred on you in
perpetuity the extraordinary rank of
full general--the highest military hon
or within our power to bestow-and
in honorng you we feel that we are
honoring ourselves.
'In addition to the permanent gen.
eralship, the congress has rendered
you individually and to your officers
and men en- masse the thanks of the
American people and of the congress
of the United States-a rare honor in
itself, conferred in our entire history
on only a very few of our distinguish
ed citizens for extraordinary services
to the republic.
This resolution of the American
people and of the congress of the
United States are due and are hereby
rendered to Gen. John j. Pershing for
his highly distinguished services as
commander-in of the American
expeditionary forces in Europe, and
to the officers and men under his COM
mand for their unwavering duty and
yolor throughout the war"