The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-12-13

eral Pershing yesterday and returned to
Birmingham on his special train What
l should say is that General Pershing
was in Admission at the same time I was
and l spent the day following along at
his heels. Through the courtesy of one
member of his general staff 1 was per-
! mitted to ride with the party in the
| generals special and as the regular
! train was more than two hours late the
4 favor was more than appreciated.
| Through his aide, Col. John George
| Quekmeyer, l learned that General Per-
| shing never had and never would give
| out newspaper interviews but from
! brief chats with him and remarks he
made to those of his party during the
| visit to Admission and the trip home J
had a fair opportunity to study the
man,
/ The intensely human side of the gem
eral was most forcibly revealed to me
! by little incident that occurred during
the trip back to Birmingham A few
miles out of Admission the train stop
ped at a watering tank. The General
who had been gazing contentedly out
| of window recuperating from the
| days festivities, remembered seeing the
| Boys Industrial School band pile into a
| coach that was tackled on behind his
1 train. Rising to his feet he signified
| TO his aide desire to talk with the In
| dustrial School Boys, and strobe hack
| to the car behind with a boyish smile
| on his face.
| And there in the dimly lighted aisle
| of rickety old day coach the comman-
/ ding general of the American armies
delivered a ringing address to hand
| full of freckie-fac tow headed you.<S,
\ an address full of fire and earnestness.
| There I saw the man Pershng at his
best The man whom thousands had fet-
| ed and paid homage tired from endless
| speechmaking and touring. still had
| time to deliver a vigorous message to
a few American citizens in the making
HIS TALK TO THE BOYS
The keynote of his talk to the boys
was discipline. He had observed that
they played for the luncheon at the An
niston Inn and he took occasion to
thank them for their music. 81 want you
boys to feel that | appreciated the
| splendid entertainment you gave us at
| luncheon and to compliment you upon
| you military bearing and manly APP
pearance." he began
THE discipline which you have learn
ed and the high ideals that your super
| iors are teaching you will make you
| a fine body of men. The American
| youth must be trained while young and
your lives are now being nodded in such
| a way as to make you better citizens
Continue to look to the future and build
your characters along high lines" The
| General chose his words as carefully
| and spoke with as many gestures and
| as much elaboration as if he were adj
| dressing a vast multitude in Herald
| Square.
| When he had finished talking one
| little spindle hanked fellow dropped
| his cornet, jumped up on a seat and
| propc sed three cheers for General Per-
| shing, whereupon the boys, who up to
| this time had been standing respect
fully awed by the dignity of the oc-
| casion, rent the air with shrill hur-
! rahs and the General immensely
| pleased, smilngly bowed his way out.
| The whole incident was over in less
| than ten minutes The General was ig-
| norant of the fact that any outsider
| had "listened in" on the party but the
outsider learned a lot about the Cen
eral in those few minutes-enough to
| know that he is what the average small
| boy calls "a regular guy"
ELABORATELY ENTERTAINED
General Pershing was deliberately en-
| tertained by the traditional hospitali-
ty of the cultured people of Calhoun
| county. Arriving in Admission from At
| lanta yesterday morning he was given
| breakfast at the Alabama House by
| a party of business men. after which
| a parade took place around town. The
streets were gaily decorated with flags
and the General appeared delighted
| with the magnificent reception ac-
corded him. Following the parade his
party made an inspection of the govern
ment properties near the city and re-
| turned to the Admission Inn. where a
luncheon. attended by 400 legionaires
fair women and prominent business
men of the city was rendered him.
Harry M. Ayers, editor of the Annis-
ton Star, ably introduced the distin-
| guished guest, who spoke very briefly
| but very distinctly addressing his
opening remarks to the American le-
gion members present, II am pleased to
be the guest of men with whom we
| served in the recent war; said the
General 81 am also very happy to as
! sociate with the patriotic people OF
this community who did so much to
help the cause during the war. An army
is no better than the people it repre-
sents. 1t receives its inspiration and
| impulse from those who remain al
home to do the duties allotted to them
You who have furnished the spur to