New-York tribune., 1919-01-30
War Epissans Made
During Tense Hours
OF Great Struggle
Pcrslins's 1-Word Tribute
to Lafayette Thrilled L. =.
and France: Who Said
''Ihey Shall Not Pass?

ana L EIaalCE. ~ no ~aln
"Ihey Shali Not Pass?
Tnc war has developed mary drs-
matte phrases, SLOGANS. tcrse epierams
or laconic statements Looking back
over The persnectiVe of four wears of
hghting. it appears that the majority
o. these grew out of tense crises in
battles or marked historic moments
when the fate Of nations hung in thc
balance.
Take, for example. the slogan. "They
shall not pass During the tremendous
lighting I'm front of Nerdun, when the
Germans made their great desperate
drive to break through the French bat
tie lines i'm 1916, this saying passed
from lip to lip among the French sol.
dlcrs gathered there in a lone drawn
battle to check the terrific onslaught
OF the Germans. How ], originated is
not clear. Some have attributed it to
Marshal Joifre. others 10 Marshal Pc
tam. who was i'm command OF the
French fighting forces az Ncrdun-
Others believe the saying originated
With tho men i'm the ranks. AT amy
event. heo adopted it. and for months.
while the Germans NainlY threir thor
battalions upon thc stubbornly defend
cd forts around the French city. the
saying The snail not pass" became
the watchword at Norduu- And they
did not pass.
Gcnerai Pcrshings Tribute
To Americans the sontentious utter
4
placed "a wreath Oh tho tomL Of La
fayettc in the Picpus Cemetery IN Paris
conveyed significance and an inspira
Non. "Latay Ute, we arc here" was all
ne said. but to the American. as well as
70 the Frenchman, it was better than
oratory 1t meant to the American.
&c are here for business. and our
business a to light 1t thrilled the
hcarts o~Gcneral Pershing's people at
nome, and the modcstN of 1t ilicd them
With glow OF satisfaction.
Another dramatic phrase which
stirred the patriotism OF the American
people was that attributed to an
American commander ait Chateau
merry when he res pondod to The ad-
vice ot French commanders to retrea.
by declaring: "The American FLAG has
ncen compelled to retire. This is un-
'nduraole. We arc gong to counter
a't1cN. Ihesc statements have been
attributed to both Major General Robert
l.. bullard and to MAJOR General Omay
BundN Some observers, have REGARDED
ms incident aS the turning point .of
the war. From that time The Amcri.
eans adNarced. The victory OF Chateau
merry followed and thereafter the
German army rctroatcd
\merican Fleet Ready
Admiral William s. Sims. com
mandns the American naeal forces in
European waters Was asked when the
Ifs5 4anbce Warships arrived i'm Eng
land carly lu May 1911 "Whon vii.
YOU be ready for business :" He re-
picO: "N G. can start at once. We
made ous preparations en- the way
over
There was dramatic moment.
great CRISIS i'm the worlds history
Nnen General Pcrshine placed the
American army undcr the command o.
'N' then General Foch, who had
been made commander Of all
nc Allied forces but none Of the
phrases that General Pershng used
we're widely quoted a. opigramnatic
ono which might so have been selected
va the words: infantry. artillery. avi-
7iioN. all that We have are YOURS Dis
pose OF them as you will"
he reiort Of Major Charles Whittlo-
s'N, commandcr OF the "lost battalon'
Oh INC American army in the Argonne
rest, Whcn tho Germans surrounded
ms isolated command and then com.
naNder demanded its surrender was
one OF the wars historic phrases. go
TO he'll, he replied.
he first GREAT battle Of the war
ne battle that stopped tho Germans
ne Nar0e. elected from Tie lips
81 Marsha Jofre the historic words:
ne hour has come to advance at all
,'s'S 70 dle "hrrc YOU stand rather
than to give way
General, aftervard Marshal. Prtain.
nsplrod his wearv troops at Ncrdun
by ar order Of fhc day concudin.,
'i'n the words: "Couragc; we viii
General Foch. commagdinp ,hc
= rehcn Army n tine hrsi battle Of
M&rnc. had been almost over
Mnoimed by inc onward sweep of the
''erman forccs. ln q memorials mcs-
agc 10 JoFr2 he said: "Mg right is
'tuSn,'d. My left IS i'm retreat. am
tiackl1g wi'h my ceatrc" lc did
aitaok and drove wodce through th"
German Nno 'hat started thor re
'reai 10 the Aienc Tho people Of
Paris wcro stunned by tho rapidity
tih which tho Germans advanced in
'for 4 rst rush toward the French
ea7 tai. The railway stations wcrc
noaiogcd. but the great majority OF
me people know they must remain.
l0 this tragic roment General Cal. /
ucni. military commander Of tho citv.
~ rcd confidence apd chcercd tho
amt hearted with his watchword.
Jusqu'a bout or ITO tho very end"
lhe populacc TOOK up the cry and
@allien with his army played signal
narf IN hurting back the lcgons of
ON kluck A. the Marnc
40 less inspiring, but born of less
fagic circumstances, was the saving
o. General Couraud, Who, upon enter
ing Strass bourg after the liberation Of
Alaace and Lorraine, declared "Thc
oay Of glory has come"
"W th Back to Wall"
iield Marshal Sir Douglas Hair.
commander in-chicf Of the British
armies in France. gave utteranco to an
appeal in addressing his soldiers which
'ifred a responsive choid in the hearts
~ the Allied peoples throughout the
World. For three weeks the enemy had
ba'tcrcd The French lines in = dcs
pcrato effort to separate them from
the tpglish and drive through 10 the
Z hanncl porte. Day aftor day the
british had slso been driven back On
pri -, 141s. Marshal iIalg called
pom his men for ono last effort.
&