New-York tribune., 1919-08-28
Sir John?" Never!
S'Plain Johnny i'm
Pershing's I'll 0 m e
Not Even ''Ceneral'' To Be-
Used at Missouri Home
coming to American Com.
mandcr in Laclede
Srecinl Correanondcuc.

Special Correspondence
LACLEDE,. MO-, Aug. 27-One of the
boys from here who went over to
fight the Fritzies is coming back home
some time next month, and this town
and all of Linn County will be all
logged up to give him an old-fashioncd
Missouri homecoming. He's coming
with lot OF medals and things, in
Guiding title of Sir John that they
gave him in England, and a title of
General that the folks up in Wash
ington tagged onto him. but when he
gets himself introduced in public here
by Ed Allen-Eds official name is
Mayor Edmund B. Allen--this boys 60
ing to be just the same as he was
about iifty-tive years ago when soldiers
were coming back from another war
plain Johnny Pershlng.
Johnny didn't 20 right from here to
he'd come back to see Laclede or not.
He'd been in the army for a long time
and some folks reckoned that he'd for
gotten all about most of the boys and
men and women he used to know, so
Ed Allen sent him cablegram that
read like this:
"Laclede. your old home, your boz
hood friends and Linn County are call
ing you. When may we expect YOU
home ?"
There were some in Lacede who
frowned powerful when they heard
about it and said Ed should have made
his appeal more elaborate and ac-
ademlc, like President Wilson and
other prominent people that sent mes
sages to Johnny Pershing, but Ed Just
smiled and didn't make any comment
Eds family and Johnny's family had
known each other since the days when
Johnny's mother was Anne Thompson
and the other Johnny Pershing father
OF this Johnny-was courting her, and
Ed guessed he knew the right sort of
message to send.
And Ed was guessing around 400
because it wasn't very long afterward
that he got a reply that made him
jump up out of his chair and cheer
just like a fool boy. The message
said:
81 have heard the call. viii be
there soon after my arrival in the
United States. Can't give you a def
mite date now, but will let you know
ater."
-, And it was signed John Pershing.'
There wasn't any "Sr john or Gen
eral'' or anything else IN the alphabe
that properly follows his name now
and Ed isn't going to use any "fancy
titles" when he presents him at tn,
Homecoming exercices.
Sir john" laughed the Mayor to-
day. "Say, | can't even say i with
out laughing. No sir, he's going to be
plan, Johnny, and l just guess tina.
will be what he will want to be-" He
stopped laughing and q sor. Of yester-
n lo,.l l..
knows he's been generated about
enough by this time, and Johnny IS
going to sound powerful good to
him"
Everybody in Lacleae and all of
Linn County have heard Johnny is
coming, and they're get ing ready 70,
him. They're somewhat sorry he can't
get here by September IS, his fifty
ninth birthday, but they know he's
got to put in some time talking to
the Presden. and Mr.. Baker and some
more folks up in Washington, and
they're patient, hoping he'll get here
before Halloween.
Great plans are in the making. Citi-
zens of Rome never worked harder to
prepare welcome for Caesar. There
or formally or glittering receptions
that have marked the entertainment
of the General in Europe. but there
Will be singing anC shouting and
hand1haking and music and oratory-
four minutes, no longer, for speeches,
Ed Allen says-and then everybody
will "pu. on the old nosebag," as they
say Johnny's army, at an old fash
toned Missouri fried chicken dinner
ION g ground"
And just as sort of special honor
Ed has dug up a small drum corps
OF G. A. r. veterans that'll pay its
Tespects to the General by playing
the first welcome to returned soldiers
that Johnny ever heard-"When
Johnny Comes Marching Home"