The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1919-11-14

directly to several Of the gun positions,
where he commended the crews and
told them how proud he was Of them"
During the fight In the Argonne for.
est General Pershing spent nearly two
months In its recesses directing move-
ments of troops. His mobile headquar.
tiers was pulled into the heart Of the
forest where IL was camoufiaged by
shrubbery. Every night the general
made visit 10 the advanced post
commands, which were almost at thu
harbed wire entanglements, TO see
that his orders were being carried out.
''fhe general never took any
chances" the sergeant said. The al
ways went up 10 the front 10 be sure
things We're done exactly as he
ordered"
One OF the peculiar things sergeant
Santini noted was that every time he
took General pershing TO Paris the
Germans would start a long range
bombardment or send over q flock OF
bombing airplanes. II did not seem to
matter what hour OF the night or day
they reached the city the lombard
ment would begin directly after their
arrival aud invariably continue for
hours, Sergeant SaHtini IL not 10 sure
that the Germans did not receive In
formation as to when the general was
going to the city, although every effort
was made to keep the movements OF
the commander In chief In the great.
est secrecy.
Sergeant Santini probably drove
more historic personages In the time
he was In France than any other
chauffeur in the world can boast Of to-
day. He drove President and Mrs. VII
son on several occasions. President
Poincare, Premier Clemenceau. Gen.
erals Foch, Haig. Petain and Bliss and
King Albert and Queen Elizabeth of
Belgium. King Albert awarded Ser
seant SantinI the gold Medal Of Merit
Of the first class.
Fools Newspaper Men.
On the two occasions that Newton
d. Baker. Secretary Of War. visited
the battle front In France he rode In
General Pershing's automobile. Ser.
geant Santini tells OF many amusing
| incidents and tricks General Pershing
resorted TO In nm effort TO evade news
paper men. One of these Incidents &C.
CURED during Secretary Bakers first
visit.
Secretary Baker and General PERISH
ing were on their way up to the front
| line. the secretary In one automobile
and the general In his. There was n
newspaper men In the rear. As Gen
I eral Pershing came up 10 a turn in the
| road he leaped out Of his automobile
and into that Of Secretary Baker.
neither of the machines stopping The
two machipes then separated and the
newspaper men took up the trail Of
the generals car.
The automobile General Pershing
used was equipped with special tanks
that held forty-two gallons Of gasoline
Gas masks and helmets for the oecu
pants OF the machine were tied In bag
on the roof In a position where they
could be reached easily by the driver
or orderly. Inside the machine there
| were always several extra blankets In
the event Of an emergency. General
Pershlng never had occasion to use q
gas mask.
During the time the general was In
France he had In all nine different
kinds of machines An automobile was
| discarded not because IL had beer
worn out or failed to function proper
ly. but because better model had
been found. The orderly and driver
carried side arms and rife wa
strapped on 10 one side of the car.
Sergeant santini was asked II Gen
erai Pershlng was In the habit of rid
ing very fast. and he replied that 9Th.
He admitted. however. that at times
he had exceeded seventy five miles al
hour His orders were TO "go as fasl
as you can. but take no chances with
the general" Sergeant Sanfini is salts
fed he carried out those orders 10 The
best of bis ability.
When General PershIng moved from
place TO place his "war car" Travelled
with him In his mobile headquarters
the train which the French people ar,
now suggesting as q gift 10 the Amer
lean people as q permanent war relic
sneexe Broke on Rib.