The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-02-16

bee able 60 return home II" Gen Ty-
son Ire said. My mother WaS always
a very ueGC.aUlg giiusd woman tut
then. when she couldn't have hrg own
way. she adunted other and very s'-
fecJiNe methods.
The great military leader ls NnuNn
to have beet - most Butiful and al
feCtiOuate son during the lifetime nf his
mother. he is said to have treated her
'1ite q sweetheart. The circumstances
und'r which the news of Erl death
reached him are characterised" Of tu
|5f, OF hardship and self-Sacrtlc' which
bee has led during n-arly al OF the "a
wears he has served the national as q
soldier, He was 10 the Philippines n
mounted ana ready to give the order
20 a comIHsT der Of troops 20 ride Hfter
2 band Of Moro rebels when the cahied
message telling Of his mothers death
vas handed 10 him. The Young officer
had loved his mother With more ira
ordinary filial affection aud the news
was a hard blow TO him. But b." locked
his sorrow in his Own soul and gave
the command TO tho troops IN ride.
Accepts Beautiful Gift.
The closing incident OF the Ameri-
can Legion banquet consisted Of the
presentation by Col. Bacon Of a hand
somelv bound and Illuminated copy OF
the canticle Christ in the Argonne,
given To Gen. Pershing by Mrs. Nir-
ginia Frazer Boyle. the author. h
presentation was made after Gen. Per
shing had fired his oratorical gun and
being a mar Of few words he found If
difficult TO compose an appropriate az
ceptance speech on the spur Of the mo-
ment. Tn" general stood up ana beads
of perSptrattOn came out upon his ,0re-
head as he turned the leaves d. the
beautiful volume for a HloGient. BIt
ny the mighty power that was in him
the great soldier spoke in a moment TO
good purpose.
- accept th,s presJnl. his beautiful
book" ne said, mot so much for my
self but for The cause I served and
the TenEesseans who served with me.
Then he delivered a short and earnest
panegyIic upon the work Of WCme1 in
peace and a
Il dom thjuE that We ordinarily give
enough credit to the work Of women
either in peace Or in war he said.
The work which the American women
did back home and even across The
waters; the courage and faith which
these women displayed gave the nm
pulse to achieve victory, to the men
Who-Went over there. II is gratifying
to reflect that the American men who
went to France oWed SO much OF their
successes there to American women.
In speaking to the negroes, Gen. Per
| shing reminded them that he served
in the Spanish Rmerican war as a
lieutenant in the Tenth cavalry, which
was a negro regiment. II can assure
YOU that there we're no better troops
in the American army and no soldiers
who had a better record for gallantry,
courage and for itude.'
Cheered by Negroes.
This remark was greeted with thun-
derous applause and when he could be
heard again, he said:
"Colored men showed themselves to
be as patriotic in the world war as
they did in the Spanish American war.
They revealed the patriotism of the
North and South.
Your service in the army has made
you better citizens" he concluded, at
taught you that American institutions
are u%nequaled by other nations and
you have returned eager to fight for
the institutions we supported in
France"
1t may be safely said that the peo-
pie of Memphis who had the plea sure
Of getting a glimpse of Gen, Pershing
or heard him speak, found in his per-
sonalitN confirmation of all the great
ness which is commonly expected of a
hero and which has been credited to
him. TO begin with, the generals
physique is nodded to heroic lines and
| plbpOl lOlCs - 10 oNi"iSH' "'t NN@S''9
of limb. with broad deep chest and
fIot expansive shoulders. His stride is
masterful. alert and vigorous and he
is as straight as a great soldier should
be.
The commander-in-chief of the \. e,
f., bears about with him an air OF
great vital force. His personality gives
evidence of tremendous restrained
powers, which are only given release
upon the demands of momentous
events Of great crisis. The will to
mold and direct in the field the vast
force of 2,075, 900 men which he sue
cessfully commanded in France is evil
dence in the soldiers deeply lined
countenance. His complexion is fresh
and healthful. but the long underjaw
and the broad mouth shut like a vice
under the short gray mustache, revea
a terrific responsiveness and unbend
ingA will. These features make 1t easy
to understand why he was the choict
of President Wilson for commander o
the evolutionary forces and why, atteI
he had once gotten over there, Gen
Pershing vetoed the plan of Foch ant
the British leaders to have the Amer.
can army fight as units OF the FrenCl
and British armies, and insisted tina
the American forces fight as a dis
tinctively American organization.
In repose the face of the commando
Is stern and almost forbiddingly grim