The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1920-01-01
PERSHING, 1.-THE
MAN OF THE HOUR"
Continued from page H.

He kept his habits good, his mind
occupied, and his heart pure. When
he was in the state university of Ne
braska, he was an officer Of the United
States army with job for life anG
promotion certain. Many many
would have been contented to have
performed his regular duties and
wasted his leisure time; but Perish.
ing entered the law college, and gradu.
ated with the class Of '93. Some peo-
pie have wondered IL he intended to
quit the army, but the fact that he did
not is the best answer
He was only laying the foundations
deeper and broader for the big work
Of his life wheE 1t should come to
him. He then had law course more
to his advantage than the average
army officer. When he went to West
Point to teach, he occupied his leisure
moments with the study of diplomacy
and added another title to information.
al law and his equipment for life's
work.
Is 1t to be wondered then why as
captain he succeeded in bringing
order out Of chaos in the PHILIPPINES
and OF establishing a civil government
that has endured for twenty years
with hardly an amendment or a
change after others of maturer years
and higher rank had failed? Is there
any wonder that as the youngest of his
associates In the great War College at
Washington he at once was recognized
as It's leader?
He was prepared-he had fitted him
self. God gave him a strong physique,
but he. took care Of it; God gave him
resourceful mind, but he nurtured
and developed it into mighty ma
chine that has worked miracles every
where; the government trained him
as a warrior, but he trained himself
to be diplomat; the government edu-
Gated him at West Point to be a SOL
der, but he educated himself at Ne
braska University, Columbia and else
where, to be a civilian statesman. He
went to Europe as the Commanding
General Of the most potent army the
world ever saw, but he organized the
greatest transportation system in the
shortest time, and negotiated the most
important treaties ard international
obligations that nations have ever as
sumed.
His services In Europe are no less
important as statesman and as an
industrial genius, than as commander
of our Expeditionary Forces. Was it
all an accident; was 1t an accident
that President Wilson selected him !;
was it an accident that he was given
these mighty tasks, and this tremen-
dous power and responsibility; was 1t
an accident that President Roosevelt
made. him brigadier general ahead
of his time and IL advance of his
years; was 1t an accident that he
made world peace in Europe with
the same triumphant success and the
same humble and modest efficiency
Was 1t an accident that from the
time he arrived in France the whole
method of warfare was changed from
the trenches and the long waits be-
tween battles iEto that of fighting
every day and every night. Sundays
and holidays, with no quarter to the
enemy anywhere at any time? That
was Pershing's fight as a captain In
the Philippines twenty years ago, IL
was Americas fight In Europe, and II
won In both places.
Is 1t an accident now that he
comes back home and generously
gives all the credit for his success as
a soldier to the brave American boys
who did the fighting, and to the
splendid men of business for his sue
cess In the industrial end Of 1t, and
all the while claiming nothing FOL
himself?
A Thousand times we answer mo
there is no accuent ABOUT III, tnert
Is an invisible power that guides ths
destiny of men and nations through
human instrumentalities. Just al
George Washington was the instru
mentality under God by which Thu
nation was born, and just as Abra
ham Lincoln was the instrumentalit.
to bring freedom to the black mai
and save the union, so General Perish
ing was the fundamentally of God Il
bear the ideals OF American democ
racy unto the nations Of Europe, arr
to rescue the peace of the world fron
the menance Of militarism. Whe
duty called him, 1t found him ready
Others might have done as well, bu
none could have done it better.