Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-05
CALL ON FORMER
SERVICE men TO
BACK PERSH|NG
Letters Asking Nebraska
Ex-SoIdiers to Work for
A. E. F. Commander
For President.

\ The Nebraska Soldiers and Sail
ors' Pershing club, with headquar-
ters at l07 Paxton hotel, Omaha,
sent letter with membership cards
enclosed to all the former service
men in this state, calling upon them
to join the club and help put Ne
braska "over the top for Pershing.
Responses are now coming in.
The letter, which bears the sigma
ture of sixty odd former Nebraska
soldiers, reads:
"As one of those who participated
in the recent war, it is most fitting
and highly important that you be
consulted as to the men who are to
serve as the officials of the govern
ment you fought to maintain.
Our American Legion and our
Veterans of Foreign Wars associa-
ton are organized for purposes
other than political, and, of course,
should be kept out of partisan poll
tics. 1t is essential, however, that
as individuals we have our personal
preference as to candidates for pub
lie Office and work with each other
to secure their 'election. ..
Could Not All Serve.
I'VE, the undersigned. were a part
of Americas army. Most of us
served in France as privates or nom
CONS. Some of us were hated
'shave-tails' and others held various
rank. Those of us who we're held
on duty in this country know what
pangs Of regret swept through every
one OF you who waited in camp for
overseas orders which never came.
If you were one of those, you prob
ably felt, just as we did, that some
thing was wrong with this mans
army
But we now know that we could
not all serve in France, and, while
giving due credit to those who went
abroad, we appreciate the manner
in which they recognize that we
who, through the foibles of rate
were retained here, played our part
as directed.
Whether serving abroad or in
America, we all had Our army diff
culties and our grievances, just as
you no doubt did. Those OF US who
were overseas harvested as boun-
teous a crop of cooties as you did.
With you we lodged the Heinie's
shrapnel and we inhaled his poison
perfume!' We waded through mud;
we tramped through rain; we went
A. w. O. L. when we could get by
the blamed NJ. P.'s; we got stuck
on K. P, and heartily consigned to
the place Sherman said war was, the
fellows who got US over there, and
those who kept us there, in about
the. same way that you did.
I'VE went through about the same
experiences which you had. We
got stuck just as often as !
you did, and, no doubt, just as you
lid, we thoroughly damned the 6.
Fl. @. for every order issued, and,
having no one individual on whom
% center our crouch, we made Per-
'hing the goat for every cootie that
,it us, every shrapnel that missed
ls, every soaker that drenched US,
very M. P. who caught US, and
very X. P. that stuck us.
Pershing Sought Efficiency.
"But, through it all, Pershing held
complete control, requiring that
trict discipline which we now know
lot only won the war, but in all
saved our own lives. He
lid not play, to popularity, but
ought efficiency.
"And, now that it is all over, over
here, we can see how important his
lemand for strict discipline was and
low, through it all, he proved his
'ig capacity as an organizer, a dip
omat, statesman and business
He demonstrated that ne
vas more than a military leader,
nd when we met him in Omha and
lincoln on his tour, he convinced
IS more than ever before that he is
mans mana big, whole-souled
elbow who, when occasion de-
handed, was firm and unwavering,
'ut with it all was absolutely fair
nd just to all.
"We feel that America needs
'ershing as our president for the
ext four years, and we are asking
ou to join with us in securing his
nomination.. We have organized a