The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-01-12
WORLDS PREMIER

stood massed in the hall when the
general arrived at Capitol Post No. j.
The party went directly to the speak
ers' platform.
ficers, Commander Cummings called
upon George t. McDermott to intro
duce the general.
A r.. o. r. C. Rockies Dream.
That General Pershing can appre-
ciate a joke was demonstrated by a
story McDermott told of the dream
of a fellow student in an officers
sure, he was to receive a commission.
He had dreamed that he stood on a
field filled with a vast army
He gave the following order: Army
corps on right into line-Pershing fall
in with the file closers."
Pershings laughed as much at the
story as any one present.
General Pershing stood up on a
chair That-the tone of this. second
talk was to be different was visible at
once. It was soldier to soldier, buddy
to buddy. a talk among men who un-
derstood each other. He announced
that he had observed that it appeared
the intention of ex-service men to
make him do all the talking. possibly
to get even with him for things that
had not exactly suited them.
THE common service draws men
together" Pershing stated. IF it be
in a great cause, such as the war for
humanity, lie results in a perfect unity
between the men who shared their
experiences and dangers in common.
II have a high regard for the Kan
sas troops. No state sent a more eff
ficient or splendid body of young men
into the war. 1t is a source of graft
tude and congratulation how the Kan
sans performed in battle and how they
gained thier detectives without fail"
He mentioned the Eighty-Ninth and
Thirty-Fifth divisions and expressed a
high regard for their efficiency
Legion Greed AmericanisIn.
5 General Pershing said the creed of
the American Legion contained every
thing worth while to an American cit
zen. He expressed the hope that
esery man entitled to membership
would see fit to join at once He
pointed out the Necessity of taking a
firm stand during this period of uni
versal unrest.
Demonstrating pure Americanism
General Pershing declared, Il am a
strong advocate of the principle that
every man, woman and child who lives
under the protection of the American
flag be compelled to speak our Ian
guage. If they can't be taught Amer
lean ideafs-then send them away
from this country"
In closing the general lapsed from
the serious and told a few funny in
cidents-how in a town in Georgia,
when he talked to some of the natives
from the back of a train, they told
him If he would could to their town
they would make him a colonel. Then
how a Michigan Legion post had con-
ferred upon him the title he thought
the most of-"Buddy-
st guess I'm just an ordinary Mis-
souri, Buddy" said the general. "but
the two states are SO close together
feel am a Kansas Buddy, too.
When the men fell in TO file pass
General Pershing to grasp his hand,
one of the first men in the line walked
with limp. Genertl Pershsng caught
his right hand, pulled the man toward
him, reached with his left hand and
turned the mans arm over SO that the
gold wound stripe showed on the
sleeve of his service overeoat. He held
ND the entire line for almost a minute
while he talked with this soldier.