The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-04-21

laration of war we began hearing from
Great Britain and France suggestions as
to the wise course for US to pursue in
such armed help as we might be able to
give.
Obviously we had no ready made,
trained and disciplined army to send
overseas-at least not of such strength
as to be a considerable factor in the sit
uation. 1t was not unnatural, nor wholly
unreasonable that the allies should sug-
gest the best plan for US to follow would
be to place such forces as we could raise
under allied command, where in associa-
ton with the trained and veteran troops
of France and Great Britain they would
find support and learn more readily the
lessons that the fighting man must
know.
PRESIDENT VETOES PLAN
Admiral Sims, together with some other
Americans. were inclined to agree with
the allies that this plan was the one We
should adopt.
But not SO the President. He dismissed
the proposal as soon as he hesrd, of 1t.
General Pershing was equally emphatic
in repudating it. If General Pershlns
had recommended it, believe President
Wilson would have been tempted most
strongly to recall him. The Preslueh'
believed America could raise and tram
an expeditionary force big enough anu
quickly enough to take it's equal place in
the field with the veteran armies anu
do its full share to bring victory de
had faith in American capacity and ne
knew that Americans would never hshl
so we'll under alien leadership as they
would under the command of their own
officers
But this determination on the Presi-
dents part to keep the American lorces
Independent neither prevented the use OF
American troops in the brigades Oh Brll-
ish and French armies during the oay :
while our strength was assembling nor
the strong urging of America to give the
independent armies of the allied and as
ISOLATED powers the unified command
which was essential to their effective CO.
operation and cooperation.
PUT FOCH AT HEAD
AS soon as our strength in France mad
reached proportions which the President
felt gave us just right to speak, he joined
with Lloyd George in putting through
the plan to make General Foch the head
of the allied and associated armies
The President followed the development
of the military and naval strategy Of the
contending nations with keenest and
most critical interest before we entered
the war.
| recall his saying to me on one oc-
casion:
Daniels, why don't the British con-
voy their merchant ships, and thus
protect them from the submarine?
He came back to this question ire
quently. He could not see the wisdom
OF the British plan of dispersion, al
though there were some able Ameri-
can naval officers who approved 1T. To
him it seemed false strategy.
This opinion became conviction
with him as the sinkings continued,
and the situation grew daily more
serious.
STRONGLY FAVORS CONVOY
This theory of reducing the danger
by sailing ships separately. has been
demonstrated to be wrong" he would
say. why now, with their distressing
experience, do they hesitate to adopt
the convoy SYSTEM"
Finally the convoy system was
adopted. 1t took the American expedi-
tionary force to France without the
loss of man on an American trans
port through enemy action 1t justi-
fled in the eyes Of the naval authori7
ties of three great nations the wisdom
of the scolarly idealist, whose genius
for practical suggestions never ceased