Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-11-03
Pays High Tribute to u. S.
Army and Declares He
Was Proud to Be Its Lead
or in France

KANSAS CITY, Nov. 1.-(By the
Associated Press. )-Following is the
| text of Marshal F'och's address be-
fore the American Legion conven-
ton:
| Officers, non-commissioned Of
| ficers and soldiers of the great
American army:
"My dear comrades of the Ameri-
can Legion:
II cannot tell you how great is
my satisfaction at finding myself
amongst you, valiant soldiers of 1918,
to live again our glorious ma INCHES.
| Three years ago, on the first of No
vember, 1918, the entire American
army in France took up vigorously
the pursuit of the defeated enemy,
and did not halt until the German
surrender.
Hour of glory for the American
army, proper elimination for a
military effort, prodigious alike in
| it's intensity as in it's rapidity. One
and all you have had your share of
| it. You may we'll be proud.
"In responding in mass to the call
| to arms of your government, in
| equipping, training and organizing
yourselves as rapidly as possible,
YOU had in view only the purpose
| to take your place as soon as pos
sible in the line Of battle.
In numbers: eighteen months aft
err the declaration of war by the
United States on Germany, the
American army had passed from eff
| fectives of $500 officers and $4,000
| men, to 100000 officers and S,5OO,OOO
men.
effort Of organization: If, in the
month of March, 1918, you had IN
| France but six divisions, six months
later you had forty-one, of which
thirty-one were engaged in battle.
effort in instruction.: In order
| to have officers, non-comm1ssloned
officers and men rapidly trained,
| YOU multiplied in America as In
| France, your schools and camps,
which became centers OF prodlglous
| activity.
Deeds of U. S. Navy
"In order to arm you and camp
| YOU, the American manufactures
worked without respite and supphed
all your needs.
Admirable effort also in trans
portation. You swept away every
obstacle which interrered with BRING
ing your units from the centers OF
instructions to the ports OF emoarka-
ton. 49,
I'm France, you improved the
ports of debarkation, created new
| installations, increased the trattlc OF
the railroad system by work OF all
kinds and multiplied your sIore
houses and hospitals.
| your shipyards were organized
for intensive production in such
wav that when the war ended you
utilized for your ocean transporta-
tion almost 100000 of marine ton
mage. instead of $4,000 available at
the beginning of the war.
"And meanwhile your splendid war
fleet thanks to it's vigilance and its
fine military qualities, protected
! with an efficiency to which l am
happy to pay tribute here, the trans
nortation of your troops and ma
terial. 1900.
"a prodigious effort on the part
of vo11r entire nations intell1gence'
will mower and energy. A prodlglous
effort which has filled your asso'
| ciates with admiration and gratitude
and COMPOUNDED your enemies.
"This splendid spirit OF an ehtlre
| nation we find again on the pat.le
fields of France, where 1t was plaZ
oned in the admirable virtues VI
bravery and herolsm. &C.,,
aft was the spirit of the SeconC
and Third American army DIVISIONS
which, one month later, took part II
tho battle of the Marine ana dlSIlii
oI,ished themselves Immediately IL
, onerations around Chateau Thlerr9
and in Belleau Wood. Again, 1t was
tho shirt of those five DIVISIONS
which. on the eighteenth OF july
narticipated in the victorious coui |,
ter-offensive of the Tenth ana SiACi
French armies between the Assn
ord +he Marine and contributed II
ereat measure to that victory
Spirit of Americans
"Eina1lv. it was that spirit Whlcl
} ,,iroated all the American arm
when. on the twenty-fourth OF July
General Pershing formed your spiei
did units under his own direct com
mand.
ION the twelfth Of September
1918. the first American delivered II
first battle on the soil Of France. l.
dis1odged the enemy from the 81
MihieI salient, where he had Ell
trnnched himself for nearly lou
vea,.s. threw him back beyond tn
foot of the hills of the, Mouse. From
the very first the American arm
entered into glory. How many ful
Their laurels was it yet to win?
1.-THE st. Mihiel operation wa
ne.rlv ended when the America
army attacked on a new front. "
the twenty-fifth of September it wa
engaged on the right wing OF tn
vast allied offensive. The point of d
rection assigned to it was MezlereE
on the Mouse.
"Deployed from the left bank c
the Meuse to the eastern confines c
Champagne, it had three army corp
in line on a front of nearly fort
kilometres.
Before it stretched the region {
The Argonne, formidable emplac'
ment of the German defense, Woo
ed terrain, rugged, difficult in 1t
very nature and rendered more so b
A all the defensive organizations whic
J. had been accumulated there durin
d the last four years.
# Nothing could discourage or chez
your army. 1t threw itself wit
\ generous ardor into the immens
: melee. The task was a rude one, bl
it was carried out to a thoroug
finish.
%Fighting without respite nigl
and day for a month, advancing
spite of the pitfalls and the counte
!. attacks of the enemy, it succeede
a by pure force of tenacity and her
II ism, in Iiberating the wild region {
i the Argonne.
After the st. Mihiel, it could no
. inscribe proudly upon it's banner
d the name Of the Argonne.
Enemy Resistance Shaken
"On the 18th of October, thi
. great task finished, it joined hand