The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-09-11

tdhaHttANllN required Ut Inc outbreak
of war shall be constituted by the
president In time Of peace. 1t grants
the president as constitutional COM
maudcr- -in-chief the necessary
powers and personnel 10 accomplish
this organization, leaving the details
OF organization to him Congress
has assigned a great cons ructive
mission to the president and the
president has accepted IT, These
two harmonious acts OF the legisla-
tive ana executive branches OF the
government finally define our milf
tary institutions. After more than
century the government at last has
made that provision for the COM
mon defense which the preamble to
the constitution proclaimed to be
one of The primary objects Of tho
federal union.
Gen. pcrshing's New Mission.
But the president has done more
thaiHto recognize the wisdom OF an
act OF congress ana to announce "a
purpose. Through the secretary OF
war he has definitely assigned this
great constru, tive task to General
Pcrahirg In announcing the pros
pect1vc appointment of General
Pcrshing as chief of staff Of the
army. Secretary Weeks said. In part.
staff To cause 20 be made by the
war department general staff the
necessary plans for recruiting. or
ganiZing. supplying, mob!!!2Ing,
training and dcmobiiizing the army
of the United States and for the use
Of tire military forces for national
defense.
Under this provision of law. 1t Is
the plan of the secretary Of war to
especially charge General PershinE,
when he assumes tho office OF chief
OF staff. with the organization and
training of all elements OF the army
of the United States, which by law
is defined to include the regular
army, the national guard and the
organized reserves. II Is proposed
that General Pershing become ac-
lively acquainted with the various
clemou1s of the organized reserves
and tho national guard. which would
form the larger part of the army
which he would command, II active
operations should be undertaken
before the date of his retirement or
detail to- other duty"
Proved Equal 10 Evrcy Task
In view of General Pershing's
now assignment it may be interest
ing to review his past achievement
with the view of pointing out its pc
culiar relation to the new problems
assigned him for solution When
he arrived in Paris in June. 1917,
with a handful of staff officers there
were no American troops in France.
Behind him were the resources OF
an aroused America-mighty but
unorganied. In front of him was n
critical and immediate demand for
A arin +
tlcfield, n reinforcement that could
not be effective until raw resources
could be iuolded into trained armies,
adequately armed and equipped and
intelligentty led. There was n great
army to be formed and trained, "A
supply system to be organized. lines
of conmu nication to be established
over submarine infested seas and
through the congested ports and
highways OF France. There were
thousands of officers, most OF them
still in civil life. who must be trained
and prepared for the multitudinous
and exacting demands of troop lead
ing and military administration and
perhaps most difficult, of all, cen-
| tral staff OF headquarters must be
| collected, knit together and adapted
| to control the vast military meChan-
ism as a con solldated whole,
Back of him indeed were all Of
| the resources of a mighty nation and
| the loyal supp ort of government and
people, but without depreciating
what others did to support him in
| his task, IL is safe to say that no
| man ever had upon his own shoul-
| ders n greater and more ovorwhelm-
! ing burden of responsibility. No
man was ever called upon before TO
biuld so much in such pressing
| haste.
And yet. in little more than a year
| there was an American front in
| France. An American army under
| American leaders and through
American staff control, in olah-
orately organized offensive, had
! conquered the salient OF st. Mihcl
| and had contributed dccisiyely 10
the final defeat of the enemy in the
| great battles Of the Meuse- -ArEonne.
! General Pershing had led victori-
| Gus army in battle after achieving
the greatest single feat of organih .
| ton in the annals OF mankind. And
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