Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1924-09-18
John ]. Pershing

"a, General John I. Pershing
automatically retired and turned
the reigns over to another.
General Pershing has impress
the world, not alone as a soldier,
but as a man. Throughout a
useful life he has done his bit
and played the part of a man,
always maintaining the dignity
Of his office, but never forget
ting that he was only one of
hundred millions.
For AZ years he served the ar
my, gradually working his way
to the topmost pennacle by rea-
son of his ability and even tenn
per.
Before the World War, Cen
eral Pershing was little known.
When it became inevitable that
America would be forced to en-
ter the war, President Wilson Sc
lected Pershing as the one man
capable of handling the greatest
job ever thrown on the shout
ders of an American fighter. The
general began at the bottom,
then and there, to build the
great victorious army til a
brought victory to the arms of
the Allied forces.
Immediately on his selection,
Jack" Pershing gathered
around him small, almost in
fnitesimal army and marched
them into Mexico. There he be-
gan the preparation of himself
and his fighting boys for the task
that awaited them on the battle
fronts of France.
Time passed rapidly. America
declared war and the President
demanded the greatest army ev-
.er organized in the history of
the nation. Over night, almost,
training camps sprung up. A ma
ton was organized for war. A
great armada. of convoy ships
were builded, and General Per-
shing was ordered to France as
the supreme head of America
fighting forces.
The general was ready. From
that memorable day in 1914,
when Germany threw her hordes
across the Belgium borders to
the date that he sailed, Pershing
had been watching and study
ing the fighting methods of the
Allies. He saw the weak spots
and when he landed on the bat
tie front he knew his Job and
he had his plan for completing
it IN the least possible time and
at the lowest cost in human life.
-. Refusing to allow the Allied
command to scatter his forces,
he took personal command of
them and began the task he had
been preparing himself for from
the day he crossed the Mexican
border. His knowledge, his
ability and his courage were al
most Immediately recognized
and he and his 'buddies in kha-
XII began the never-ending
hammering of the German lines
that in November, 1918, result
ed in the complete route of the
Kaisers army.
All America welcomed him
and the Doughboys when they
came ma ching home. Perish
ing might have demanded al-
most anything of his hero-wor-
shipin,s people and it eould
have been granted. But he kept
his feet on the ground. Politi-
cal favors held no place in his
plans, His job was but started.
America must be put on a firm
fighting basis, with small neu-
clus of trained men so that if
ever again attacked. it would be
prepared.
This last job he has about
completed and Defense Day eel
ebrated last week, marked the
FIRST test Of those plans. PERISH
ing has not quit. In the quiet
of his retirement, the general will
continue the perfection of his de-
tense plans. He does not desire
to build a great, costly, menac-
ing standing army. but he does
intend to make America ready
for any foe who may cast covet-
GUS eyes on her shores.
Pershing is the only great
commander who has not receiV-
ed his political reward. Ulysses
Grant, Zachary Taylor, Andrew
Jackson and Washington became
presidents, but it has suited Per
shing best to carry on asiaasol-