Evening star., 1924-09-13
3ERSH!NG RETlRES,
PRESIDENT EXTOLS
~ YEARS. SERVICE

,Cuntinued from FRS; Pag.D
m to him. he demonstrated his ca
)acity tor the highest military Iunc-
ions and his selection as the COM
nander of the American Expedition
ry Forces in the World War was a
.atural consequence.
Rank Justified by Service.
"pis conduct of that high COM
.nand fully justified the selection as
Well as his elevation to the highest
-ank in our military service, which
Vas conferI ed upon him permanently.
under authority of special act of
congress. in recognition of his fulfill
nent OF his country expectations.
The American troops. under his COM
nand, by their presence, high quail
ties and skiilful management, assist
ed materially in the defeat of the
.entral powers of Europe which re-
suited in the freedom of civiliza ton
rom autocratic rule.
He is one OF tie very few officers
who have held the rank of General in
he permanent military establish
nent, and the one who has exercised
;upreme command over much the
argest body of troops ever called
nto action by the United States Gov
.rnment. His services to the world
n the greatest conflict in which mill
-3ry forces have ever been engaged
lave been recognized through the
ward of the highest decorations by
the governing authorities of Belgium,
Great Britain, China, Czechoslovakia.
France. Greece, Italy, Japan, Monte
negro. Panama, Poland, Kumania and
Serbia.
'Ia his position as chief of staff
since the termination of the world
conflict, he has been mainstay to
.ht Executive in preparing an Army
If modest dimentions to be the
nucleus Of any military force the
country may be obliged to place in
the field He has taken leading
part in the development of the citi-
zen components of the Army of the
United States.
Retirement Richly Earned.
Gen. Pershing has already re-
cc:ved from the Congress the thanks
of the body and Of the American
people and now l extend to him
anew the thanks Of the Nation for
his eminent services and feel certain
that 1 voice the ointment of the
entire citizenry of the Republic in
wishing him long liie. happiness and
prosperity in the retirement he has
so richly earned
The retiring general of the Armies
lays down his burden of active MILL
tary duty with the satisfaction Of
having witnessed as elimination
of the task to which he has con-
tributed devotedly in the period since
the war a test of the new national
defense program which he and his
associates regard as eminently sue
cessful His heart and thoughts
were wrapped up in this one thing
to the very last hour of his active
service.
Gen. Pershing has not indicated his
plans for the future, but he declared
at an informal gathering with Sec
retary Weeks and other high officers
and officials last night at the Ma
tional Press Club that he had no
thought of being inactive after re-
tirement. He had plans which ne
hoped to carry. out. he sald' put was
not more definite.
Secretary Weeks, who earlier in
the night had introduced Gen. Persh-
ing in his Defense day radio address
as the nations foremost soldier,
at the later gathering EXPIRE ssed the
hope that some way would be 1ouno
to keep the general in active serv-
ice. He expressed regret that the
age retirement regulation shouio
operate to remove from active serv-
ice a soldier of his rience, health
and value to the service.
/, Generals Farewell to Comrades.
The general last night bade fare
well to his comrades-in-ar arms through
the medium of the radio, his words
being carried over thousands of miles
of telephone wires from coast to coast
and border to border as they entered
a microphone at the War Department
Brig. Gen. John j. Carly Of the Or
ficers' Reserve Corps, when the
formal Defense day speaking was
done, told Gen. Pershing the day
would be incomplete without a test
of Americas electrical communica-
Ltions- He turned to the telephone