The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-13
PERSHING STANDS IN LAST REVIEW
 AS ARMY GENERAL
(Continued from page one)

retiring General of the armies.
 q present to you the nations fore most soldier whom we delight to honor tonight" MT. Weeks said. This is an appropriate occasion for me to express my personal thanks for the support have received from him while at the head of the War Department.
 Ut is a source of the utmost regret to me that l am about to lose his services as chief of staff. It is great qualification to me, however that will be able hereafter to obtain his valu- able advice, even though it be given in an unofficial capacity.
 "The World Knows"
 :All the world knows the value of the services the general rendered to the country in France. Only few of us have been privileged to know the real value of the services which he has rendered since the war. Those of us who have that knowledge consider him as valuable to the country in peace as he was in war"
 As Secretary Weeks concluded, Gen. eral Pershing rose from his seat to take his place before the radio microphone, plainly showing the emotion stirred in him by Mir. Weeks remarks and by the significance of this, his last hour of active duty in the service to which his life has been given. He straightened his figure to soldierly erectness and began his address in calm controlled tones, declaring:
 Whatever recdit may be given me must be equally shared by the loyal and efficient officers and men with whom l have been associated, and especially by those who served in our armies in the World war. It was the patriotic and aggressive spirit of the young manhood of America that carried our banner to victory on the battle fields of the world. It is to them. my comrades, to whom the praise should go."
 The General then went into the arpu- ment for adequate national prepared- ness that he has made familiar ail over the country in the years since the war by his increasing efforts to put into existence the defense plans that were flrst tested today on the eve of his retirement from active service.
 Tt IS very gratifying to report the General told his radio audience "that tnls Defense Day exercise has been most successful. It is to be hoped that these exercises will be held annually as It IS only by such practice in actnol performance of these duties that wa ca m ever prepare our officers as lenders
 As this will be the last opportnn;tv l shall have during my service on tbe actiVe hst or the army I cannot. close without expressing my sincerest thanks TOT the courtesies so often extended to me Dy my countrymen and for the conf ue1ce they have always given me"
 In the national capitals observance or the country's Defense Test an mn. informed army of plain American citi. zens tramped by reviewing stand to pc greeted by the plain citizen who is commander-in-chief of all the armed torce Of the nation,-the President. For an hour and half the tide of march. Ing men flowed up Pennsylvania ave. nue with the orderly steady, unbroken movement of a great river. If was 1ringed with the uniforms of the reg. ulars, national guardsmen, marines and sailors who gave the spectacle s httle Of the color of a military cere. meny, and was supplemented by groups of patriotic women.
 But the thing that stood out force. fuliy was the mighty column of pIain citizens, with no more than A button or red, white and blue at their breast for trappings, rolling by in endless. thlck packed ranks, volunteers for a day to record their pledge of devotion 10 the flag and it's ideals of the duties that go with American citizenship.
 Spirit Is Manifest
 The spirit that moved them was a little manifest in the serious faces as they marched. It was manifest. foo in the seriousness with which the many thousands of other Americans who crowded the sidewalks all along the way viewed the spectacle. There was not much cheering, yet few drifted away from the lines of watchers until the last of the long parade had gone by an every passing national flag was gwen its almost reverent greeting with raised hats or military salute.
 Yet it was in the orderly pass ing of the parade that the spirit of the marchers was> manifest most of all With little more than overnight organ ization they moved with clockworb precision of disciplined troops. Ther, was little need for shouted command, to keep their ranks true.
 The route lay up Pennsylvania ave nue from the capitol to the great Ellipse south of the White House where the marchers formed in a solid mas. to hear Secretary Weeks and Gen eral Pershing speak to them of what It all meant and what their co-ope ration spelled in safeguarding the ma ton. At one side stood the reviewing stand with great cluster of ampli tlers. There President and Mrs. Cool idge stood through all the time thu column was passing flanked by Secre tary Weeks and General Pershing anf with other government officials.
 When the last unit had moved bx to its place on the Ellipse the Presi dent and Mrs. Coolidge returned to tb, White House while Secretary Week, and General Pershing stayed to ex press their gratitude to the waitins host.
 The War Secretary said when he re alized that other cities and communi ties all over the United States had helC similar demonstrations he did not hes itate to say that we came nearer hay ing adequate national defense than evel before during peace"
 Each Unit Has Plan
 Before the Defense Day." Secretar, Weeks said, i've had a general plai for the expansion of the army of tn, United States. As result of the ac tivities eliminating in today's exer cises, every unit of our citizen arm, has it's own detailed expansion plan Any day that can bring about such ar accomplishment is of great nationa