Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-09
IPERSF1INGS FIGHT TO KEEP u. S. ARMY IDENTITY
ION FRENCH BATTLE FRONT REVEALED BY HISTORY
OF AMERICAN PART IN LAST WORLD WAR OFFENSIVE
Faced Foch Calmly, but Res
oIuteIy, With InSistence
on Purpose.
ALLIES WENT TO WILSON
President Left Decision to
General, Who Finally Car
ried His Point.
BY the Assoc ated Press.

BY the Assoc ated Press.
A Christmas day message from Sec
rotary Baker to Gen. Pershins in France
in 1917. eight months after the United
States entered the World War. is viewed
by Army historians as beacon
light" on the pathway Of negotiations
that were to grow tense over employ
ment of American troops at the front.
are quoted in part In the monograph
The genesis Of the American first
army" Just published by the historical
section of the Army War College. It
is the first complete off1cial account Of
difficulties which beset Pershing in
building an American Army in the
World War. and throws a flood of light
on recent discussions of the relations
between Pershing and Foch.
Both British and French pressing
upon President their desires to have
your forces amalgamated with theirs by
regiments and companies and both ex-
press belief in impending heavy drive
by Germans somewhere along lines Of
Western front" Baker cabled. We do
not desire loss of identity OF our forces.
but regard that as secondary to meeting
any critical situation by most helpful
use possible Of troops at your COM
mand.
Presidents Desire Stated.
"The President desires you to
have full authority to use the forces at
your command as you deem wise in con-
Sultation with the French and British
commanders in chief"
On January 8, PerShing answered:
Have expressed willingness to aid in
any emergency. but do not think good
reason yet exists for US to break up
own divisions and scatter regiments for
service among French and British. esc
pecially under guiSe of instruction.
Every endeavor will be made to arrive
at satisfactory agreement consistent
with maintenance of our own national
military identity"
From then on to the eve Of the Ar
gonne battle. when he faced Foch with
the unwavering demand that American
forces be permitted to fight as an
American army. under it's own flag and
its own commanders. Pershing had no
rest from the demand for employment
of his troops in allied armies.
That final scene was August 30. with
Foch mapping a "concentric attack" on
the wavering German lines, pivoted on
the Argonne drive toward MeziereS, but
with Pershing's first army to be broken
into divisions or corps in French armies.
Pershing resisted, demanding front Of
his own in the Argonne or anywhere
else.
Ready to Go to Battle.
do you wish to go to the battle?"
Foch. baked by Pershings tnsistence
on an American army, Numbered at
him.
Most assuredly, but as an American
army" Pershing answered without hest
tation or heat.
When Pershing, 10 days later, won
his point the French generaliSsimo and
the American commander were again
on the best OF terms. In their flnal
conference as to this decision, Foch
said:
1T have never doubted the senti-
ments which animate you"
Thus It came that despite the months
Of disagreement from January to
September in the last year of the war,
these two commanders were again as
they were In March, when Pershing
rushed to Foch, new-made generalisS1-
mo. to offer him American troops to do
with "as you choose in the mighty bat
tie" precipitated by the German assault
Yet in between these dates in March
and September there was unendlng
friction and stern insistence by PERISH
ing upon allied acceptance Of the prtn-
ciple that there should be created an
American army on an American front.
Time and again the Army monograph
tells in detail of postponements in &C
complishments Of his plans to gather
his first army together under his own
direct command.
Army Finally Assembled.
The American first army actually
was assembled with Pershing himself
in command only on the eve OF st.
Mihiel, shortly before the Argonne Of
fensive And It was then Foch came
with his plan again to scatter 1t in
French armies and the wills of the two
leaders clashed for the last time.
The publication of the monograph
led Army officers to recall an interview
with Marshal Foch published in Paris
after his recent death, in which the
French commander was quoted as hav-
ing said Premier Clemenceau had con-
sidered that Pershing's efforts to build
UP. an autonomous army was preventing
the Americans from giving the aid they
should have given the allied cause as
a whole. The Tiger" was said to have
accused Gen. Pershing Of being too
stubborn.
Regarding the meeting between
Pershing and Foch, which occurred at
lst Army headquarters in Ligny-en-
Barrios, the narrative says:
1T was a moment of high tension.
The two commanders faced each other,
both with decided convictions. The de-
cision affected more than a million
Americans"
Given 9O-MiIe Front.
Eleven days later, September 10. 1918,
while Pershings 1st Army crouched Tor
its spring at ST. Mihiel the agreement
was ratified that gave him 90-m1le
front. Within two weeks all his forces
were driving through the Argonne to-
ward Sedan and the armistice.
The monograph is chapter OF the
official narrative history OF American
military participation in the World War
which the War College specialists are
preparing, with access to allied and
German records as we'll as American.
It is devoted exclusively to the account
OF Pershing's difficulties in carrying out
President wilson's instructions. given
him before he sailed, to cooperate with
allied armies as his Judgment dictated,
but to keep always in mind the under
lying idea" that his forces in France
ARE a separate and distinct component
OF the combined forces, the identity OF
which must be preserved"
OF the idea for incorporation OF Amer
lean troops in allied armies as the
quickest means of making their battle
power effective the War College his
torians say it was advance initially as
| a proposal. but became in the minds OF
the allies necessity when Russia with
drew from the war and Germany serl-
ously threatened the successful outcome
Of the conflict by a great drive on the
| Western front"
Pressure Is Renewed.