Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-09

1018-Warding of friends and adj
mirers who are determined that he
shall run for the presidency of the
United States, for the Senate, or that he
shall seek portfolio in the cabinet, or be
appointed Governor of one of the island
possessions.
Not that Gen. Pershing would not be en-
tarely suitable for any one of these worthy
positions, but as he himself explains the matter,
perhaps with more grim humor than he quite
realizes Il have no intention of ever going
>tnt0 politics / wish to spend the next few
years Of my life getting rest and recreation"
The fact of the case is that Gen. Pershing
Is well content with his life as 1t is, and we
al know that he cannot go higher in public
esteem than the heights he has already attained.
Nebraska friends wanted Gen. Pershing to
enter the recent Republican primary for the
senatorial nomination against Senator Norris.
Pershing Is used to saying no, and that is
what he said in this case. Friends down in
Missouri have urged him to for the Senate
from that State, too, and there was talk last
year of the same thing in Wyoming, the home
Of the late Senator Warren Pershing's father
in-law.
Nebraska claims Pershing as her own because
his sister lives in Nebraska, and it was his
home for many years. Missouri says Pershing
IL her son, because he was born there, and he
himself admits that when he goes into Missouri
he feels Like Hometown boy, Just as he does
IN Nebraska.
GENERAL. of the United states Armies for
life, retired on full pay by virtue of the
specific act Of Congress In 1919 which created
for the commander of our armies overseas this
unique status, he occupies position without
precedent In this country. He is free to come
and go as he Likes and to take important adj
visory posts where he can be of important
service to the country.
Zen pnrSnirC returned horne from the BIG
Show sometime in 1919 Back at his desk in
the War Department, he continued the work
Of rehabilitation, which had occupied his at
tention in France since November IL, 1918. If
10 takes time and great organization TO get
country like ours geared up for taking part in
. big war; it also takes great effort to put
that machinery out of gear.
Pershing.s World War memoirs win begin
In The Star early in January.
It was about the middle Of July. 1921. when
Pershing became chief Of staff Of the Army,
and in that role he continued to serve right
mp to the DAY of his retirement in the FAN
Of 1924.
large part of Cen Pershing's work as chief
Of staff from 1921 to 1924 concerned itself with
the formation Of the Officers' Reserve Corps.
that big skeleton army, which IS constantly
being pulled into shape by means Of the sJiti-
Eens' Military Training Camps which take in
and put out their quota Of men every Summer
with so little fuss and bother that nobody talks
Gen Perslring has always been q strong
advocate of preparedness. The smooth func-
toning Of the Reserve Corps is largely attribu-
table to his direction in the early days Of its
existence.
An interesting sidelight on the generals ideas
about preparedness is that while he has never
minimized the important part which aviation
may take IN future wars, nevertheless he has
always insisted that the backbone Of the Army
continues to be the Infantry.
A 8 chief of statf, he made many trips across
the water between 1921 and 1924 to the
scenes Of the battlefields In France and to the
occupied territory in Germany. Pershing is
one OF the most mobile units the Army has
ever had. It would be interesting TO know how
many times he has crossed the Atlantic, or
even the Pacific He himself says that he has
long ago lost count, but he knows that he has
been around the world three times.
During the past four years he has spent ct
least one-half OF his time I'm France This has