Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-10
Poincare and King George
Decorate Americans,
Including Pershing, in
Observation-Disclosures.
HOOVER PAYS CALL
ON FOOD SITUATION
General Formally Takes
Command of LIST Army
of A. E. F. as Plans for
St. Mihiel Are Made.
CHAPTER LVIII.

T@HE French Government had ex-
pressed a desire to bestow their
decorations on American officers
and men, and asked If would
accept an appointment in the
Legion of Honor with the grade OF
Grand Officer.
AS Congress had recently granted
permission for members of our forces
to receive foreign decorations, the
French Government was advised acc
cordingly, and it was to confer this
honor upon me that President Poincare
paid his first brief visit to Chaumont,
August 6, 1918.
I met him at the station with a mill
tary escort and conducted him to my
headquarters, where the senior officers
of the staff were presented. After that
formality we repaired to the small area
of barracks, where the headquarters
troop and band were drawn up In line
for the ceremony.
Meanwhile the entire headquarters
personnel, several hundred men and
women, had turned out TO witness the
proceedings. Both national airs were
to the President, after which he adj
dressed me briefly in perfect English
and pinned on the decoration.
POincare's Address.
at am specially pleased" he said, "at
this opportunity to thank Gen. Pershing
and the brave army under his orders
for the very gallant work they did dur
ing the past weeks on the field Of
battle"
I replied, thanking him for the honor,
and saying:
81 value this decoration as a mark
lN~,E of kt,o
of the American Army and of friend
ship for the American people"
Then, according to the French GUS
tom, President Poincare kissed me on
both cheeks, but not without some diff
Guilty, as he was not so tall as I, and it
was necessary for him to rise on tiptoe
and for me to lean somewhat forward.
was not insensible to the high per-
sonal honor, but regarded it mainly as
an appreciation on the part Of the
French Government of the assistance
America had already given to the cause.
Without implying the slightest criti-
the ceremony, I cannot refrain from
confessing my embarrassment, especially
as could hear a hushed laughter from
the irreverent Americans in the area
who Witnessed my situation, no doubt
with sympathy.
thought that M. Poincare himself
was probably quite as much embar-
raised as I was. Moreover, he must
have heard the suppressed mfrth as
plainly as ].
HOoyer's Plan To Feed Allies.
At this time there was some appre-
hension as to food supply for the
civilian population of the Allies, espe-
oil 1xy frVs 4afva cfV IN T1Vnr
Mr.. Herbert Hoover, who came to
Chaumont in company with the French
minister Of agriculture, was CONVEX
SAINT with the food situation In general.
He thought England could be Of i'm
mediate assistance, but I was not so
hopeful, feeling that her stores must
be low, due to the employment of so
much of her shipping to carry Ameri-
can troops. but was willing to accept
his views and offered to aid him in
any possible way.
On August 8, I again turned my at
tention to the organization of the LIST
Army. At the recently established
headquarters of the LIST Army at La
Ferte-sous- Jouarre, arrangements had
been completed TO include in our LIST
Army the list and Sd Corps, COM
posed of American divisions then on
the battlefield. The transfer of COM
mand from the French to the Amert-
cans was to have occurred August 10.
The rapidly changing situation in the
|. salient had. however, already made
this step inadyisable When 1t was
first proposed the battle was in prog
ress. but by August the lines had be-
come somewhat stabilized along the
Vesle River, and it was evident that
further operations on this front would
be limited for the time being.
August 8 the French and British
armies had combined, under command
of Marshal Haig, In drive against
the German lines between Montdidier
and Albert The attack came as a sur
prise to the Germans and was the be-
ginning Of splendid success. BY the
end Of the first day an advance of
more than six miles had been attained
The time. appeared propitious for ac-
tivity farther east.
FOch Agrees 10 Transfer.
AS the American Army was now an
accomplished fact, 1t seemed advisable
to begin preparations Immediately to
carry out the plan of campaign
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