Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-17
CONNER DESCRIBES
WAR WITHIN WAR
Former Colonel With Per-
Shing Tells of Opposition to
IL Separate U. S. Army

The Col Conner" frequently men
toned in the memoirs of Gen. Pershing
the officer who delivered to Marshal
Foch the ultimatum Of the American
commander rejecting the new plan"
on the eve Of the st. Mihiel offensive
is Boston resident now.
He is Mai. Gen. Fox Conner LIST
Corps Area commander, with headquar-
tiers at the Army base in South Boston.
During the war he was assistant chief
of staff, G-3, chief of operations,
American general headquarters.
THE night of August 80, 1918" Gen.
Conner said, "a call came to me at
general headquarters, ChaunIont 1t
was from Gen. Pershing at Ligny-en-
Barrels, where that day he had as
sumed command of the sector desig-
mated as the American area of oper-
ations.
Summoned by PerShing.
1.-THE general summoned Gen. Nc
Andrew, chief of staff, and me to Join
him at Ligny. There we learned of the
So-called new plan for the impending
battle. The day before Gen. Foch and
Gen. Weygand, his chief of staff, had
visited Gen. Pershing. and presented an
entirely new disposition Of forces for
the American Army. It amounted to
virtual dispersal of the American Array,
newly formed after many dificulties
and disappointments.
Gen. Pershing had rejected the
proposition in conference with Foch
the day before. 1t had been a stormy
session, we gathered from the generals
account.
There was an early morning con-
ference, and then there was written
Gen. Pershings formal letter to Foch
rejecting the new plan and insisting
that the American Army remain intact,
The generals memoirs contain the text
OF that letter, and his determination on
this score may be measured by the
wording OF that communication.
Gen. McAndrew and I took the let
ter to Foch'S headquarters. There we
conferred with Gen. Weygand and
strong English and French phrases
punctuated our discussion. We reached
no definite understanding, but returned
70 .Ldgny with word that. Foch wished
70 confer the next day with Gems
Pershlng and Petain. And that day
there was an agreement. The American
Army would remain intact"
Campaign Was Organized.
Rewriting to efforts of the allies to
have American troops. brigaded with
theirs, Gen. Conner said:
The campaign, obviously organized
Gen. Pershing and his staff left the
United States; in May, A917, and per-
sisted to the day Of the armistice.
'Fochs last-minute attempt to dis
rupt. the American Army en- the eve Of
the st. Mihiei operation cIinaxed. but
did not terminate, the war within the
war;
why, even on the morning OF sep
teMber 2. after the ST. AGihieI matter
had been settled, Fech reiterated his
question to Gen. Psrshing: DO you
want TO join in this battle?' But it did
not shake the American commander.
We went ahead with our plans for fight
ing the St. Mihiel battle and the con-
tenplated Meuse- Argonne offensive.
never could quite understand
Foch's persistence in opposing our plan
of forming an Army of our own He
would agree 1t would be a great thing,
If III conld be done, as he would say;
then wi1en re would set about to do 1t
he would md some objection TO it.
Some Were Sincere.
ssThe pressure exerted from all quar-
tersEo Cen. Pershing in opposition to
his Discrimination to build a distinct
American Army was great and unceaS-
ing. Some Of this opposition was po-
htiEal; some military. There is no
QONpO uld1hy b44CQ O11iCCIS Wc4C SlllCCAC-
~ afraid an American Army might run
into disaster and thus imperil the
chance Of allied victory. which they
knew could be had only through the ef-
forts Of AnericanE
cot course, there is no doubt Gle
menceau frequently embarrassed Focn by
forcing him to advance suggestions TO
Gen. Pershing In utter opposition TO the
American commanders well known
ideas. Not infreq1ently also must
these suggestions have seemed impolitic
to Foch. -. -.
strongest arm, as generalissimo. was the
American Army, whether united or d.
vided.
american people cannot realize how
difhcult 1t was for the American high
command TO prosecute successfully the
St. Mirniel operation and then. within
two weeks, transport division after divi-
sion marching by night and maintained
with supplies and furnished ammuni-
ton brought to them along darkened
roads-to a new front 60 miles away. 1t
vas a prodig1ous task TO prepare for the
Meuse-Argonne attack.
when the attack slowed up, finally,
Clemenceau found fault with the Amer
ican effort, but it can be Justly said that
his criticism was that Of a politician.
There is no doubt the French prime
minister took advantage of our tempo
rary setback to press again for bril-
gading' the American troops.
THE very fact that American troops
did take over the toughest sector on
the Western front, fight the Germans to
O standstill and dominate the heights of
the MeuSe in early November, should
prove that Gen. Pershing was right"
Copyright, 1881, by North American News
paper Alliance.l