The Republican., 1931-05-28
CONTINUED from last issue)
CHAPTER XVII

vision.
! The French military officials were
anxious to show their respect and 1t
was arranged to have both an Ameri-
can and a French guard or honor
drawn up to salute him upon his ar
rival at my residence. These two
small guards We'd with each other and
both seemed to get great thrill out
of the ceremony.
! After an interesting evening with
the marshal and his staff as our guests
we left the next morning by motor car
for Treveray, accompanied by Gen.
erals Ragueneau and AlYord, ColonelS
De Chambrun and Mccoy and Cap
tain Boyd.
The troops of the division were
drawn up in line ready to receive US
and presented a much better appear
ance than at the review by President
Poincare. The men were especially
keen to be inspected by marshal Of
France and their pride was clearly
evident by their perfect lines as they
swung by in the march past. The
marshal in turn was enthusiastic over
their vigorous appearance and military
bearing.
One incident occurred that was not
on the program. On the way to the
field for the ceremony well-groomed
mule that happened to be running
loose pricked up his ears, looked us
over and decided to trot along with
us. One of my staff wagered that this
wise animal knew what was going on
and would be present to see the
march past. Sure enough, when we
reached our position this Missouri
product had preceded us. Cautiously
approaching, he displayed the great
est curiosity in the guest of honor.
AS all efforts to drive him away
seemed futile, he hovered near as an
interested spectator of the proceed
ings, much to the amusement of the
marshal.
Review Other Units.
I gave luncheon at Neufchateau
for the marshal's party and my own
and the senior officers of the First
division. After that we saw the train
! ing conducted by the First corps
school and visited the american and
French billets at the village of st.
Bin, where the One Hundred and
First regiment, Twenty-sixth division,
and the French Sixty-ninth passed in
review in excellent form. AS we re.
turned toward Chaumont other Ameri-
! can and French units were drawn up
! by the roadside in honor of the mar
I shall.
! 1t was rather late when we started
and darkness overlook us while pass
! ing on foot through the lines. The
! trumpets of each regiment sounded as
we approached, and with the lights
from our automobiles close behind
Illuminating the trees that bordered
! the highway and the faces that peered
! through the shadows to catch
glimpse of the marshal the scene sug-
1gested some legendary painting.
! Finally we halted and the troops,
: including the French One Hundred
land Fifty-first infantry, which had
made a remarkable record at Verdun,
marched past us. AS the regiments
came out of the darkness into the
spotlight Of our autos they made a
picture never to be forgotten.
Denies False Cable Rumor.
/. Returning to Paris October 10,
learned that dispatch from Berlin
to the New York Times represented
me as having said that the German
lines were impregnable. The report
might have been idle gossip, but it
was more probably circulated to Gre
ate. the impression that our armies
were starting on forlorn hope. This
report was so far from the truth that
I cabled the secretary of war that
it was absolutely false and without
any foundation whatever.
, In every reference to our future
operations l had strongly maintained
that it was not only possible to break
the German lines but that it would
be done. The very system of train
ing that we were persistently follow
ing was based on the determination to
force the Germans out of their
trenches and beat them in the Open
On no other theory could they have
been defeated.
Yet without question there were not
few among our allies and probably
some in our own army who thought
the task impossible, supporting their
view by citing the failures of the
previous three years, especially that
of the spring Of 1917. 1t was none
the less surprise, however, when a
report came directly to me that such
views had actually been expressed
In the presence Of civilian visitors by
officers of rank in our army.
was indignant to learn Of that
kind of talk, and in commenting on it
to the Americans who had heard such
statements made I said that 1.-THE
German lines can be broken, they
must be broken, and they will be
broken" and those present will recall
that 1t was said with considerable
emphasis
Positive steps were taken at once
to eradicate such notions, or at least
prevent them from being openly
stated, and I was determined to re-
ueVe Immediately any officer. without