Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-08-21

consider the matter more seriously. At
this time Gordon Auchincloss of the
State Department asked me to fix a
day when Col Edward M. House could
call on me. Col House was his father
in-law.
Didn't Know Col. Houses Status.
didn't know what Col House had to
do with the military program. but fixed
a time for meeting him. Meantime, l
spoke to Secretary Baker about 1t, and
the Secretary, perhaps knowing or
guessing why Col. House was coming
over, told me he represented the Presi-
dent in collecting information and data
for the latter's use.
When Col. House appeared at my
Office I found that what he wanted to
talk about was Gen. Pershing's various
activities in France: I would not have
discussed Gen. Pershing with him or
any one else in the ordinary case, but
in view of the Secretary's designation
of him as Mr.. Wilson's representative,
I told Col. House in substance that Per-
shings primary duty was to command
the American Forces in France, that he
ought not to be allowed to undertake
diplomatic work of any kind, and that
he was peculiarly untitled for it; that
he ought to be freed from anything
which would initiate in any way against
his actual command of the fighting
forces there. The average Army OH
Ger Is not qualified for diplomatic work.
Gen. Pershing, in his war memoirs as
they appeared in newspaper publication,
related with evident pride humping the
table and declining to be ''coerced" at
meeting of the Supreme War Council
at Abbeville May l., 1918, at which
Lloyd George, Clemenceau and Orlando
we're present. He omitted the desk
humping. however, when his memoirs
were published in book form.
Says Pershing Failed as Diplomat.
I have never been a desk thumper
to my orders But am not diplomat
and recognize that fact. Gen. Per-
shings failure in diplomacy at Tacna-
africa after the war might have been
predicted. and the subsequent solution
of the matter by our diplomatic repre-
sentative in Peru, Alexander P Moore.
under the direction of the State De-
partment, only showed the truth of the
| old adage, Let the shoemaker stick to
his last"
I never really knew whether House
spoke for the President. or whether the
scheme was his own. If he really spoke
for the President. it was the only time
during his administration when the
President needed any assistance in
dealing with me. OF course, he could
have obtained my views on that or any
other subject in writing whenever he
wanted them. Our contacts were both
oral and in writing and never by an in
termediary.
II the President intended to interfere
with Gen. Pershing's organization in
France, that was entirely his preroga-
tive. SO I sent for Gen. GoethalS and
advised him about the plan, SO he
might not be taken unaware If he were
rushed of to France. The final solution,
after Gen. Pershing had been heard
from was that the President transacted
his diplomatic-military business through
Gen. Bliss, and that Gen. Hartford re-
placed Gen. Herman at the head of the
supply system Of the A. E. F., with
vastly increased powers And the great
allied drive, eliminating in the armi-
stice. fully occupied the time of Gen.
Pershing and every one else, at home
and abroad.
Goethals Disappointed.
The decision not to send him abroad
was great blow to Goethas. Like
all other Army officers, with one or two
marked exceptions, he was eager to
serve in France, and I sympathized
with that feeling. The work that he
did as virtual chief of supply of the
Army far transcribed in magnitude
and certainly equaled in Importance
in its effect on world history the con-
struction of the Panama Canal Yet
he Is known only for the latter work,
while his great work as chief of sup
ply is completely unknown to the gen.
eral public.
Gables from Gen. Pershing frequently
showed ignorance or disregard of what
the cables meant, and his letters to me
showed clearly the same failure to
grasp our problems, of which his were
only part. I find tried to give him
some idea of the general situation at
home in the following letter, written
when I had the war machine going at
top speed:
July S, 1918.
MY dear Pershing:
Your letter of June 20 was just
handed to me by the young officer who
brought 1t over to the United States.
and I was glad to learn that two of
my letters had finally reached you. -"
with the very large Army which
you now have under your command,
and the still greater force which viii
.(Continted on Fifth Page.)