Evening star., 1942-11-13
Gen. Pershing Invites
Soldiers Of France 10
Fight With Allies
Axis Has Met Its Murne
And Faces Inevitable
Defeat, He Says

Soldiers Of France today had
an invitation from Gen. John J.
Pershing, leader of their American
comrades in lhe 1918 fight against
German barbarism," to join with
the United Nations so they will
once more be free"
Gen. Pershing extended his in
vitation through letter to Pres
ident Roosevelt, declaring the Axis
has met its Marne' and faces final,
inevitable defeat"
If they listen closely, Gen.
Pershing said, his former comrades
in-arms" will hear the tramp of
marching men who not so long from
now will be swinging" on their way
past Chateau Thierry' to victory
at Berlin"
Appeared With President.
Gen. Pershings S letter was written
yesterday, the Gay after he appeared
with the President at Armistice Day
ceremonies in Arlington National
Cemetery. The text follows:
Dear Mr.. President:
yesterday I was privileged to
stand by your side at Arlington be-
fore the tomb of an American SOL
dier of 1918 who gave his life to
arrest the course of German BAR
barism. I tried to imagine what his
response would be to your promise
that the enemy which he confronted
again will be beaten and the dream
of better world for which he died
surely will be realized. AS you spoke
"a years seemed to roll back, with
the consequence that as his COM
mander in chief I dare attempt in
all humility to say to you today the
words which he cannot say.
Il am certain with you that our
enemies, who have visited all the
horrors of a new war on the civilized
world, face final, inevitable defeat,
that the high-Water mark of their
conquest has been reached and that
they are in recession. l am positive
with you that the peoples whom
they brutalized and the territories
which they ravaged will, in the days
not long ahead, be liberated. I am
convinced with you that the civili-
zation which Germany and its al
lies have attempted to turn back
will be rebuilt, with fearless real
ism and without sophistry, on
more solid basis which does not
contain this time the seeds of new
cataclysm.t
Took First Great Step.
cover the last week end our troops.
side by side with the fighting men of
Britain and France, took the first
great step toward the total liberia
ton of French soil and the soil of all
the unconquered peoples. Patriotic
Frenchmen will know that our pres
ence in North Africa is the promise
of their freedom-whether they are
in German prisons, on the slave
gangs of the German factories or in
the vast concentration camp which
the German has made of France
My former comrades in arms will
believe me when tell them that the
Axis has met its Marine, and that if
they listen closely they will hear the
tramp of marching men who not so
long from now will be swinging along
the Champs-Elysses on their way
past Chateau Thierry, ST. Mihiel and
Verdun to victory at Berlin. They
will heed, I am certain, my invita-
ton to form their battalions and
join our ranks, so that the hills and
the valleys of the Patrie, which 1
know and love SO well, will once more
be free.
"Mr. President, in concluding. may
recall that the comrades of the boy
whom we honored yesterday lie in
rows of many thousands in the
American cemeteries of France; /,
their former commander, shall not
be satisfied until the desecration to
which they are now subjected is
ended by the joint efforts of the
United Nations, and they can sleep
in peace.
with high esteem and sincere
regard, believe me,
Faithfully yours,
"JOHN Y PEP PSuTNC-V