AMERICA SALUTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12087, 16 August 1917, Page 3

AMERICA SALUTES.

JOFFRE MEETS PERSHING. WELCOME DESCRIBED. Tlio special train hearing General Pershing and his party to Taris arrived the Gnre du Nord (telegraphed Mr U H. Grnsty, from Paris, to the i e York Times" on June 14b* I happened to ho where I had a close view of the details of his reception. General Pe - siring appeared in the doorway of the car. Immediately in front of his was the guard of honour, in grey uniforms, and at the left the Garde Repubhcaine The General's figure filled door of the. car as he stood eiec , tionlcss, and expression hj« ejes fixed above the heads of th P nartv which occupied the clear ; b l , if the nl'itform. Tho hand immediately struck up '• The'Star-Spangled Banner. Tit" Cipnenl's right I>nnd w«s rastanto at the salute, and remained bo uitil our national air and "statuesque sr ro U1 there—the very and incarnation of West 1 o,n M rf and tradition; as fine a S P°<-, , American-stylo physical in f" ho °. earch could he found m a a bearcli from the Atlantic to the Pacific. When the music stopped. General Pershing stepped abruptly down the ear steps to the platfoim. - dor Sharp introduced - comed him: then Ymam. Aftu the hitter's effusive, welcome, turned a little to the right, and thue stood " Papa " Joffre. I never want to see. anything finer 'than the of those two. Both hands of each went out to the other. They stood iaco to face without a word Iha v. R nPVOr . s ?r" such a smile as wreathed the face of to rM-eat Marshal. It did not change m tho course of the salutation. His eyeswcio so fixed in their gaze on tha Ametif.m General that they had the expression of blindness. There was no need tor a word from Joffre. What ho wasi saying Tt-nc ~s plain as if he were shouting it. You' have come, God bless you. a splendid soldier from a people unconquerable in their greatness, toJie Psavo I'"ranee —mv France! I know yom country, and 1 know you. and .he salvation of France is sure. . Aftei thatl the hand-shaking with Pa '"' cv^ the representatives from the Elysee, and even With Focli, seemed periunctof\s thn partv moved toward the gate there was a shout-a real rebel yd. It had not only the volume, but tho tan< T in it—it smote one's tympanum. It Took mo back to New York and the, shouting for Joffre that rocked the Woolworth Tower. This rebel yell v, as repeated over and over again. It was even more tremendous when tho party reached the street, and it was taken up and spread as by an electric cmrent from square to .square until it became faint in tho distance. I was able to get a taxi and rode down the Rue Lafayette behind the military party. I have often seen Pans in a gala mood before, but to-day it was an entirely different Paris. The people on the street were either old or very young. The females greatly outnumbered the males. Literally every ffico woro o smile—not the liflpp.Vj c«uofroo .smile of the old fete days, but a smile that clearly came out of a suffering heart. The world had turned so bad that hope , had almost died. The only good tiling loft was to meet whatever befell with patience and courage. Then suddenly there was good in the world, after all : there were chivalrous hearts, generous impulses, kinship among men. Now succour had come froml'ar off. beautiful America. Here were the actual soldiers. wlio wer 0 to be followed by hundreds of thousands of others, bringing warm flesh and blood to help France. Some such feeling was written on every upturned, grateful face, vibrated in every joyous shout. General Pershing has a soldier#; aversion for public statements, and couldn't be drawn out on his visit to England, though possibly ho may issue a, statement later on or express himself in the course of some future speech. From what I learned of him on this voyage, and from what I have Keen of the London reception. I fee! no hesitation in saying that he and the whole staff are deeply pleased with their English experience. A.s one officer put it to me, "It was so fine and sincere that for anv of us to speak would spoil it." The English welcome is characteristically much loss noisy than the American, but it was evident that the* British had thrown off all reserve, in the acceptance of the American partnership. There arc no secrets; all the cards .'ire down on the table. They appreciate that America ha-s brought to the Allies assurance of victory at a moment of uncertainty in Russia. This situation was frankly faced by tho British before the arrival of the expeditionary force. To clinch it, Pershing has won them. I heard on all sides the statement that no man fiom any quarter had come to England since the war and had met wj,th sr.cli an immediate and cordial acceptance. And, as a matter of faot, no American could have passed those four days in London without' satisfaction and pride in the kind of representation Pershine and his staff have given. While thei,- entertainment formed the chief subject of newspaper notice in London, I can say thati most of teheSr time was spent in good, hard work. Tho results of English experience wero placed at the disposal of the beads of departments of tho American Army. General Pershing and General Sir William Robertson had an opportunity of o-ettinc acquainted and exchanging views " In London Colonel Bradley, who will ho in ehargo of all army medical and surgical work, joined the staff and came to Franco after spending some months in London and on tho Continent studying his subject in 'the light of war conditions.