Birthday

"They will never call him Papa Pershing," War Correspondent Hey wood Broun wrote 22 years ago in France. Last week, when the commanding general of the A. E. F. was 79, there was no record that any of his one-time doughboys had yet called him Papa. But many a veteran of World War I sent birthday greetings to John J. Pershing, General of the Armies.*

By way of celebration, spry but ailing General Pershing showed himself to newsmen at Washington's Walter Reed Hospital. It was the 13th day of World War II.

It was "not a very good time" to be celebrating birthdays, mused the General. He then recommended that the U. S. Army, having just been upped to 227,000 by Presidential decree, be forthwith increased by Congress to full peacetime strength (280,000). "Finally," said he, "I must again recall our deplorable situation when we entered the World War 22 years ago. Then not a single (military) move had been made ... to prepare for it. That experience with its costly lesson, I am happy to say, appears certain to be avoided in the event that we should again become involved in war."

*A title created for "but never accepted by George Washington, conferred afterwards upon only four officers: Grant, Sherman, Sheridan (Civil War), Pershing. Although he retired in 1924, John J. Pershing is still on the active list as General of the Armies, has the words lettered over his sumptuous, seldom-used office in the State Department.

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