FOCH GIVEN THE SUPREME COMMAND

From General Pershing's Official Report of His Offer to Foch and Its Consequences.

FIRST of these historic documents is the note of Pershing to Foch, dated at Bourbon, March 28, 1918, offering to subordinate the American forces to the French command in fighting what is known as the Kaiser-battle, or Battles of the Somme, of the Lys and of the Second Aisne-Marne the most tremendous contact of the war. At the time, the British line was breaking and greater coordination on the part of the Allies was imperative. Pershing led the way. Foch was duly commissioned Commander-in-Chief on April 3.

His choice was dictated by his great military ability and character. Foch was the George Washington of the Allies, the one general who had the confidence of all armies and all governments. It was to him rather than to France that the Allies yielded precedence. Following the initial note of Pershing to Foch is an extract from General Pershing's report of September, 1919.

I HAVE come to tell you that the American people will hold it a high honor that their troops should take part in the present battle. I ask you to permit this in my name and in theirs. At the present moment there is only one thing to do, to fight. Infantry, artillery, aeroplanes, all that I have I put at your disposal do what you like with them. More will come. In fact, all that may be necessary. I have come expressly to tell you that the American people will be proud to take part in this, the greatest and most striking battle of history.

When, on March 21, 1918, the German army on the western front began its series of offensives, it was by far the most formidable force the world had ever seen. In fighting men and guns it had a great superiority, but this was of less importance than the advantage in morale, in experience, in training for mobile warfare, and in unity of command. Ever since the collapse of the Russian armies and the crisis on the Italian front in the fall of 1917, German armies were being assembled and trained for the great campaign which was to end the war before America's effort could be brought to bear. Germany's best troops, her most successful generals, and all the experience gained in three years of war were mobilized for the supreme effort.

The first blow fell on the right of the British armies, including the junction of the British and French forces. Only the prompt cooperation of the French and British General Headquarters stemmed the tide. The reason for this objective was obvious and strikingly illustrated the necessity for having some one with sufficient authority over all the Allied armies to meet such an emergency. The lack of complete cooperation among the Allies on the western front had been appreciated, and the question of preparation to meet a crisis had already received attention by the Supreme War Council. A plan had been adopted by which each of the Allies would furnish a certain number of divisions for a general reserve, to be under the direction of the military representatives of the Supreme War Council, of which General Foch was then the senior member. But when the time came to meet the German offensive in March these reserves were not found available and the plan failed.

This situation resulted in a conference for the immediate consideration of the question of having an Allied Commander-in-Chief. After much discussion, during which my view favoring such action was clearly stated, an agreement was reached and General Foch was selected. His appointment as such was made April 3, and was approved for the United States by the President on April 16. The terms of the agreement under which General Foch exercised his authority were as follows:

Bouvais, April 3, 1918.

General Foch is charged by the British, French and American Governments with the coordination of the action of the Allied armies on the western front ; to this end there is conferred on him all the powers necessary for its effective realization. To the same end, the British, French and American Governments confide in General Foch the strategic direction of military operations.

The Commanders-in-Chief of the British, French and American armies will exercise to the fullest extent the tactical direction of their armies. Each Commander-in-Chief will have the right to appeal to his Government, if in his opinion his army is placed in danger by the instructions received from General Foch.

(Signed)

G. CLEMENCEAU PETAIN F. F OCH LLOYD GEORGE D. HAIG, F. M.

HENRY WILSON,

General, 3, 4, 18.

TASKER H. BLISS,

General and Chief of Staff.

JOHN J. PERSHING,

General, U. S. A.

BRITAIN'S BACK TO THE WALL

Order of Sir Douglas Haig.

THE British Commander-in-Chief made this personal appeal to his troops on April 11, 1918, at the most critical moment in the second stage of the Kaiserbattle, fought in the Lys Valley, just south of Ypres. For the Allies it was perhaps the darkest hour of the war.

As General Haig says, three weeks previously the Germans had begun their colossal attack that crumpled the British Fifth Army by the weight of sixty-four divisions against nineteen. His appeal was not in vain. The British line stiffened. Foch sent a French army to their aid, and eventually the German advance was checked.

Small forces of Americans took part in this battle and so acquitted themselves as to merit special mention in the official dispatches of Sir Douglas Haig.

Buchan, the historian, saps of this battle, "It all but destroyed the British army; but it saved the Allies' front, and in the long run gave them the victory." The Americans were coming.

THREE weeks ago today the enemy began his terrific attacks against us on a fifty-mile front. His objects are to separate us from the French, to take the Channel ports, and to destroy the British army.

In spite of throwing already 106 divisions into the battle, and enduring the most reckless sacrifice of human life, he has yet made little progress toward his goals.

We owe this to the determined fighting a n d self-sacrifice of our troops. Words fail me to express the admiration which I feel for the splendid resistance offered by all ranks of our army under the most trying circumstances.

Many among us now are tired. To those I will say that victory will belong to the side which holds out the longest. The French army is moving rapidly and in great force to our support. There is no other course open to us but to fight it out.

Every position must be held to the last man. There must be no retirement. With our backs to the wall, and believing in the justice of our cause, each one of us might fight to the end. The safety of our homes and the freedom of mankind depend alike upon the conduct of each one of us at this critical moment.