of the United States.

But there must be a military leader. What was more natural than that the
choice should fall upon General John Joseph Pershing? General Funston
had died suddenly at San Antonio, Texas, and there was no one now to
outrank the leader of the punitive expedition into Mexico.

So General Pershing was selected. The man who had feared he was to be
ignored and left forgotten in the jungles of the Philippines was now to
be the Commander of the American Expeditionary Force in France.
Promotion once more had come to the man who had sought first to be
worthy to be promoted.

CHAPTER XII

IN ENGLAND AND FRANCE

ON June 8, 1917, General Pershing with his staff arrived (on the White
Star Liner, _Baltic_), at Liverpool. There was keen excitement in the
busy city and a warm welcome for the military representative of the
great republic which now was one of the Allies. Accompanied by a guard
of honor and a military band which was playing the Star Spangled Banner,
a British general was waiting to pay due honor to the arriving military
leader. The British admiral in command at Liverpool was also present to
greet the arriving General, as was also the Lord Mayor of the city. The
docks and shops, the houses and parks were filled with a waiting, eager
throng that was quiet in its deep, tense feeling.

To the British public General Pershing gave out the following message:

"We are very proud and glad to be the standard
bearers of our country in this great war for
civilization and to land on British soil. The
welcome which we have received is magnificent and
deeply appreciated. We hope in time to be playing
our part--and we hope it will be a big part--on
the western front."

As soon as the American Commander had been suitably greeted he started
for London by special train. The official state car had been attached to
the train for the General's benefit. In his swift ride through the many
busy cities which remind one more of American cities than does any other
part of England, through the beautiful and carefully cultivated rural
regions, past Oxford with its crowning towers, many hoary with age, the
party was taken. It is only natural to conjecture what thoughts must
have been in the mind of the General at the time. Was he thinking of
Laclede and the negro school which he had taught? Or of his modestly
brave work in Cuba and the Philippine